Beryl is a hexagonal beryllium aluminum cyclosilicate mineral. It is found in hexagonal crystals and has been found in many valuable gem varieties- aquamarine (blue) , emerald (green), Heliodor (yellow), morganite (bubblegum pink), and bixbite (red to fuschia). Beryl has a high hardness of 7.5 to 8 and a glassy to waxy luster. It is a common mineral and has been found in very large single crystals weighing over a ton, which are among the largest single crystals of any known mineral. The world’s largest crystal ever found was discovered at Malakialina, Madagascar and was 3.5 meters wide, over 18 meters long, and weighed nearly 400,000 kilograms.

Beryl is popular because it is found in many different colors, is frequently gemmy, is very resilient to wear and tear, and is found at many hundreds of collectible localities worldwide. Beryl is a very popular mineral that collectors specialize in and is a great mineral to invest money in if one wishes to assemble a collection that increases in value over time. Many beryl crystals from old and rare localities especially those in New England, USA, Europe, and Australia continue to increase in value. Emerald and Aquamarine are birthstones for May and March respectively, which is enough alone to make them timeless and continuously popular.