Beryl is not one stone but rather a group of many beautiful and important gemstone varieties. Beryl occurs in both transparent and translucent forms and has a vitreous lustre. In its pure form beryl is colourless or yellow and not widely known to the general public. Its range of magnificent colours means beryl is no ordinary gemstone.          

The two most popular varieties of beryl are the green variety – emerald – and the transparent blue-green variety – aquamarine. Other popular types of beryl are heliodor – a greenish-yellow variety, morganite – a pink variety, and goshenite – a colourless variety.

Aquamarine is coloured by trace amounts of iron in its crystal structure. Most gem quality aquamarines have been heat-treated to produce the popular blue-green colour from less desirable pale or yellow stones.        

              

Beryl minerals, which form chiefly in granite, are predominantly composed of beryllium aluminium silicate (Be3al2(SiO3)6) and are ranked 7.5-8.0 on the moh’s scale of hardness with a specific gravity of approximately 2.6-2.9. Beryl occurs in both transparent and translucent forms and has a vitreous lustre.