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Chrysoberyl
Specimen | Catalog Number | Locality | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
Chrysoberyl | NMNH G4905 | Brazil, Minas Gerais | 114.30 ct |
Chrysoberyl is a beryllium aluminum oxide and is colorless when in its pure form. Trace amounts of iron color the mineral yellow (as seen here), brown, and green. Chrysoberyl is an extremely hard and durable mineral. It is most commonly found as greenish-yellow crystals. Although better known for the rare and valuable cat's eye and alexandrite varieties, chrysoberyl is also cut into such attractive gems as this 114.25ct stone from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Chrysoberyl gems were popular in 18th and 19th century Portuguese and Spanish jewelry and in Victorian England, but today are not widely seen in jewelry. The name Chrysoberyl comes from the Greek word "chrysos," meaning golden, and the mineral beryl. It was thought to be a type of beryl until the late 18th century, when it was recognized as a distinct mineral.