Beryllonite Value, Price, and Jewelry Informa on

Cushion-cut beryllonite, 4.82 cts, 12.3 x 8.4 x 6.2 mm, Brazil. © ARK Rare Gems. Used with permission.

Difficult to facet and typically colorless, beryllonite is a rare collector’s gem. Some specimens can show a striking cat’s eye.

Beryllonite Value
The Interna onal Gem Society (IGS) has a list of businesses offering gemstone appraisal services.

Beryllonite Informa on
DATA VALUE

Name Beryllonite

Crystallography  Monoclinic. Crystals tabular or prisma c, usually etched. Twinning common. May be pseudo-orthorhombic.

Refrac ve Index  1.552-1.561

Colors  Colorless, white, pale yellow.

Luster  Vitreous; pearly on cleavage.

Fracture  Conchoidal

Hardness  5.5-6

Specific Gravity  2.84 (pure); usually 2.80-2.85.

 DATA VALUE

Birefringence  0.009

Cleavage  Perfect 1 direc on, good 1 direc on

Dispersion  0.010

Luminescence  None

Transparency  Transparent to opaque

Absorp on Not diagnos c

Spectrum 

Phenomena  Chatoyancy

Formula NaBePO4

Pleochroism  None

Op cs  α = 1.552; β = 1.558; γ = 1.561. Biaxial (-), 2V = 68°.

Etymology Named a er the beryllium in its composi on.

Occurrence Granite pegma tes.

Inclusions  Hollow canals and fluid cavi es arranged parallel to crystal axis. Material from Stoneham, Maine has tubes, gas bubbles and acicular crystals.

Beryllonite: Maine (gem: ~ 2 cts, rough: 1” across). Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.

Comments
Beryllonites aren’t really suited for jewelry use. With both perfect and good direc ons of cleavage, they’re difficult to cut. Typically colorless or pale yellow
with li le dispersion, their low refrac ve index also means they lack brilliance. Their hardness falls below the mark that would make them durable enough f
everyday wear.

Nevertheless, beryllonite’s rarity makes any crystal a valued specimen for a collector, and faceted pieces are especially prized. Long known only from Maine
new sources have been discovered but haven’t yielded too much facetable material. However, beryllonites from Afghanistan can some mes show chatoyan
when cabbed properly. This cat’s eye effect is caused by the forma on of inclusions of parallel tubes.
 Cat’s eye beryllonite, oval cabochon, 1.26 cts, 10 x 6 mm, Afghanistan. © The Gem Trader. Used with permission.

Please note, despite its name, beryllonite doesn’t belong to the beryl species. Although both contain the rare element beryllium, these gems have different
chemical formulas and crystal systems.

Synthe cs
Scien sts have synthesized beryllonites, and while they may seem unlikely choices, synthe c beryllonites have indeed appeared in jewelry.

Enhancements
No known gemstone treatments or enhancements.

Sources
Stoneham, Maine, the type locality, produces cu able crystals as well as crystalline masses up to 1-2 inches. However, only small, clean areas within such ma
could be cut.

Newry, Maine produces opaque white crystals, not really cu able.

Other notable sources of gem-quality material include the following:

Afghanistan, Brazil, Pakistan.

 Beryllonite crystal specimen, 46 g, 58 x 42 x 15 mm, Skardu, Pakistan. Photo courtesy of liveauc oneers.com and Jasper52.

Stone Sizes
Usually only available as small, colorless stones, most gems weigh less than 5 carats. Stones up to 10 carats have been cut, but their clarity isn’t clean. As a
beryllonite is rare and very few gems are known.

All the gems listed below came from Maine.

Smithsonian Ins tu on (Washington, DC): 2.5, 3.3, 3.9, 5.10.

Devonian Group (Calgary, Alberta, Canada): 5.70.

Harvard University: 6.22.

Private Collec on: 7.82, 8.77, 4.32.

One of the world’s largest beryllonite gems, 20.64 cts, from Stoneham, Maine. Photo © Joel E. Arem, PhD, FGA. Used with permission.

Care
 Since beryllonites may contain liquid inclusions, don’t use mechanical systems to clean them. Use only water, mild detergent, and a so brush. Avoid any cle
that contains acid, since these gems are soluble in acid.

Use protec ve se ngs for beryllonites, especially for ring use, or reserve them for occasional wear.

For more care recommenda ons, consult our gemstone jewelry cleaning guide.

by Joel E. Arem, Ph.D., FGA, Interna onal Gem Society

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