Beryl is a captivating and popular family of diverse and colorful minerals. While the name may not be particularly well known, a number of its varieties are known throughout the world – deep green Emerald and sky-blue Aquamarine. Other varieties include pink Morganite, greenish-yellow Heliodor, yellow-orange Golden Beryl and colorless Goshenite.

The crystal system for this aesthetic mineral is hexagonal, often forming perfect six-sided hexagons with flat terminations. Other forms include columnar aggregates, etched crystals and massive. Its allure, diverse colors (and multi-colors) and durability (boasting a hardness of 8 on the Mohs hardness scale), make this family of minerals highly sought after and a favorite in the jewelry/gem trade.

Beryl is a very common mineral found throughout the world. Notable locations include Afghanistan, Brazil, Columbia, Namibia, Pakistan and the USA (California, New Hampshire).