Beryllium

Beryllium

Beryllium is the perfect example of sweet yet deadly. The sweet flavored mineral is toxic and can pose as a threat to your life if inhaled. It leads to an allergenic disease called berylliosis. Beryllium used to be called Glucinium and still is called that in some countries. Glucinium is a Greek reference to beryllium's sweet minerals.

Beryllium is one of the rarer of the elements, as it was created by the Big Bang and is not typically created by the nucleosynthesis of the stars. Beryllium is useful in many ways. It is used in rocket nozzles, space telescopes, and in the windows of x-ray machines to make it easier for doctors to see broken bones. Beryllium is more commonly used as a hardening compact.

So where does beryllium come from?

Synthetic Beryllium

Well, as I mentioned before, beryllium was created by the Big Bang. However, beryllium can also be found in the beryl family of gemstones. These include aquamarines and emeralds. For more info on gemstones, please see my other posts. Synthetic beryllium is produced in the USA, China, and Kazakhstan.

*Beryllium is the fourth element in the periodic table.