Golden Beryl, often known by the name Heliodor, is a transparent yellow variety of the beryl mineral family. It typically forms as elongated hexagonal prisms in pegmatites and is prized by collectors for its excellent clarity and durable hardness.
Is this golden 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 golden beryl with a known reference. Golden 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. Golden Beryl leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Golden Beryl typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow, golden yellow, yellow-green.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: hexagonal prismatic crystals.
Often confused with
Golden Beryl vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside golden beryl
Minerals reported to co-occur with golden 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
- 2.66-2.80 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Crystal habit
- Hexagonal Prismatic Crystals
- Cleavage
- Imperfect Basal
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Gemstone, Collector
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites, Hydrothermal Veins
- Typical price
- $20-100 per carat for faceted stones depending on clarity and color saturation.
Where rockhounds find golden beryl
12 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Brazil
- Ukraine
- Namibia
- Madagascar
- Tajikistan
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites, hydrothermal veins country — that is the host setting where golden beryl typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, feldspar, mica 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 North Carolina, New Hampshire, Georgia — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find golden beryl on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
