Beryl

Beryl is the family of crystal, but unlike common thought, is actually not a single name for gemstones.

Infact, the name represents a group of gemstones.  When their color are green, they were called emeralds. While the blue-green ones were named aquamarines. The list of names is still continuing.  Red beryl is bixbite,  or red emerald or scarlet emerald, pink beryl is morganite, white beryl is goshenite, and a clear bright yellow beryl is called golden beryl. Other shades such as yellow-green for heliodor,  and honey yellow are just called beryl. Among those colors, emeralds are usually charged as the most precious.

The earliest known reference of emerald came from Red Sea in Egypt, the so-called Cleopatra’s emerald mines. The ancient mines were probably worked from about 2000 B.C. Most emeralds used in ancient jewelry are believed to have come from these mines.  Next, in the Roman times, emeralds have been mined from Austria. However, both sources are no longer commercially mined. Today, Columbia is generally recognized as the source of the world’s finest quality emeralds. Other famous sources are Russia, Australia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. In US, emeralds can be found in North Carolina, Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire.

In general, beryl might be not too precious. The quality of beryl in the market is very variable. Hence, it is difficult to estimate the price range. Emeralds are the exception. A small size of brilliant quality emeralds could be highly priced.