11/09/2025
The beryl family is packed with gem-world celebrities, including emerald, aquamarine and morganite. Then there’s the rare and mysterious, maxixe beryl and red beryl, plus more common beauties like heliodor, goshenite and green beryl.
Beryl is allochromatic, meaning it's colorless in its purest form. It gets its color from trace elements or radiation.
- Green beryl gets its pale green hue from iron, with less saturation than emerald.
- Emerald glows green thanks to chromium and vanadium.
- Aquamarine gets its serene blue hue from iron.
- Morganite blushes pink from manganese.
- Maxixe turns deep blue from radiation.
- Red Beryl owes its rich red to a complex mix of elements.
- Goshenite is pure, colorless beryl, sometimes with trace elements but not enough to add color.
- Heliodor’s golden yellow comes from iron.
Which beryl variety is your favorite?
