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Beryl

Big Photo

Bald Mtn., Ossipee, Carroll Co., New Hampshire, USA
© Scott Whittemore

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Formula:
Be
 
3
Al
 
2
Si
 
6
O
 
18
System:HexagonalColour:Green, blue, yellow, ...
Lustre:Vitreous, Sub-Vitreous, Waxy, GreasyHardness:7½ - 8
Name:Possibly from the Greek "beryllos" which referred to a number of blue-green stones in antiquity.


The largest beryl crystal reported was 18 m long and 3.5 m wide from Malakialina, Madagascar, but in the absence of anything more than a personal communication, the report is doubtful.

Classification of Beryl

IMA status:Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"
Strunz 8th edition ID:8/E.12-10
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:9.CJ.05

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
C : Cyclosilicates
J : [Si6O18]12- 6-membered single rings (sechser-Einfachringe), without insular complex anions
Dana 8th edition ID:61.1.1.1

61 : CYCLOSILICATES Six-Membered Rings
1 : Six-Membered Rings with [Si6O18] rings; possible (OH) and Al substitution
Hey's CIM Ref.:16.6.1

16 : Silicates Containing Aluminum and other Metals
6 : Aluminosilicates of Be
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Occurrences of Beryl

Geological Setting:Commonly found in pegmatites. Red beryl is found in topaz rhyolites.

Physical Properties of Beryl

Lustre:Vitreous, Sub-Vitreous, Waxy, Greasy
Colour:Green, blue, yellow, white, pink, etc.
Streak:White
Hardness (Mohs):7½ - 8
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Imperfect/Fair
{0001}
Fracture:Conchoidal
Density (measured):2.63 - 2.92 g/cm3

Crystallography of Beryl

Crystal System:Hexagonal
Class (H-M):6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) - Dihexagonal Dipyramidal
Space Group:P6/mcc {P6/m 2/c 2/c}
Cell Parameters:a = 9.21Å, c = 9.19Å
Ratio:a:c = 1 : 0.998
Unit Cell Volume:V 675.10 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:2
Crystal Atlas:
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Beryl no.12 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Beryl no.23 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Beryl no.24 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Beryl no.32 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Beryl no.98 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Beryl - Tabular {001}

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

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Structure
  Reference
Artioli G Rinaldi R Stahl K Zanazzi P F (1993) Structure refinements of beryl by single-crystal neutron and X-ray diffraction Sample no. 2, aquamarine, probed with neutrons, T = 295 K. American Mineralogist 78:762-768.

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More Crystal Structures
Click here to view more crystal structures at the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
7.98 (90)
4.60 (50)
3.99 (50)
3.25 (100)
3.01 (40)
2.87 (100)
2.52 (30)

Optical Data of Beryl

Type:Uniaxial (-)
RI values: nω = 1.568 - 1.602 nε = 1.564 - 1.595
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.004 - 0.007

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Moderate

Chemical Properties of Beryl

Formula:
Be
 
3
Al
 
2
Si
 
6
O
 
18
Essential elements:Al, Be, O, Si
All elements listed in formula:Al, Be, O, Si
Common Impurities:Fe,Mn,Mg,Ca,Cr,Na,Li,Cs,O,H,OH,H2O,K,Rb

Relationship of Beryl to other Species

Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
9.CJ.05Bazzite
Be
 
3
Sc
 
2
Si
 
6
O
 
18
9.CJ.05Indialite
Mg
 
2
Al
 
4
Si
 
5
O
 
18
9.CJ.05Stoppaniite
(Na,[ ])
 
2
(Fe,Al,Mg)
 
4
[Be
 
6
Si
 
12
O
 
36
]·2H2O
9.CJ.10Cordierite
(Mg,Fe)
 
2
Al
 
4
Si
 
5
O
 
18
9.CJ.10Sekaninaite
(Fe,Mg)
 
2
Al
 
4
Si
 
5
O
 
18
9.CJ.15aCombeite
Na
 
2
Ca
 
2
Si
 
3
O
 
9
9.CJ.15bImandrite
Na
 
12
Ca
 
3
Fe
3+
2
[Si
 
6
O
 
18
]
 
2
9.CJ.15aKazakovite
Na
 
6
Ti[Si
 
6
O
 
16
(OH)
 
2
]
9.CJ.15cKoashvite
Na
 
6
(Ca,Mn)(Ti,Fe)Si
 
6
O
 
18
·H
 
2
O
9.CJ.15aLovozerite
Na
 
2
Ca(Zr,Ti)[Si
 
6
O
 
12
(OH,O)
 
6
]*H
 
2
O
9.CJ.15aTisinalite
Na
 
3
H
 
3
(Mn,Ca,Fe)TiSi
 
6
(O,OH)
 
18
·2H
 
2
O
9.CJ.15aZirsinalite
Na
 
6
(Ca,Mn
2+
 
,Fe
2+
 
)Zr[Si
 
6
O
 
18
]
9.CJ.15aLitvinskite
Na
 
2
([],Na,Mn)ZrSi
 
6
O
 
12
(OH,O)
 
6
9.CJ.15aKapustinite
Na
 
5
(Na,Mn
2+
 
)
 
<1
Zr[Si
 
6
O
 
16
(OH)
 
2
]
9.CJ.25Baratovite
KCa
 
7
(Ti,Zr)
 
2
Li
 
3
Si
 
12
O
 
36
F
 
2
9.CJ.25Katayamalite
KCa
 
7
Ti
 
2
Li
 
3
Si
 
12
O
 
36
(OH)
 
2
9.CJ.25Aleksandrovite
KCa
 
7
Sn
 
2
Li
 
3
Si
 
12
O
 
30
F
 
2
9.CJ.30Dioptase
Cu
 
6
(Si
 
6
O
 
18
)·6H
 
2
O
9.CJ.35Kostylevite
K
 
2
ZrSi
 
3
O
 
9
·H
 
2
O
9.CJ.40Petarasite
Na
 
5
Zr
 
2
[(OH,Cl)|Si
 
6
O
 
18
]·2H
 
2
O
9.CJ.45Gerenite-(Y)
(Ca,Na)
 
2
(Y,REE)
 
3
Si
 
6
O
 
18
·2H
 
2
O
9.CJ.50Odintsovite
K
 
2
Na
 
4
Ca
 
3
Ti
 
2
Be
 
4
Si
 
12
O
 
38
9.CJ.55Mathewrogersite
Pb
 
7
(Fe
2+
 
,Cu)Al
 
3
Ge[(OH,H
 
2
O)
 
6
|(Si
 
3
O
 
9
)
 
4
]
9.CJ.60Pezzottaite
Cs(Be
 
2
Li)Al
 
2
Si
 
6
O
 
18
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
16.6.2Euclase
BeAl[OH|SiO
 
4
]
16.6.3Bavenite
Ca
 
4
Be
 
2
Al
 
2
Si
 
9
O
 
26
(OH)
 
2
16.6.4Aminoffite
Ca
 
2
(Be,Al)Si
 
2
O
 
7
(OH)·H
 
2
O
16.6.5Milarite
K
 
2
Ca
 
4
Al
 
2
Be
 
4
Si
 
24
O
 
60
·H
 
2
O
16.6.6Lovdarite
(Na,K,Ca)
 
4
(Be,Al)
 
2
Si
 
6
O
 
16
·4H
 
2
O
16.6.7Surinamite
(Mg,Fe)
 
3
Al
 
4
BeSi
 
3
O
 
16
16.6.8Ferrotaaffeite-6N'3S
(Be,Zn,Mg)FeAl
 
4
O
 
8

Other Names for Beryl

Synonyms:
BeryliteBerylleBerylls
Other Languages:
Basque:Berilo
Bishnupriya Manipuri:বেরিলো
Bosnian (Latin Script):Beril
Bulgarian:Берил
Croatian:Beril
Czech:Beryl
Dutch:Beryl
Finnish:Berylli
French:Béryl
Galician:Berilo
German:Beryll
Berylit
Hebrew:בריל
Hungarian:Berill
Italian:Berillo
Japanese:緑柱石
Latin:Beryllus
Latvian:Berils
Lithuanian:Berilas
Low Saxon:Beryll
Polish:Beryl
Portuguese:Berilo
Romanian:Beril
Russian:Берилл
Serbian (Cyrillic Script):Берил
Simplified Chinese:綠柱石
Slovak:Beryl
Spanish:Berilo
Berylita
Swedish:Beryll
Turkish:Beril
Ukrainian:Берил
Wolof:Beril
Varieties:
AeroidesAlkali-berylAméthiste Basaltine (of Egleston)AquamarineEmerald
GosheniteHeliodorMaxixe-AquamarineMorganitePachea
Red BerylRiesling BerylVorobyevite

Other Information

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 Beryl

Reference List:Scandale, E., Scordari, F., and Zarka, A. (1979a) étude des défauts dans des monocristaux natures de béryl. I. Observations des dislocations. Journal of Applied Crystallography: 12: 70-77.

Scandale, E., Scordari, F., and Zarka, A. (1979b) étude des défauts dans des monocristaux natures de béryl. II. Etude de croissance. Journal of Applied Crystallography: 12: 78-83.

Graziani, G., Lucchesi, S., and Scandale, E. (1990) General and Specific Growth Marks in Pegmatite Beryls. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals: 17: 379-384.

Scandale, E., Lucchesi, S., and Graziani, G. (1993) Improvements on the growth history reconstruction of a beryl crystal by growth marks. Neues Jahrbuch für Minweralogie Monatshefte: 4: 172-184.

American Mineralogist (1993): 78: 762-768.

Scandale, E. and Lucchesi, S. (2000) Growth and sector zoning in a beryl crystal. European Journal of Mineralogy: 12: 357-366.

Beryl and Its Color Varieties, Extra Lapis English No. 7.

Articles/Blogs about Beryl

Article entries:
Pre Hibernation CollectingPaul Gilmore

Internet Links for Beryl

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  • Beryl details from Handbook of Mineralogy (PDF)
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    Localities for Beryl

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