What Is Beryl Stone?

Beryl is a breathtaking gemstone often found in jewelry. While not everyone is familiar with the name, most jewelry enthusiasts have come across beryl in one of its forms or another.

When it comes to intriguing gems, the beryl stone is certainly one. It comes in several varieties, each with unique characteristics. However, their composition and properties are highly similar, causing them to form the beryl gemstone group.

If you’re wondering, “What is beryl stone?” or would like to learn more about the color of beryl and the beryl stone meaning, here’s what you need to know.

What Is Beryl Stone?

Beryl isn’t technically a gem. Instead, it’s a silicate mineral family, mainly composed of beryllium aluminum cyclosilicate.

Each of the beryl variants is unique, particularly when it comes to coloring. You can find most of the colors of the rainbow represented, ranging from vibrant hues to soft pastels.

Otherwise, when it comes to answering, “What does beryl stone look like?” it’s usually a transparent or translucent stone. Light typically passes through it with ease, making it a popular jewelry gem. Additionally, they can naturally occur in hexagonal beryl crystals, making even raw beryl visually striking.

As for the beryl stone meaning, there also isn’t just one. Each version of beryl can have its own. As a result, it’s best to explore each version of the beryl gemstone individually, allowing you to understand the differences between each one.

Types of Beryl, Their Colors, and Their Meanings

First, it’s important to understand that there isn’t a single answer to the “What color is a beryl stone?” question. Each type of beryl has its own unique coloring, representing a near rainbow of hues when taken together.

Here is an overview of many different kinds of beryl, including the stone names, colors, and beryl stone meanings.

Emerald

When it comes to well-known beryl gems, emeralds may be at the top of that list. Along with ruby and sapphire, it helps make up the “big three” gems that most people add to their jewelry collections.

Emerald is May’s birthstone, making it highly desirable for those born during that month. Additionally, its vibrant green coloring makes it a favorite among anyone who enjoys the bright hue.

We’ve covered the emerald in-depth as part of our birthstone series. There, you can learn more about the emerald colors, the emerald gemstone meaning, emerald jewelry, and more.

Aquamarine

Of the beryl gems, aquamarine is another of the most widely known variants. Like emerald, aquamarine is a birthstone, one of two assigned to the month of March. It features a lovely blue-green coloring reminiscent of the sea. Aquamarine gems may be vibrant or delicately tinted, too, giving people options when it comes to the look of aquamarine jewelry.

Like emerald, we’ve covered aquamarine in-depth previously. There, you can learn more details about the gemstone’s color, history, meaning, and much more.

Morganite

The morganite gemstone has been growing in popularity due to its striking coloring. Today, it’s the third most common type of beryl jewelry gem. Along with being available through chain jewelers, it’s also widely used by independent designers.

Pink morganite is what you’ll usually find, as that’s the preferred color, particularly when it comes to morganite engagement rings. The exact shade can vary, ranging from vibrant to incredibly delicate. Additionally, while some morganite has its natural coloring, certain pieces are heat-treated to make the pink tint stronger.

While morganite is also known as pink beryl, that isn’t the only hue you can find it in. Peach morganite is also available, offering up a shade that has a hint of orange or coral. However, this isn’t as popular as the pink versions, so it may not be as easy to find, particularly in chain stores.

As for the morganite gemstone meaning, the gentle pink color causes the stone to be associated with innocence, love, and romance, as well as the heart chakra. Some also connect it with compassion, though that isn’t universally the case.

Heliodor

Heliodor beryl isn’t as well-known as aquamarine and emerald, but heliodor jewelry is still fairly popular. It is a yellow or golden beryl, offering up hues ranging from bright lemon to soft buttermilk.

The heliodor stone is one of the preferred options for people who enjoy yellow gemstones. However, they aren’t typically available through chain stores. If you’re looking for heliodor jewelry, turning to an independent designer can be wise. Otherwise, you might need to look for a custom jewelry creator.

When it comes to the heliodor meaning, its sunny color cause many to associate it with power and warmth. Others think the golden beryl meaning focuses more on vitality and energy. Plus, due to its coloring, it can align with the solar plexus chakra.

Goshenite

The goshenite gemstone is actually colorless, offering up excellent clarity. Back during the Middle Ages, it was even used for various kinds of lenses, including in telescopes, magnifying glasses, and even eyewear.

In most cases, goshenite is a collector gem. While there is some goshenite jewelry, it isn’t as common as some may hope. While it could be a reasonable diamond substitute, moissanite is more popular for that particular purpose.

As for the goshenite meaning, some believe it’s associated with honesty, possibly due to the stone’s overall transparency. Others think it supports creativity and originality, as well as promotes self-awareness.

Maxixe

While aquamarine qualifies as blue, when it comes to blue beryl stone, maxixe really deserves the title. This rare blue beryl has coloring that tends to be more of a strong denim or deep navy, at times leaning slightly into indigo territory.

One of the challenges of maxixe is its tendency to fade in sunlight. Over time, it shifts toward a brownish yellow, making it far less appealing. As a result, it mainly serves as a collector stone, allowing it to be shielded from daylight.

For the maxixe gem meaning, empowerment and confidence are two of the biggest traits associated with the stone. Due to its color, some also connect it to the throat chakra, which is represented by blue.

Red Beryl

When it comes to rare gemstones, red beryl – which was originally called bixbite – definitely qualifies. Gem-quality samples are very few and far between, and most of the pieces that are suitable for cutting are quite small.

While the name “red beryl” usually conjures up a single color in a person’s mind, that isn’t always the case. While it features incredibly strong coloring, the red shade can range from raspberry to merlot.

The red beryl meaning tends to focus on vitality and action. It’s also associated with passion and confidence, particularly when it comes to seizing opportunities.

Green Beryl

While it may seem odd that there’s a green beryl since emerald is also green, the main distinction is the strength of the coloring. Green beryl tends to be much paler, running closer to a mint or spring green than a vibrant forest green.

In many cases, green beryl jewelry is much cheaper than emerald, mainly because the color quality is deemed lacking. However, it can be a perfect choice for anyone who enjoys gentler greens.

As for the green beryl meaning, it’s connected to both luck and love. Some also see it as stress relieving, partially due to its traditionally relaxing hue.