Beryls
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BERYLS
Beryls (from the Greek Berullos) are a family of stones that share the same crystalline and chemical properties.
Varieties include emerald and aquamarine.
Other beryls include pink beryls (known as morganites), golden-yellow beryls (known as heliodors), pale green beryls and (very rarely) red beryls.
Beryls were once used to make spectacle lenses.
Nero’s famous emerald loupe was probably a light green beryl.
The beryl’s optical properties inspired the French word bésicles and the German Brille, both meaning ‘spectacles’. Beryllium aluminosilicate. Hardness: 7.5. Brazil, Russia,Afghanistan, Pakistan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Madagascar.
