Beryl

Mineralspecies comprising the varieties emerald, equamarine, golden beryl (heliodor), morganite (pink), bixbite (red) and goshenite (colourless beryl).

Originally the term "heliodor" was coined as a trade name for greenish yellow beryls from Namibia. Today it is widely used to describe all yellow or greenish yellow beryls.

Beryl shop

Two gems in original heliodor colour, from Orissa, India

Golden beryl from India

In the gem trade only greenish yellow and green beryls (which are not coloured by chromium and thus are not emeralds) are called "beryl".
For all other beryls the names of the specific varieties are used e.g. golden beryl, morganite, goshenite etc.

Origin of name: the term „beryl“ is a loanword from Latin beryllus, berillus and derives via Greek βήρυλλος, béryllos, Syrian berulo, chaldean birula, and Prakrit veruliya वॆरुलिय from Sanskrit vaidurya वैडूर्य. Vaidur most probably was the Dravidian name of the South-Indian town of Belur.

Bluish-green beryl in milleniums- or concave cut

Heliodor from the Ukraine

Synonyms and trade names: golden beryll and heliodor for yellow and greenish-yellow stones, vanadium beryl for stones coloured green by vanadium (but not chromium).

Can be confused with: almost all other yellow and greenish-yello gems like e.g. citrine, tourmaline, chrysoberyl, grossular garnet, sapphire etc.

Handling: beryl is heat-sensitive. Be careful during soldering. Avoid abrupt temperature changes. Sensitive to fluoric acid.

Worth knowing: the German word "Brille", meaning spectacles, derives from Latin beryllus

Beryl shop