Pink beryl, most commonly known as morganite, is a prized gemstone variety distinguished by its delicate pastel pink to salmon coloration. It often forms in large, well-defined hexagonal prisms within granite pegmatites and is sought after by collectors and jewelers for its clarity and soft color.
Is this pink 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 pink beryl with a known reference. Pink 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. Pink Beryl leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Pink Beryl typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: pink, peach, magenta, salmon.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: prismatic crystals.
Often confused with
Pink Beryl vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside pink beryl
Minerals reported to co-occur with pink 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
- 2.71-2.90 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic Crystals
- Cleavage
- Imperfect Basal
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Uses
- Gemstone, Collector
- Host rock
- Granite Pegmatites
- Typical price
- $50-500 per carat for gem quality
Where rockhounds find pink beryl
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Brazil
- Madagascar
- Afghanistan
- USA
- Pakistan
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites country — that is the host setting where pink beryl typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, microcline, albite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic crystals habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Maine — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find pink beryl on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
