Beryl

What is beryl?
Beryl is a very colorful type of gemstone, with colors ranging from green to pink. Beryl is known as the most expensive of all colored gems, and while many types are very bright and pretty, pure beryl is actually as clear as glass. Here is the beryl gem color chart, made by me:

• Pink Beryl- Morganite
• Red Beryl- Bixbite, a very rare gem
• Clear Beryl- Goshenite
• Yellow-green- Golden beryl, also called Heliodor, is the most common type of beryl.
• Blue Beryl- Blue beryls are actually either aquamarines or light colored beryl that has been heat treated, almost in the same way as blue topaz.

Beryl is a relatively hard stone, a 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale. The name comes from ancient Greek, beryllos, which means "precious blue-green color". This is fitting, since both aquamarines and emeralds are part of the beryl group.

The mystic beryl

There are many different myths depending on the color of beryl, and I will only list a few here.

Legend says that beryl was used to protect people from demons and evil spirits. Ancient literature says that Pliny used powdered beryl to cure eye injuries. It is also said to be used to treat disorders of the heart and spine.

Other legends about Beryl indicate it was used to promote cheerfulness and marital love, to retard laziness, and maintain youthfulness. Golden beryl is said to make one sympathetic and increase sincerity.