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Chrysoberyl
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
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About Chrysoberyl
Formula:
BeAl2O4
Colour:
Green shades, emerald-green, greenish white, yellowish green, greenish brown, yellow, canary yellow, blue
Lustre:
Vitreous
Hardness:
8½
Specific Gravity:
3.75
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
From the Greek χρυσός, golden, and βήρυλλος, beryl, in allusion to the colour.
The green (chromium-bearing) gem variety that shows a colour change under different light sources is called alexandrite.
The Cr-analogue is called mariinskite.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Chrysoberyl.
The Cr-analogue is called mariinskite.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Chrysoberyl.Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
1039
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:1039:5
IMA Classification of Chrysoberyl
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
First published:
1789
Classification of Chrysoberyl
4.BA.05
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
B : Metal: Oxygen = 3:4 and similar
A : With small and medium-sized cations
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
B : Metal: Oxygen = 3:4 and similar
A : With small and medium-sized cations
7.2.9.1
7 : MULTIPLE OXIDES
2 : AB2X4
7 : MULTIPLE OXIDES
2 : AB2X4
7.4.4
7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
4 : Oxides of Be, Mg and the alkaline earths
7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
4 : Oxides of Be, Mg and the alkaline earths
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Cbrl | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
| Cb | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download |
Physical Properties of Chrysoberyl
Vitreous
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent
Colour:
Green shades, emerald-green, greenish white, yellowish green, greenish brown, yellow, canary yellow, blue
Comment:
May be raspberry-red under incandescent light when chromian; colorless, pale shades of yellow, green, or red in transmitted light.
Green varieties usually exhibit a green hue of medium to high saturation owing to the trace amount of vanadium within the crystalline structure.
The chemical results showed a very good correlation between Cr and V, and both of them are at a low level; Fe is responsible for the canary yellow color.
Green varieties usually exhibit a green hue of medium to high saturation owing to the trace amount of vanadium within the crystalline structure.
The chemical results showed a very good correlation between Cr and V, and both of them are at a low level; Fe is responsible for the canary yellow color.
Streak:
White
Hardness:
8½ on Mohs scale
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Distinct/Good
Distinct on {110}, imperfect on {010}, poor on (001)
Distinct on {110}, imperfect on {010}, poor on (001)
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven, Conchoidal
Density:
3.75(1) g/cm3 (Measured) 3.69 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Chrysoberyl
Type:
Biaxial (+)
RI values:
nα = 1.746 nβ = 1.748 nγ = 1.756
2V:
Measured: 70° , Calculated: 72°
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.010
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
Surface Relief:
Very High (positive)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
This shows the grain boundary and Becke line effect under plane-polarised
light, based on the contrast between this mineral's average refractive
index and the mounting medium. It does not take into account mineral
colouration.
In focus
Interference Figure:
This shows the idealized biaxial acute bisectrix (Bxa) interference figure
- the conoscopic view for a grain cut perpendicular to the acute bisectrix, using
this mineral's 2V. The two small white dots mark the melatopes - the points
where the two optic axes emerge - and are shown only when they fall within the
field of view. The coloured bands are isochromatics, and the dark bands are
isogyres.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Dispersion:
r > v
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
X = c = columbine-red
Y = b = orange-yellow
Z = a = emerald-green
Y = b = orange-yellow
Z = a = emerald-green
Comments:
Exhibits a bluish opalescence or chatoyancy, notably on {010}. Also asteriated with a cat's eye effect. Chatoyancy, or cat’s eye effect, which is brought on by parallel needle-like inclusions within the crystal structure, usually made of rutile or hematite. Due to the way these imperfections reflect light, a bright line that resembles a cat’s eye appears across the gemstone’s surface,
Chemistry of Chrysoberyl
Mindat Formula:
BeAl2O4
Element Weights:
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
Fe,Cr,Ti
Crystallography of Chrysoberyl
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mmm(2/m2/m2/m) - Dipyramidal
Cell Parameters:
a = 5.481 Å, b = 9.415 Å, c = 4.428 Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.582 : 1 : 0.47
Unit Cell V:
228.50 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
8
Morphology:
Simple crystals usually tabular {001}; short prismatic [100] at times, or, less often, [001]. Striated on {001} parallel to [100]. Twinned crystals usually flattened perpendicular to the composition plane, and have a feather-like striation on {001}. Twinning forms six-rayed spoke-like aggregates.
Quartz occurs as an irregular and colorless grain within the chrysoberyl host without any intrinsically crystalline structure. All the quartz grains detected were distributed along the healed fractures, accompanied by mica and fluids, muscovite, graphite and calcite.
Many long needles are distributed in the samples, and unlike the short needles within the growth lines, these needles are somehow curved and much longer, up to 1–2 mm. They are arranged randomly and show good transparency.
Quartz occurs as an irregular and colorless grain within the chrysoberyl host without any intrinsically crystalline structure. All the quartz grains detected were distributed along the healed fractures, accompanied by mica and fluids, muscovite, graphite and calcite.
Many long needles are distributed in the samples, and unlike the short needles within the growth lines, these needles are somehow curved and much longer, up to 1–2 mm. They are arranged randomly and show good transparency.
Twinning:
Common on twin plane {130}. Both contact and penetration twins, frequently repeated and forming pseudohexagonal crystals as viewed along [001] with or without reentrant angles. Also flattened heart-shaped.
Comment:
Space Group: P bnm
Crystallographic forms of Chrysoberyl
Crystal Atlas:
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Chrysoberyl no.11 - {130} - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Chrysoberyl no.35 - {130} - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
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Crystal Structure
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0009096 | Chrysoberyl | Weber S U, Grodzicki M, Lottermoser W, Redhammer G J, Tippelt G, Ponahlo J, Amthauer G (2007) 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy, X-ray single-crystal diffractometry, and electronic structure calculations on natural alexandrite Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 34 507-515 | 2007 | Malyshevo near Terem Tschanka, Sverdlovsk, Ural, Russia | 0 | 293 | |
| 0007446 | Chrysoberyl | Hazen R M, Finger L W (1987) High-temperature crystal chemistry of phenakite (Be2SiO4) and Chrysoberyl (BeAl2O4) Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 14 426-434 | 1987 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0007445 | Chrysoberyl | Hazen R M, Finger L W (1987) High-temperature crystal chemistry of phenakite (Be2SiO4) and Chrysoberyl (BeAl2O4) Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 14 426-434 | 1987 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0007444 | Chrysoberyl | Hazen R M, Finger L W (1987) High-temperature crystal chemistry of phenakite (Be2SiO4) and Chrysoberyl (BeAl2O4) Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 14 426-434 | 1987 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0007443 | Chrysoberyl | Hazen R M, Finger L W (1987) High-temperature crystal chemistry of phenakite (Be2SiO4) and Chrysoberyl (BeAl2O4) Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 14 426-434 | 1987 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0007428 | Chrysoberyl | Hazen R M (1987) High-pressure crystal chemistry of chrysoberyl, Al2BeO4: insights on the origin of olivine elastic anisotropy Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 14 13-20 | 1987 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0000124 | Chrysoberyl | Farrell E F, Fang J H, Newnham R E (1963) Refinement of the chrysoberyl structure American Mineralogist 48 804-810 |  | 1963 | 0 | 293 | |
| 0018068 | Chrysoberyl | Bragg W, Brown G (1926) Die Kristallstruktur von Crysoberyll (Be Al2 O4). _cod_database_code 1011197 Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie 63 122-143 | 1926 | 0 | 293 | ||
| 0007429 | Chrysoberyl | Hazen R M (1987) High-pressure crystal chemistry of chrysoberyl, Al2BeO4: insights on the origin of olivine elastic anisotropy Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 14 13-20 | 1987 | 1.4 | 293 | ||
| 0007430 | Chrysoberyl | Hazen R M (1987) High-pressure crystal chemistry of chrysoberyl, Al2BeO4: insights on the origin of olivine elastic anisotropy Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 14 13-20 | 1987 | 3.15 | 293 | ||
| 0007431 | Chrysoberyl | Hazen R M (1987) High-pressure crystal chemistry of chrysoberyl, Al2BeO4: insights on the origin of olivine elastic anisotropy Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 14 13-20 | 1987 | 4 | 293 | ||
| 0007432 | Chrysoberyl | Hazen R M (1987) High-pressure crystal chemistry of chrysoberyl, Al2BeO4: insights on the origin of olivine elastic anisotropy Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 14 13-20 | 1987 | 5.4 | 293 | ||
| 0007433 | Chrysoberyl | Hazen R M (1987) High-pressure crystal chemistry of chrysoberyl, Al2BeO4: insights on the origin of olivine elastic anisotropy Physics and Chemistry of Minerals 14 13-20 | 1987 | 6.25 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Loading XRD data...
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 3.24 Å | (100) |
| 2.091 Å | (90) |
| 1.619 Å | (80) |
| 4.01 Å | (50) |
| 2.563 Å | (50) |
| 2.265 Å | (45) |
| 2.081 Å | (45) |
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Near-surface Processes | |
| 26 : Hadean detrital minerals | |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 34 : Complex granite pegmatites |
Geological Setting:
Granite pegmatites.
Type Occurrence of Chrysoberyl
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
No defined type material.
Synonyms of Chrysoberyl
Other Language Names for Chrysoberyl
Dutch:Chrysoberyl
Estonian:Krüsoberüll
Finnish:Krysoberylli
French:Chrysobéryl
German:Chrysoberyll
Hebrew:כריזובריל
Hungarian:Krizoberill
Italian:Crisoberillo
Japanese:金緑石
Korean:금록석
Lithuanian:Chrizoberilas
Norwegian:Krysoberyll
Polish:Chryzoberyl
Russian:Хризоберилл
Serbian:Берилијум алуминат
Simplified Chinese:金绿宝石
Thai:อะเลกซานไดรต์
Varieties of Chrysoberyl
| Alexandrite | Alexandrite is a green Cr-bearing variety of chrysoberyl (intermediate member of Chrysoberyl-Mariinskite series) that exhibits a color change in natural and artificial light from green to amethystine (Alexandrite effect). Originally reported from Emerald... |
| Ceylonese Chrysolite | A trade name for golden-yellow chrysoberyl. |
| Cymophane | An opalescent variety of chrysoberyl. Exhibits a bluish (or yellowish according to other sources) chatoyancy which is caused by microscopic tube-like cavities or needle-like inclusions of rutile in an orientation parallel to the c-axis. |
| Tasmanian alexandrite | Alexandrite (chrysoberyl) of good gem quality from Tasmania, Australia. |
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 60 photos of Chrysoberyl associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 47 photos of Chrysoberyl associated with Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| 30 photos of Chrysoberyl associated with Spessartine | Mn2+3Al2(SiO4)3 |
| 25 photos of Chrysoberyl associated with Schorl | NaFe2+3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| 19 photos of Chrysoberyl associated with Beryl | Be3Al2(Si6O18) |
| 15 photos of Chrysoberyl associated with Phenakite | Be2SiO4 |
| 13 photos of Chrysoberyl associated with Almandine | Fe2+3Al2(SiO4)3 |
| 10 photos of Chrysoberyl associated with Columbite-(Fe) | Fe2+Nb2O6 |
| 10 photos of Chrysoberyl associated with 'Smoky Quartz' | SiO2 |
| 10 photos of Chrysoberyl associated with Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 4.BA. | Chihmingite | NiAl2O4 |
| 4.BA.05 | Mariinskite | BeCr2O4 |
Other Information
Electrical:
Electrical conductivity increases with temperature.
Thermal Behaviour:
Before the blowpipe, unaffected.
Notes:
Not affected by acids.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Chrysoberyl
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-1039.html
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References for Chrysoberyl
Reference List:
Rose, Gustav (1839) Beschreibung einiger neuen Mineralien des Urals. Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 124. 551-573 doi:10.1002/andp.18391241205
Melczer, G. (1900) Ueber einige Mineralien, vorwiegend von Ceylon. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 33 (1-6). 240-262 doi:10.1524/zkri.1900.33.1.240
Goldschmidt, V., Preiswerk, Η. (1900) Chrysoberyllzwilling von Ceylon [Twinned Chrysoberyl Crystals from Ceylon]. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 33 (1). 455-467 doi:10.1524/zkri.1900.33.1.455
Bragg, W. L., Brown, G. B. (1926) Die Kristallstruktur von Chrysoberyll (ΒeAl2O4). Zeitschrift für Kristallographie, 63 (1). 122-143 doi:10.1524/zkri.1926.63.1.122
Farrell, E. F., Fang, J. H., Newnham, R. E. (1963) Refinement of the chrysoberyl structure. American Mineralogist, 48 (7-8) 804-810
Newnham, R., Santoro, R., Pearson, J., Jansen, C. (1964) Ordering of Fe and Cr in chrysoberyl. American Mineralogist, 49 (3-4) 427-429
Farrell, E. F., Newnham, R. E. (1965) Crystal-field spectra of chrysoberyl, alexandrite, peridot and sinhalite. American Mineralogist, 50 (11-12) 1972-1981
Hemingway, Bruce S., Barton, Mark D., Robie, R. A., Haselton, H. T. (1986) Heat capacities and thermodynamic functions for beryl, Be3Al2Si6O18, phenakite, Be2SiO4, euclase, BeAlSiO4(OH), bertrandite, Be4Si2O7(OH)2, and chrysoberyl, BeAl2O4. American Mineralogist, 71 (3-4) 557-568
Hofmeister, A. M., Hoering, T. C., Virgo, D. (1987) Vibrational spectroscopy of beryllium aluminosilicates: Heat capacity calculations from band assignments. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 14 (3) 205-224 doi:10.1007/bf00307985
Shannon, Robert D., Shannon, Ruth C., Medenbach, Olaf, Fischer, Reinhard X. (2002) Refractive Index and Dispersion of Fluorides and Oxides. Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, 31 (4) 931-970 doi:10.1063/1.1497384
Weber, Sven-Ulf, Grodzicki, Michael, Lottermoser, Werner, Redhammer, Günther J., Tippelt, Gerold, Ponahlo, Johann, Amthauer, Georg (2007) 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray single-crystal diffractometry, and electronic structure calculations on natural alexandrite. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 34 (7) 507-515 doi:10.1007/s00269-007-0166-6
Schmetzer, Karl; Malsy, Anna-Kathrin (2011) Alexandrite and colour-change chrysoberyl from the Lake Manyara alexandrite-emerald deposit in northern Tanzania. The Journal of Gemmology, 32 (5). p.179-209. doi:10.15506/jog.2011.32.5.179
Ollier, Nadège, Fuchs, Yves, Cavani, Olivier, Horn, Adolf Heinrich, Rossano, Stéphanie (2015) Influence of impurities on Cr3+ luminescence properties in Brazilian emerald and alexandrite. European Journal of Mineralogy, 27 (6) 783-792 doi:10.1127/ejm/2015/0027-2484
Drev, S., Komelj, M., Mazaj, M., Daneu, N., Re nik, A. (2015) Structural investigation of (130) twins and rutile precipitates in chrysoberyl crystals from Rio das Pratinhas in Bahia (Brazil) American Mineralogist, 100 (4) 861-871 doi:10.2138/am-2015-5120
[1]Gao, Yujie, Li, Xu, Cheng, Yansheng, Huang, Tiantian, Li, Kongliang, Xu, Bo, Tang, Ruobin (2023) Gemological, Spectral and Chemical Features of Canary Yellow Chrysoberyl. Crystals, 13 (11). 1580 doi:10.3390/cryst13111580
Rybnikova, Olena, Bačík, Peter, Uher, Pavel, Fridrichová, Jana, Lalinská‐Voleková, Bronislava, Kubernátová, Monika, Hanus, Radek (2023) Characterization of chrysoberyl and its gemmological varieties by Raman spectroscopy. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 54 (8). 857-870 doi:10.1002/jrs.6566
Dong, Linling; Liu, Yimiao; Gao, Xinxin; Lu, Ren (2024) The Trace-Element Characteristics of Chrysoberyl: Insights from Compositional and Spectroscopic Analyses. Minerals, 14 (12). 1280 doi:10.3390/min14121280
Illuminati, Giuseppe; Musetti, Silvia; Bellatreccia, Fabio; Biagioni, Cristian; Caprilli, Enrico; Rabiee, Ahmad; Ciriotti, Marco E. (2025) Chrysoberyl from the Sabatini Volcanic Complex (Latium, Italy): chemical and petrological peculiarities. European Journal of Mineralogy, 37 (4). 483-504 doi:10.5194/ejm-37-483-2025
Localities for Chrysoberyl
Showing 476 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Quick NavTopAbout ChrysoberylUnique IdentifiersIMA Classification Classification Mineral SymbolsPhysical Properties Optical Data Chemistry Crystallography Crystallographic forms Crystal StructureX-Ray Powder DiffractionGeological EnvironmentType Occurrence SynonymsOther LanguagesVarietiesCommon AssociatesStrunz-MindatOther InformationInternet Links References Localities Locality List
Magara mine, Lake Manyara, Arusha Region, Tanzania