Beryl Gemstones
There are six types of beryl gemstones, generally classified by their color. Emerald and Aquamarine are probably the most well-known and the most valuable but all Beryls have special qualities that make them stand out from other gemstones.
Beryl Colors
Beryls come in just about every color of the rainbow - the only color I cannot think of is a purple version. Deep green beryls are called emeralds and blue beryls are known as aquamarines.
Technically, all other colors are called precious beryl but many have picked up specific names:
- Goshenite - A colorless variety
- Golden Beryl - A deep golden yellow variety
- Heliodor - A light yellow variety
- Morganite - A pink variety
- Red Beryl/Bixbite - A red variety
On our web pages, beryls are separated into their individual varieties - emerald, aquamarine, morganite and golden beryl. Heliodor is not a term we use for gemstones and Bixbite is incredibly rare.
Read more about gemstones colors here
Beryl Species
Beryl gemstones are a mineral species that all share the same chemical make-up - beryllium, aluminum, silicon and oxygen - and an identical crystal structure.
The causes of the different colors which separate the varieties of Beryl can be iron, chromium, manganese or vanadium either individually or in multiple combinations. The purest form will not have any impurities and be the colorless Goshenite.
Beryl Price
Beryl gemstones cover the complete range of prices from the very reasonable Golden Beryl to the very expensive Emerald.
Like all other gemstones, it is the color of each beryl that creates the value, whether it is green, blue, yellow or pink, deeply saturated and even colors will be the most prized.
Carat Weight
Most Beryl gemstones fall in the range of 1 - 10 carats in weight and get increasingly rare as they get bigger in size. This affects the price dramatically as the price per carat will rise quickly as the gemstones get over 5 carats - especially with the valuable emeralds.
We can show a very rough price guide for a few beryl examples to give you an idea of their value:
Golden Beryl
|
1 - 5ct
|
$20 - $80/ct
|
Golden Beryl
|
5ct +
|
$25 - $300/ct
|
Aquamarine
|
1 - 5ct
|
$20 - $500/ct
|
Aquamarine
|
5ct +
|
$70 - $1000/ct
|
Emerald
|
1 - 2ct
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$80 - $1500/ct
|
Emerald
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2ct +
|
$80 - $3500/ct
|
Along with color and carat weight there is also cut and clarity to consider as well.
Treatments
Beryls, like many gemstones, can receive various treatments to enhance their looks but this is not always the case.
- Golden Beryls are often untreated and totally natural other than the cutting and polishing that turns them into lovely gemstones.
- Emeralds are not often heated or irradiated but do get oiled to fill in minute cracks and fissures.
- Some of the deep blue colored Aquamarines are the result of heat treatment
We will always disclose any treatments on our product pages.
Where is Beryl found?
If we include all types of Beryl, there is barely a continent that does not produce great quantities of this gemstone. Colombia and Zambia produce the most emeralds, the biggest source of Aquamarine and Morganite is Brazil while Sri Lanka and Madagascar provide the Golden Beryl.
What jewelry is Beryl suitable for?
Beryl is rated at very durable 7.5 - 8 on Mohs hardness scale which makes it suitable for all jewelry items including daily wear pieces such as engagement rings.
Emeralds do have a lot of inclusions which can make them susceptible to cracking so a protective setting for rings may be a good idea.