Beryl

Beryl Metaphysical Properties

Precious beryl is said to be first recognized as a powerful stone in ancient Mesopotamia, where it was believed to strengthen belief in the gods. It was viewed as a healing stone in ancient Greece, where precious beryl was dipped into drinking water and that water was drunk to remove kidney stones and bladder ailments. Some oral traditions state that beryls of all kinds make the lazy more industrious and the slow-minded more clever. Precious beryl is also believed to help locate lost property and in divination.

While specific beryl varieties have their own properties (check their individual Gem Notes for details), precious beryl tends to be affiliated by its color: blue-greens to the throat chakra, colorless to the crown chakra, golden-yellow heliodor to the solar plexus chakra, etc.

Beryl Geological Properties

Precious beryl is typically a lightly colored gemstone material, although increased color saturation also increases its value. It is mostly found in granite pegmatites, although some have been known from metamorphosed mica schists and in igneous rhyolite deposits. Unlike some of its more famous family members like the emerald, precious beryl of equal quality has fewer flaws, making the stone more sturdy. However, large stones are exceptionally rare due to the formation process. Precious beryl is transparent and has a vitreous luster.

In rare cases, precious beryl gemstones can display chatoyancy (cat eye effect) or asterism (exhibiting a star-like effect). These materials are most frequently cut into cabochons to enhance the effect.

Precious beryl can be found in Brazil, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka and other places where other beryls commonly form--including rare, scattered finds in the northeastern United States.