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Chrysoberyl

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Big Photo

Espírito Santo, Brazil
© 2002 John H. Betts

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Formula:
BeAl
 
2
O
 
4
System:OrthorhombicColour:Green shades, ...
Lustre:VitreousHardness:8½
Name:From the Greek χρυσός, golden, and βήρυλλος, beryl, in allusion to the color.


The green (chromium-bearing) gem variety, that shows a colour change under different light sources, is called alexandrite.

Classification of Chrysoberyl

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:4/B.07-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:4.BA.05

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
B : Metal: Oxygen = 3:4 and similar
A : With small and medium-sized cations
Dana 8th edition ID:7.2.9.1

7 : MULTIPLE OXIDES
2 : AB2X4
Hey's CIM Ref.:7.4.4

7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
4 : Oxides of Be, Mg and the alkaline earths
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Type Occurrence of Chrysoberyl

Type Locality:Brazil
Year of Discovery:1789

Occurrences of Chrysoberyl

Geological Setting:Granite pegmatites.

Physical Properties of Chrysoberyl

Lustre:Vitreous
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Transparent, Translucent
Colour:Green shades, emerald-green, greenish white, yellowish green, greenish brown, yellow, blue
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):8½
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Distinct/Good
Distinct on {110}, imperfect on {010}, poor on (001)
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density (measured):3.75(1) g/cm3
Density (calculated):3.69 g/cm3

Crystallography of Chrysoberyl

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Cell Parameters:a = 5.481Å, b = 9.415Å, c = 4.428Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.582 : 1 : 0.47
Unit Cell Volume:V 228.50 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:8
Morphology:Simple crystals usually tabular {001}; short prismatic [100] at times, or, less often, [001]. Striated on {001} parallel to [100]. Twinned crystals usually flattened perpendicular to the composition plane, and have a feather-like striation on {001}. Twinning forms six-rayed spokelike aggregates.
Twinning:Common on twin plane {130}. Both contact and penetration twins, freqently repeated and forming pseudohexagonal crystals as viewed along [001] with or without reentrant angles. Also flattened heart-shaped
Crystal Atlas:
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Chrysoberyl no.11 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Chrysoberyl no.35 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

About Crystal Atlas

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The mindat.org Crystal Atlas allows you to view a selection of crystal drawings of real and idealised crystal forms for this mineral and, in certain cases, 3d rotating crystal objects. You need Java to see these. You can download Java for free - click here to download Java

The 3d models and java code are kindly provided by www.smorf.nl. You can control the movement of the models by holding down the left mouse-button over the 3d model and moving your mouse. Keyboard controls are:

: default positions
t/T: decrease/increase transparency x/X: next/previous texture
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X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.

Optical Data of Chrysoberyl

Type:Biaxial (+)
RI values: nα = 1.746 nβ = 1.748 nγ = 1.756
2V:Measured: 70° , Calculated: 72°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.010

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:High
Dispersion:r > v
Pleochroism:Visible
Comments:X = c = columbine-red
Y = b = orange-yellow
Z = a = emerald-green
Comments:Exhibits a bluish opalescence or chatoyancy, notably on {010}. Also asteriated with a cat's eye effect.

Chemical Properties of Chrysoberyl

Formula:
BeAl
 
2
O
 
4
Essential elements:Al, Be, O
All elements listed in formula:Al, Be, O
Common Impurities:Fe,Cr,Ti

Relationship of Chrysoberyl to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
4.BA.10Manganostibite
(Mn,Fe)
 
7
SbAsO
 
12
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
7.4.1Bromellite
BeO
7.4.2Behoite
Be(OH)
 
2
7.4.3Clinobehoite
Be(OH)
 
2
7.4.5Magnesiotaaffeite-2N’2S
Mg
 
3
Al
 
8
BeO
 
16
7.4.6Magnesiotaaffeite-6N’3S
Mg
 
2
BeAl
 
6
O
 
12
7.4.7Periclase
MgO
7.4.8Brucite
Mg(OH)
 
2
7.4.9Spinel
MgAl
 
2
O
 
4
7.4.10Meixnerite
Mg
 
6
Al
 
2
(OH)
 
18
 · 4H
 
2
O
7.4.11Lime
CaO
7.4.12Portlandite
Ca(OH)
 
2
7.4.13Mayenite
Ca
 
12
Al
 
14
O
 
33
7.4.14Hydrocalumite
Ca
 
2
Al(OH)
 
7
 · 2H
 
2
O
7.4.15Marokite
CaMn
 
2
O
 
4
7.4.16Ranciéite
(Ca,Mn)Mn
 
4
O
 
9
 · 3H
 
2
O
7.4.17Hollandite
Ba(Mn
4+
 
,Mn
2+
 
)
 
8
O
 
16
7.4.18Romanèchite
(Ba,H
 
2
O)
 
2
Mn
 
5
O
 
10
7.4.19Todorokite
(Ca,K,Na,Mg,Ba,Mn)(Mn,Mg,Al)
 
6
O
 
12
 · 3H
 
2
O

Other Names for Chrysoberyl

Synonyms:
Aluminate of GlucinaAlumoberylChrysberilChrysoberilChrysopal (of Delamétherie)
CrisoberiloKrisoberilKrysoberrilOriental Chrysolite
Other Languages:
Dutch:Chrysoberyl
Estonian:Krüsoberüll
Finnish:Krysoberylli
French:Chrysobéryl
German:Chrysoberyll
Hebrew:כריזובריל
Hungarian:Krizoberill
Italian:Crisoberillo
Japanese:金緑石
Korean:금록석
Lithuanian:Chrizoberilas
Polish:Chryzoberyl
Russian:Хризоберилл
Serbian (Cyrillic Script):Берилијум алуминат
Simplified Chinese:金绿宝石
Thai:อะเลกซานไดรต์
Varieties:
AlexandriteChrysolite Cat's-eyeCymophane

Other Information

Electrical:Electrical conductivity increases with temperature.
Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

References for Chrysoberyl

Reference List:

- +
Werner (1789), Bergm. Journal: 373, 387 (as Krisoberil).

Haüy (1798): 4: 5 (as Cymophane).

Des Cloizeaux (1845), Ann. chim. phys.:(3): 13.

Melczer (1900), Zs. Kr.: 33: 246.

Gldschmidt (1913): 2: 154.

Adams and Graham (1926), Royal Society of Canada, Transactions: (3) sec. 4: 20: 113.

Bragg and Brown (1926), Zs. Kr.: 63: 122.

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 718-722.

American Mineralogist (1963): 48: 804-810.

Internet Links for Chrysoberyl

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project[Link Broken?]
  • American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database[Link Broken?]
  • Chrysoberyl details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)[Link Broken?]
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    • Localities for Chrysoberyl

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    Locality Updated: Unnamed Au occurrence (12), La Porte, La Porte District, Plumas Co., California, USAFrom Chester S. Lemanski, Jr., 4th Feb 2012 00:22:53