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Uses of Scapolite
Scapolite does not have a role as an industrial mineral. It is rarely found in minable quantities and does not have a composition or physical properties that make it of industrial use. The only use of scapolite is as a minor gemstone; however, in that use it can be beautiful and interesting. Yellow and pink transparent…
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Physical Properties of Scapolite
Scapolite has an appearance that is very similar to many feldspars. As a result, it can easily be overlooked in the field and during hand specimen examination in a laboratory. Massive scapolite is found in regionally metamorphosed rocks such as marble, gneiss, and schist. These massive specimens often exhibit a wood-grain or fibrous texture which facilitates their identification. Well-formed,…
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What is Scapolite?
Scapolite is a name used for a group of aluminosilicate minerals that includes meionite, marialite, and silvialite. Meionite and marialite are end members of a solid solution series. Silvialite is a mineral that is very similar to meionite. These minerals have very similar compositions, crystal structures, and physical properties. They cannot be easily distinguished from one…
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Geologic Occurrence
As a beryllium mineral, chrysoberyl only forms under those conditions where large amounts of beryllium are present. This limits its abundance and geographic distribution. High concentrations of mobile beryllium most often occur on the margins of magma bodies during the final stages of their crystallization. Thus, chrysoberyl usually forms in pegmatites and in metamorphic rocks associated with…
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Physical Properties of Chrysoberyl
One of the most distinctive properties of chrysoberyl is its exceptional hardness. With a Mohs hardness of 8.5, it is the third-hardest gemstone and the third-hardest mineral that is even occasionally found at Earth’s surface. Although chrysoberyl is extremely hard, it does break with distinct cleavage in one direction and indistinctly or poorly in two others. It…
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Synthetic and Imitation Chrysoberyl
Synthetic chrysoberyl is a man-made material that has the same chemical composition, internal structure, physical properties, and appearance as natural chrysoberyl. It can be called lab-created chrysoberyl, lab-grown chrysoberyl, or man-made chrysoberyl or another name that clearly indicates its man-made origin. Imitation chrysoberyl can be a natural or man-made material. It does not have the…
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Varieties of Gem Chrysoberyl
The three varieties of gem-grade chrysoberyl and their cutting styles: 1) Chrysoberyl Translucent to transparent crystals of chrysoberyl are usually found in pegmatites, dolomitic marbles, and stream sediments. They are often yellow, yellowish green, green, brown or yellowish brown, and weigh less than five carats. Rare blue chrysoberyl crystals have also been found. Most chrysoberyl crystals are…
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Use of Chrysoberyl as a Gem
Most gem-grade chrysoberyl is translucent to transparent and is cut into faceted gems or en cabochon. However, some rare specimens of chrysoberyl exhibit the phenomena of chatoyance and/or color-change. Natural gem-quality chrysoberyls that exhibit the highest levels of these phenomena can sell for higher prices per carat than all but the highest quality diamonds.
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What Is Chrysoberyl?
Chrysoberyl is a rare beryllium aluminum oxide mineral with a chemical composition of BeAl2O4. It is sometimes confused with the silicate mineral known as beryl, which has a composition of Be3Al2Si6O18. The main commercial use of chrysoberyl is as a gemstone. It excels in that use because of its high hardness – 8 1/2 on the Mohs hardness scale. The only gem…
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Morganite Sources and History
Compared to gems that have been known and appreciated for hundreds or thousands of years, morganite is a newcomer. Commercial quantities of pink beryl (the name by which morganite was known at that time) with a rich color were first discovered in Madagascar in 1910. George Kunz, Tiffany and Company’s chief gemologist, obtained specimens of the material…