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Beryl

Silicate Minerals

Beryl is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium silicate with the chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO3)6. Its well-known varieties include emerald and aquamarine. Naturally occurring hexagonal crystals can reach several meters in size, although terminated crystals are relatively rare. Pure beryl is colorless but is frequently tinted by impurities, with green, blue, yellow, pink and red (the rarest) all possible, and it is an ore source of beryllium. In this atlas it is the mineral species that gemstones such as emerald and aquamarine record.

Facts
Kind
Mineral 1
Chemical Formula
Be3Al2(SiO3)6 1
Hardness (Mohs)
7.75 1
Commonly cited range is 7.5 to 8.0 on the Mohs scale; 7.75, the midpoint, is used here.
Classification
Crystal System
Hexagonal 1
Classification
Silicate Mineral 1
Use
Gemstone 1
Connections

Classified As

Silicate Minerals, Subcategories

Crystallizes In System

Hexagonal Crystal System, Concepts

In Discipline

Mineralogy, Disciplines
In the Other Atlases

Mineral Species Of

Aquamarine

Also in Divinity Atlas: of this mineral species.

Emerald

Also in Divinity Atlas: of this mineral species.

White Beryl

Also in Divinity Atlas: of this mineral species.

Yellow Beryl

Also in Divinity Atlas: of this mineral species.

Found In

Brazil

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Geology.com: Beryl mineral and gemstoneArticle text
Quote, Article text
Colombia, Zambia, Brazil , and Zimbabwe are major producers of gem-quality emerald
Colombia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Geology.com: Beryl mineral and gemstoneArticle text
Quote, Article text
Colombia, Zambia, Brazil , and Zimbabwe are major producers of gem-quality emerald
United States

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Geology.com: Beryl mineral and gemstoneArticle text
Quote, Article text
A small amount of emerald is sporadically mined in the United States near Hiddenite, North Carolina
Zambia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Geology.com: Beryl mineral and gemstoneArticle text
Quote, Article text
Colombia, Zambia, Brazil , and Zimbabwe are major producers of gem-quality emerald
Zimbabwe

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Geology.com: Beryl mineral and gemstoneArticle text
Quote, Article text
Colombia, Zambia, Brazil , and Zimbabwe are major producers of gem-quality emerald
Sources
1. Beryl (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Beryl, lead paragraph
    is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium silicate with the chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO3)6
  • Beryl, article text
    Well-known varieties of beryl include emerald and aquamarine.
View the Source
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