| Beryl is a mineral and in certain varieties a valuable | | | | 1537. During the 16th century, vast quantities of |
| gem material. Beryl is often unknown to the | | | | Colombian emeralds entered the European |
| general public, even the gemstone-buying public. It | | | | market. Colombian emerald industry has, on |
| is a mineral made up of beryllium aluminum | | | | average, 60% of the global market. |
| cyclosilicate. Beryl is a common crystal and forms | | | | Aquamarine, named for the Latin phrase "water |
| as a six-sided prism. The main gem varieties of | | | | of the sea", is a blue to blue-green variety of the |
| beryl are emerald (green) and aquamarine (blue). | | | | mineral beryl. Legends say that aquamarine (beryl) |
| Beryl is the chief ore of Beryllium, which is used in | | | | is the treasure of mermaids, with the power to |
| transistors. | | | | keep sailors safe at sea. Aquamarine is one of |
| Pure beryl is colorless, but it is frequently tinted | | | | several common gemstones belonging to the |
| by impurities; possible colors are green, blue, | | | | beryl mineral group. Aquamarine is a member of |
| yellow, red, and white. Blue Beryl is called | | | | the important beryl family, which includes emerald, |
| Aquamarine and is colored by iron, green Beryl is | | | | but aquamarine is less brittle and more durable |
| called an emerald is colored by chromium. Golden | | | | than emerald. The color of Aquamarine is due to |
| beryl is a yellow-green and called Heliodor, Pink | | | | trace amounts of iron impurities in the beryl |
| Beryl is called Morganite The green beryl, emerald, | | | | structure. Aquamarine is found in Brazil, Zambia, |
| tends to be infested with inclusions. Red beryl is | | | | Mozambique, Angola, Nigeria, and other countries. |
| the most precious kind of beryl. Red beryl is | | | | Heliodor is a golden to greenish-yellow variety of |
| extremely rare (more so than emeralds, by some | | | | beryl. Heliodor is named after the Greek words |
| reports). Blue beryl is quite interesting in that its | | | | for sun "Helios" and gift "doron". Heliodor was |
| color fades with exposure to sunlight. | | | | discovered in Namibia in 1910 in a pegmatite that |
| Beryl is the March birthstone, with a hardness of | | | | also produced aquamarine, which is also colored |
| between 7. Beryl is most frequently found in | | | | by iron. Heliodor or yellow beryl is far more |
| granite pegmatites. Chemically beryl is Be3 Al2 Si6 | | | | common than its brothers Aquamarine or emerald |
| O18. Minerals in the beryl group are silicates of | | | | is are. |
| beryllium and aluminum, having the chemical | | | | Morganite is a member of the beryl family that is |
| formula Be3Al2(SiO3)6 Beryl is found as | | | | named after one of the world's wealthiest |
| barrel-formed crystals. The rarest beryl is bixbite | | | | bankers and gemstone enthusiasts, J. Morganite is |
| (red) and is not usually seen in jewelry as it | | | | the pink, peach or lilac variety of the mineral beryl. |
| occurs in only very small crystals. Beryl is a silicate | | | | The colors range from pale to pretty good, but all |
| of aluminum and beryllium crystallizing in the | | | | Morganite is pale. The pink color of Morganite is |
| hexagonal system. Gem quality Golden Beryl is | | | | due to trace amounts of manganese impurities in |
| mined in Brazil, Virginia, and Madagascar. | | | | the beryl structure. Perhaps the highlight of the |
| Emerald is the green variety of the mineral beryl. | | | | Bennett's gem history was the discovery of the |
| Pliny, the Roman scholar, was the first to suggest | | | | 'Rose of Maine', an enormous Morganite beryl, by |
| emerald was a family member of beryl. Of all of | | | | Dennis and Ron Holden. |
| the beryls the emerald is the 2nd rarest, the only | | | | Bixbite (also known as red beryl, red emerald, or |
| beryl that is both more valuable and more rare | | | | scarlet emerald) is a red variety of beryl |
| than an emerald is the red beryl (bixbite). Emerald | | | | (emerald), Be3(Al,Mn)2Si6O18. Bixbite is named for |
| is colored green by trace amounts of chromium | | | | Maynard Bixby who catalogued the minerals of |
| and sometimes iron. Emerald (and all forms of | | | | Utah; however, this is not a scientifically |
| beryl) has large, perfect, six-sided crystals. Both | | | | recognized type of beryl. The "red emerald," also |
| hydrothermal and flux-growth synthetics have | | | | known as the bixbite or red beryl, is one of the |
| been produced and a method has been developed | | | | hardest stones to find on earth, and also one of |
| for producing an emerald overgrowth on colorless | | | | the most difficult to cut. Bixbite, a form of beryl, |
| beryl. | | | | occurs in silica-rich volcanic rocks known as topaz |
| Colombian emeralds are universally accepted as | | | | bearing rhyolites. |
| the finest emeralds in the world. It is Colombian | | | | Goshenite is the transparent, colorless, |
| emeralds against which all others are judged. | | | | alkali-bearing pure beryl that was discovered in |
| However, many Colombian Emeralds are mined in | | | | Goshen, Hampshire County, and Massachusetts. |
| lowest grade possible, especially, the Very light in | | | | Goshenite is often used as a replacement for |
| color (sometimes called green beryl). Native | | | | more valuable colorless gems. Goshenite is usually |
| peoples worked the Colombian emerald mines long | | | | found alongside the colored beryls although it is |
| before they were taken over by the Spanish in | | | | not nearly as popular. |