Beryl minerals and gem varieties

The mineral species beryl and its gem varieties such as aquamarine, emerald and morganite.

What this family is

Aquamarine, emerald, morganite, heliodor, goshenite and red beryl are colour varieties of one species, Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈, and goshenite is simply the colourless variety rather than a species of its own. Chrysoberyl, BeAl₂O₄, belongs to a different family altogether despite the shared beryllium and the shared syllables.

Scope of this family

The mineral species beryl and its gem varieties such as aquamarine, emerald and morganite.

Representative members (8)

The standard materials in this family: mineral species, varieties, rocks and other materials whose name identifies what they are. Trade names are listed separately below.

Common confusions

Names in this family that do not by themselves say what the material is, and man-made or assembled products recorded against its materials. Each line says what the item actually is.

Trade names in this family

This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.

Name	Type of name	What it actually is
Colombian Emerald	Trade name: geographic / origin-linked name	A trade name for Emerald linked to Colombian mining areas; it is not a separate mineral species and does not guarantee origin.
Zambian Emerald	Trade name: geographic / origin-linked name	A trade name for emerald associated with Zambian mines; the colour is usually bluish green, and the name is no guarantee of origin.

Synthetic, assembled or treated counterparts

This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.

Name	Counterpart of	What it actually is
Synthetic Emerald	Emerald	Synthetically made green beryl, the counterpart of natural Emerald; GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A Table A.4 lists it as "synthetic emerald".

Member entries (10)

Treatments recorded on member entries

This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.

Treatment	Member entries	Disclosure requirement
Heated / Heat-treated	Aquamarine, Beryl, Goshenite, Heliodor / Golden Beryl, Maxixe Beryl, Morganite, Red Beryl	Heating is a common treatment, and acceptance varies by material. Whether heated ruby or sapphire must be declared separately depends on which code is followed (see the comparison on this page); unstable colour or foreign residues must be disclosed.
Filled / Fracture-filled	Aquamarine, Beryl, Colombian Emerald, Emerald, Goshenite, Heliodor / Golden Beryl, Maxixe Beryl, Morganite, Red Beryl, Zambian Emerald	Name the filler (resin, oil, polymer, glass or lead glass) and bear in mind that fillings can be unstable and may deteriorate or change colour over time. LMHC Information Sheet #3 treats corundum with glass in two ways: glass in fissures or cavities is still reported on natural corundum as a filling, and only a badly fractured single piece infused throughout, or small fragments bound together with glass, is reported as a manufactured product.
Irradiated	Aquamarine, Beryl, Goshenite, Heliodor / Golden Beryl, Maxixe Beryl, Morganite, Red Beryl	Must be disclosed. Stability under irradiation varies by material: irradiated blue topaz keeps a stable colour and irradiated smoky quartz or coloured diamond can, but in some materials the irradiated colour fades in light or heat; colour stability must be pointed out.
Dyed	Colombian Emerald, Emerald, Zambian Emerald	Must be disclosed. Dye may fade, bleed or dissolve in solvents (alcohol, acetone), and dyed material must not be labelled "natural colour"; dyed jadeite counts as B/C jade and must be conspicuously labelled; dyed agate and chalcedony are extremely common.
Coated	Beryl, Colombian Emerald, Emerald, Goshenite, Heliodor / Golden Beryl, Maxixe Beryl, Morganite, Red Beryl, Zambian Emerald	Must be disclosed. Coatings may be abraded, flake off or discolour, and coating is not a permanent enhancement; the coating material must be disclosed (e.g. Mystic Topaz is coated topaz), and the treated effect must not be implied to be natural.

Care codes on member entries

Member entries cite these CIBJO special-care codes: special-care code b, special-care code f, special-care code g, special-care code j, special-care code k, special-care code l. General gem care gives the full wording of every code.

Where members are recorded

Some member entries record the localities where their materials are found; Recorded localities shows them on a sketch map and lists them by continent.

Names

简体中文: 绿柱石矿物与宝石品种
繁體中文: 綠柱石礦物與寶石品種
English: Beryl minerals and gem varieties
日本語: 緑柱石鉱物・宝石変種

Authority source

Authority source

Review status

Reviewed against CIBJO, GB/T and IMA boundaries.

Distribution across the other axes

All 10 members share these values:

Origin class: Natural materials
Material domain: Natural inorganic gem materials
Mineral chemical class: Silicates

Identity level

Construction or treatment status

Natural identity; treatment status unknown (7)
Natural; common industry optimization (verify with certificate) (2)
Natural; treatment common (require certificate to distinguish) (1)