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Beryl is a gemstone variety, which has several family members.
The basic chemical formula for Beryl is a complex mix of Beryllium (its main component, giving its name and the description of green) with Silicone, Oxygen, Aluminium and then some other rare earth minerals. These earth minerals cause the differences in colour. Each differing colour/colour range has its own name.
Emerald
The first of this family is probably most widely known and treasured of the big 3 coloured gems, Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire. Ruby and Sapphire are in face Corundum, a different gem altogether, with a different chemical formula. They are, however, essentially the same main minerals of Aluminium and Oxygen with trace elements that change their colour.
The crystals also cool, this process often means that the resulting crystals are often naturally included with foreign material, liquid, solid and gas inclusions. In rare cases these inclusions can contain all three of these occurrences called three phase inclusions. Whereby a natural void within the crystal will contain a liquid, a gas bubble, and a solid crystal. The natural flaws in Emerald are most often visible to the naked eye, in the form of feathers, milkiness, or mineral inclusions of other material. The formation process means that high clarity stones are highly unlikely, incredibly rare, extremely highly prized and valued.
Most Emeralds will have to some degree of oil present, even certificated Emeralds will state whether an Emerald has minimal, medium, or high levels of oiling. The higher the levels of residues, generally the lower the quality of the original stone and its resulting lower value.
Aquamarine
Aquamarine the next largest and prized of the Beryl family. Also, a mix of Silicone, Aluminium and oxygen, with then the addition of Iron being the colour causing agent for this stone. Its growing environment is very different to its sibling Emerald. Where high pressure and heat traveling through schist rock results its naturally included material.
The largest of these on record ever found weighed 110kg (244lbs) and measured 48cm (19”) long and 38cm (15”) in diameter. Although large Aquamarine crystals are not that uncommon, such large stones are very difficult to use in jewellery. There is less demand for sizes above 25 carats. However, some fantasy stone cutters make great use of these larger crystals to create amazing stones from such high clarity specimens or may even create fantastical sculptures from them. The most important thing to note difference wise, is that the general appreciation in the trade is that bluer tones for Aquamarine is the industry wide preference.
Pink Beryl/Morganite
Pink Beryl otherwise known in the industry as Morganite. Again, the same main elements, but with the addition of trace elements of Manganese.
The resulting normal peach colours of Morganite by collectors is most likely unheated, where a lot of material is heated to achieve pinker stones. Again, it is due to the same formation circumstances as Aquamarine and the naturally forming imperfection free crystals. The violet stones are achieved by carefully considered by the cutting direction of the original rough, where a truer natural highly saturated violet colour has been achieved in a smaller stone, rather than compromising its colour for size.
Yellow Beryl/Golden Beryl/Heliodor
Yellow or Golden Beryl sometimes called Heliodor, traces of Iron cause its yellow colour, which can sometimes have an orangish or greenish tint.
It does boast the same typically high clarity forming rough, and although it can form in large enough crystals to achieve beautiful carvings, it never forms as large as Aquamarine. It’s brightness however means it’s ideal for designer and fantasy cuts.
Green Beryl
Green Beryl, the difference between this and Emerald lies in the difference in tone and saturation levels. Also, the trace elements causing the colour.
Again, the same slow formation process of this stone, gives high clarity and the possibility of the heat treatment process. However, the presence of the Chromium prevents complete removal of the green colour and heat treating of this material cannot create a dominant blue colour as it can with Aquamarine.
Red Beryl
Finally, the rarest of all the Beryl family is the ever-elusive Red Beryl sometimes referred to as Red Emerald, but this name has been largely dropped due to confusing customers, as Emerald is always known as being a green colour.
Like Emerald does not respond well to heat treatment. Unlike all its siblings though, Red Beryl is most often cut in melee sizes, small stones that very often are no more than around 0.15 of a carat for final cut stones. This is partly due to its intense colour showing best in small sizes and it naturally only forms in small rough crystals, the largest ever Red Beryl recovered was reported to measure 14x34mm and weighed about 45cts. The largest ever cut stone weighed just over 8cts. The final thing that limits this beauty of a stone, is that it has only ever been mined in the Wah Wah Mountains in southwestern Utah. Mining of this stone at its peak yielded only 0.50cts to 0.80cts of facet grade rough from 1 ton of rock. In 1990 the mine produced only 200 stones larger than 0.25cts. Due to such limited production the 1 and only mine closing in the early 2000s. Since then, this rarely seen gemstone has become an expensive speciality collectors stone.
If you would like any more information on Beryl, please do visit us in our showroom and we can show you some of our products in the flesh. If you would like a piece of bespoke jewellery made with one of the above gemstones being a feature, please feel free to contact our in-house jewellery designer Tony. He will be able to order some stunning stones into the showroom so you can see exactly what colour you will be getting. Talk about getting the perfect stone!