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UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural inorganic gem materials · Mineral / gemstone variety · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Goshenite
The colorless variety of beryl, called Goshenite in mineralogy and the trade; it is not a separate mineral species. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Goshenite forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify GosheniteIdentification points from the research literature; how far lab testing can go and whether a synthetic exists
- Treatments and enhancements of GosheniteThe enhancements and treatments the GB/T and JJA/AGL tables list
- Hardness, density and refractive index of GosheniteEach value with its source and check date
- Goshenite in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Which of GIA, FTC, CIBJO and Gem-A have a name for it on record, and do those agree?
- Listing and disclosing GosheniteThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define GosheniteWhich clause defines it, each cross-checked
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
Goshenite (also colourless beryl) is the nearly chromophore-free, colourless transparent variety of beryl (Be3Al2Si6O18) in the beryl family. The CIBJO gemstone nomenclature standard lists Goshenite / colourless beryl as a beryl colour variety. As a beryl, goshenite forms mainly in granitic pegmatites, crystallising from late-stage residual aqueous fluids in pockets of the pegmatite core and intermediate zones.
Scope: Applies to the naming and formation background of colourless beryl (goshenite); the mechanism of its colourlessness (absence of colouring impurities) is not elaborated in the cited sources.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 · GIA Emerald Description · G&G Summer 2025
Where it forms
Granitic pegmatites, where residual aqueous fluids crystallise in core/intermediate-zone pockets, are the main setting for goshenite.
Sources G&G Summer 2025
How it forms, step by step
Magmatic fractional crystallisation enriches the late residual melt in Be and volatiles.
An aqueous fluid exsolves and crystallises beryl in pegmatite pockets.
In the absence of chromophores the crystals are colourless and transparent.
Link to appearance
Goshenite is colourless and transparent, contrasting with the chromophore-induced colours of other beryl varieties.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 · GIA Emerald Description · G&G Summer 2025
Timescale
Crystallises from water-rich fluid late in magmatic evolution, consistent with the beryl group.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 · GIA Emerald Description · G&G Summer 2025
Related base materials
- Beryl: Mineral parent: this variety belongs to the mineral species beryl (Be3Al2Si6O18)
Supporting findings
As a beryl-group mineral, goshenite forms mainly in pockets of granitic pegmatites.
Evidence grade AScope: Describes the main setting without excluding others.
Enrichment of residual pegmatite fluids in beryllium is a prerequisite for beryl-group crystallisation.
Evidence grade AScope: Concerns the residual-fluid evolution of complex, zoned pegmatites.
How it is identified
For beryl-family material, colour and outward appearance are not an identification. A dependable approach is laboratory work: examining inclusions and growth features under the microscope, supported by chemical analysis and spectroscopy, and comparing the results with known natural and synthetic material to judge how the stone formed. Such interpretation demands trained specialists, so the identification should be issued by a qualified gem laboratory rather than inferred from appearance.
Evidence grade AScope: Applies to origin and treatment questions for beryl-family material; no self-administered criteria are given.
Goshenite, the colourless beryl, may be priced on locality, with goods traded under names such as Madagascar, Brazil or Afghanistan. A locality name, however, is only a trade attribution and is not a determined origin. Origin work is a laboratory exercise: the deposit type is addressed first, then inclusion suites and trace-element suites (measured by methods such as laser ablation ICP-MS) are compared with reference databases for known localities to yield a conclusion of consistency or inconsistency with a source. Because the characteristic ranges of different localities overlap and vary within a single deposit, the conclusion is probabilistic and may be only inconclusive; heating, filling and diffusion alter the measurable features and must be excluded first. Origin cannot be inferred from appearance or name; an origin conclusion must be issued by a qualified laboratory for a specific specimen. This entry offers no self-test criteria or thresholds.
Evidence grade AScope: Origin cannot be inferred from appearance or name; an origin conclusion must be issued by a qualified laboratory for a specific specimen, and this entry provides no self-test criteria or thresholds.
Other research findings
The CIBJO nomenclature standard lists Goshenite (colourless beryl) as a beryl colour variety.
Evidence grade AScope: Valid for nomenclature only, without colour thresholds or origin determination.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Goshenite is one of the colour varieties of the mineral species beryl (Be3Al2Si6O18).
Evidence grade AScope: Defines only the variety-to-species relation.
Sources GIA Emerald Description
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- The CIBJO nomenclature table is tabular, so quotes are adjacent table-cell text.
- The exact cause of goshenite's colourlessness (absence of chromophores) is not directly stated in the available sources.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Goshenite
IMA Mineral List 2026-07 “Beryl” · CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.1.97 “Goshenite”
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments recorded for this material: Heated / Heat-treated (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Irradiated (via parent material), Coated (via parent material)
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
Goshenite is Colourless beryl variety; use "Goshenite" for listings, and disclose any known treatments.
Evidence
- CIBJO · 7.2.1.97
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Goshenite" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Care and wear
No care facts are recorded for this entry itself. Its parent material has care records: see Beryl.
Treatments and identification leads
One row per treatment, with three standards side by side: how often it occurs and how stable it is (CIBJO), its category in GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (this site's paraphrase) and how the JJA/AGL 2025 table lists it. Each CIBJO value links to its entry under “Testing and market”, where the wording and source are given in full.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Treatment | Market frequency (CIBJO) | Stability (CIBJO) | GB/T 16552 category | JJA/AGL listing | Identification leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heating | — | — | Optimization | — | — |
| Filling | — | — | Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1 | — | — |
| Irradiation | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
| Coating | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
“—” means the cited source gives no value for that item, not “none”. Source: GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (row for Beryl)
Whether a treatment has to show in the name differs between the two rule sets (this site’s paraphrase):
- GB/T 16552—2017: a method classed as treatment has to be stated in the name itself — the method put before the name, or added in brackets after it; a method classed as optimization does not need to appear in the name, though one marked “Optimization (annotation required)” still has to be noted in the quality documents. Source: §5.4.2.1 a), b); §5.4.2.2 a)
- CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022: no longer splits treatments into ones that need specific disclosure and ones that need only general disclosure: every treatment is to be disclosed, and the seller tells the buyer which treatment was used and what special care it calls for. Source: §4.2.5 Note 2, §4.2.5.1, pp.14–15
What this table covers
What this page can give
- Registered treatments, their stability and how often they occur (see the table above)
- Identification leads for each treatment, for use when sending a stone for testing
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Standard and listing namesThe GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.1 counterpart for Goshenite is Beryl, and the GB/T 16552—2017 text does not list Goshenite itself; the suggested listing name is Goshenite. Names in four languagesThe four-language names are given in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Goshenite) and Japanese (a transliteration and a kanji name). Institution usageAmong authority wordings, of the four bodies this site has recorded only CIBJO's wording, Goshenite (CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024); the FTC has been checked, and its source text has no wording for Goshenite; GIA and Gem-A have not been checked. Bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, which does not represent their position. Japanese namesThe entry's own Japanese names are a transliteration and a kanji name, and the Japanese GSJ wording for them is not yet verified by this site. Trade and mineralogical namesThe mineralogical name is Colourless beryl variety.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- ゴシェナイト／無色緑柱石 (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- GB/T naming counterpart (this name is not in the standard)
- 绿柱石 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.1)
- Mineralogical name
- Colourless beryl variety
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 无色绿柱石
- 繁體中文
- 無色綠柱石
- English
- Goshenite
- 日本語
- ゴシェナイト／無色緑柱石
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Browsing family
- Beryl minerals and gem varieties
- Identity tier
- Mineral / gemstone variety
- Mineral chemical class
- Silicates
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments listed by standards
GB/T 16552-2017, Annex B, Table B.1
Under the “Beryl” row of Table B.1: Heating Optimization; Filling Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1; Irradiation Treatment; Coating Treatment. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Beryl page.
What Table B.1 is, and how the “see 5.4.1” grades are defined: see the GB/T 16552: optimization vs treatment page.
What it is and how it's identified
Goshenite's composition (phase) is beryl, and the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book lists Goshenite as its own entry; the structural, durability and optical data in the cited GB/T 16553—2017 are written for beryl (the whole mineral species), not measured on Goshenite itself. For beryl (the whole mineral species): crystalline, hexagonal, with a hexagonal prismatic habit, occasionally hexagonal tabular, the crystal faces often striated lengthwise; Mohs hardness 7.5–8, with one imperfect cleavage. For beryl (the whole mineral species), density is 2.67–2.9 g/cm³, worked out from the cited clause's 2.72 with a stated tolerance of +0.18, −0.05; refractive index is 1.56–1.6, worked out from the cited clause's 1.577–1.583 with a stated tolerance of ±0.017; birefringence is 0.005–0.009; optic character is anisotropic, uniaxial, optically negative; chatoyancy is visible, and asterism visible but rare. Registered for beryl (the whole mineral species), untreated: pleochroism weak to moderate, varying with body colour, and vitreous lustre.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Chemical composition, luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum, magnification: these whole-class features are given in the cited clause for beryl (the whole mineral species), so they are not repeated on the Goshenite page; see the material facts on the Beryl entry.
Items below that name the class they cover give the cited clause’s value for that whole class, not a measurement of Goshenite (how to read class-level values).
Definition
Goshenite — composition (phase): beryl
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Structure
Goshenite — structure (overall): crystalline
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Goshenite — structure (crystal system): hexagonal
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Goshenite — structure (crystal habit): typically six-sided prisms, now and then flat hexagonal plates; prism faces usually striated lengthwise.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Durability
Goshenite — Mohs hardness: 7.5–8
GB/T 16553—2017
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Goshenite — cleavage: imperfect in one direction
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Physical properties
Goshenite — density: 2.67–2.9 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 2.72, with a stated tolerance of +0.18 / -0.05. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Optical
Goshenite — optic character: uniaxial, optically negative (anisotropic)
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Goshenite — refractive index: 1.56–1.6
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 1.577–1.583, with a stated tolerance of ±0.017. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Goshenite — birefringence: 0.005–0.009
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Goshenite — pleochroism: weak to moderate, and varying with color: yellow is weak, showing green-yellow and yellow, or different tones of yellow; green is weak to moderate, showing blue-green and green, or different tones of green; pink-red is weak to moderate, showing light red and purple-red.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Goshenite — fluorescence (overall): none to weak, yellow, pink
GB/T 16553—2017
UV fluorescenceyellowpinknone–weakDots are illustrative colours built from the colour names, not measured values
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 Fluorescence (locator checked 2026-09-28)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Goshenite — optical effect (chatoyancy): seen
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Goshenite — optical effect (asterism): seen; rare
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Goshenite — body colour: Colourless.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Qualification
In chapter 7 of the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book, the colour descriptions of Achroite, Crystal Opal, Rock Crystal and other entries also name colourless.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
- CIBJO definitions
- chatoyancy, asterism
Quality factors
Goshenite — quality factor (lustre): vitreous
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- beryl (the whole mineral species)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.9 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.58 / 2.79; Closest values: 1Qingtian Stone 1.565 / 2.77, 2Natural Conch Pearl / Natural Melo Pearl 1.595 / 2.84, 3Calcite 1.572 / 2.7, 4Brucite 1.57 / 2.89, 5Synthetic Emerald 1.565 / 2.69
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Testing and market
For identification, the CIBJO laboratory protocol places Goshenite under “Beryl”: the identification leads are in the identification part of the Beryl entry, and the required tests are listed on the laboratory testing page. As to how far testing can go, the CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 records that no synthetic counterpart of Goshenite is commercially available.
The CIBJO laboratory protocol covers Goshenite under “Beryl” (§6.1.12): see identification on the Beryl entry; the required tests are listed on the CIBJO laboratory protocol table for Beryl.
How far testing can go
Goshenite — synthetic counterpart on the market: No synthetic counterpart of this material is commercially available
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Clause-level definitions
Goshenite has a direct clause-level definition in the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 under the entry name Goshenite, defined as the colourless variety of beryl. This site's cross-check result is that it is defined directly by CIBJO, and no identically named English entry was found in this edition of the GB/T annex.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goshenite | 7.2.1.97 | Colourless variety of beryl | Defined directly by CIBJO; no identically named English entry was found in this edition of the GB/T annex. |
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. Gemmological Laboratories Book (Blue Book), Gemmological Commission 2024-1.
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. The Gemstone Book (Blue Book), 2022.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- RRUFF Project, in partnership with the IMA – International Mineralogical Association. IMA Mineral List.
- Geological Survey of Japan, AIST (Japan). Museum mineral specimens, browse by classification.
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
Related-entry tree for Beryl on this site: 11 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Goshenite) is marked.
- Beryl
Sub-entries (9)
- Aquamarine
- Colombian Emerald
- Emerald
Sub-entries (1)
- Synthetic Emerald (Synthetic product)
- Goshenite
- Heliodor / Golden Beryl
- Maxixe Beryl
- Morganite
- Red Beryl
- Zambian Emerald
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Beryl minerals and gem varieties | Live |
| Treatments recorded for this material | Heated / Heat-treated (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Irradiated (via parent material), Coated (via parent material) | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Goshenite entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original; clause-level definitions also carry a cross-check result. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.