Blue Beryl, widely known as Aquamarine, is a prized gemstone variety recognized by its distinct sea-blue to blue-green hues. It typically forms as long, hexagonal prismatic crystals within granitic pegmatites and is favored by collectors for its excellent clarity and impressive color zoning.
Is this blue beryl?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch blue beryl with a known reference. Blue Beryl sits at Mohs 7.5-8 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Blue Beryl leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Blue Beryl typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: blue, blue-green, light blue.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: hexagonal prismatic crystals.
Often confused with
Blue Beryl vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside blue beryl
Minerals reported to co-occur with blue beryl. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈
- Mohs hardness
- 7.5-8
- Density
- 2.68-2.74 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Crystal habit
- Hexagonal Prismatic Crystals
- Cleavage
- Imperfect Basal
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Gemstone, Collector, Jewelry
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $10-100 per gram for rough, $50-500+ per carat for fine gems
Where rockhounds find blue beryl
3 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Brazil
- Pakistan
- Madagascar
- Nigeria
- Russia
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites country — that is the host setting where blue beryl typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, microcline, muscovite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a hexagonal prismatic crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in New Hampshire, North Carolina — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find blue beryl on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
