Yellow beryl, often known commercially as Heliodor, is a high-clarity gemstone prized for its brilliant golden-yellow hue. It typically forms in hexagonal prismatic crystals within pegmatites and is distinguished from yellow quartz or topaz by its greater hardness and distinct crystal structure.
Is this yellow 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 yellow beryl with a known reference. Yellow 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. Yellow Beryl leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Yellow Beryl typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow, golden yellow, greenish yellow.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: hexagonal. Typical habit: prismatic crystals.
Often confused with
Yellow Beryl vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside yellow beryl
Minerals reported to co-occur with yellow 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
- 2.66-2.87 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
- $10-100 per carat for gem quality
Where rockhounds find yellow beryl
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Brazil
- Madagascar
- Ukraine
- Namibia
- USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in granite pegmatites country — that is the host setting where yellow beryl typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, feldspar, mica 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 North Carolina — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find yellow beryl on the map
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