Beryl Gemstones at The Ross Jewelry Company in Atlanta, Georgia.
Beryl exists in a number of different varieties, some being better known by their own
name, for example, Emerald is the grass green variety and Aquamarine is the sky
blue variety. As you can see, the two examples above are yellow or golden Beryl.
The varieties of beryl and their colors are as follows:
|
Color
|
Gemstone
|
|
Emerald:
|
Grass Green
|
|
Aquamarine:
|
Sea Blue
|
|
Golden Beryl or Heliodor:
|
Yellow - Golden
|
|
Morganite:
|
Pink
|
|
Goshenite:
|
Colorless
|
|
Beryl:
|
Violet, Blue or Pale Green
|
All the stones listed in the above table are different varieties of beryl, and share many
characteristics. While all emeralds and aquamarines are beryl, not all beryls are emeralds or
aquamarines.
Coloration
Pure beryl is colorless, often called white, and although quite rare, tends not to be valuable
because it does not have much brilliance. Colors, as in many gemstones, are caused by small
amounts of impurity, usually metallic oxides. This is a another case where impurity is
desirable.
Chromium, in the form of chromic oxide, causes the bright grassy green coloring in beryl,
thereby producing beryls. Vanadium can also affect the exact shade, as may traces of iron. It
is also possible to have green beryl which is not emerald, because the coloring agent is not
chromium.
Technical Characteristics
|
Chemical Composition:
|
Be3Al2(SiO3)6 - Beryllium Aluminium Silicate
|
|
Hardness:
|
7.5 - 8
|
|
Specific Gravity:
|
2.65 to 2.85
|
|
Refractive Index (R.I.):
|
1.560 - 1.565 to 1.590 to 1.599
|
|
Bi-refringence:
|
0.005 to 0.009
|
|
Optic Sign:
|
Negative
|
|
Optical Character:
|
Uniaxial
|
|
Crystal Structure:
|
Hexagonal
|
|
|
The Ross Jewelry Company - 7 Piedmont Center, Suite 104 - Atlanta, Georgia - (404) 495-3720
We are proud members of the following jewelry industry organizations:
Copyright © 1999-2007 - Beryl - The Ross Jewelry Company, Incorporated Atlanta, Georgia. All rights reserved.
|
