Alternative Names: None
Origin: Worldwide
Mineral Species: Beryl
Mineral Group: Silicates
Chemical Formula: Be3Al2Si6O18
Hardness: 7.5-8
Crystal System: Hexagonal
Colour: Green, blue, yellow, white, pink, etc
Typical Appearance: Crystalline masses, more rarely as hexagonal prismatic crystals.
Birthstone: Varies depending on variety
Chakra Alignment: Varies depending on variety
Element: Varies depending on variety
Origin of Name & Mythology: Interestingly, although a very old name, there appears to be confusion about its origins. One source (Schumann) says it comes from India, while two others (Mindat and Bonewitz) suggest it's from the Greek "beryllos", referring to a variety of green stones, but with no indication as to its meaning. Damerguon recommends drinking beryl crystal water to cure damage to the eye (Pliny also mentions its use to treat eye diseases), while Hidlegard von Bingen suggests the water is drunk to dispel ingested poison, and goes on to say that someone who wears, carries or holds beryl regularly will be tranquil and not dispute with others. It was also worn in adversarial situations, such as battle or litigation, as it was deemed to render the wearer unconquerable, yet amiable, and would quicken the intellect as well as curing laziness (from Arrnaldus Saxo, c. 1220 AD). In the German translation of Thomas do Cantimpré's "De Proprietatibus Rerum", it was also said to rekindle love in married couples. Beryl was a popular skying stone in the Middle Ages. Most sources indicate that this was done either through dowsing, attaching the beryl to a thread over a bowl of water, with the crystal just touching the water. The bowl would be marked with letters of the alphabet, and the pendulum would work in a similar way to an ouijia board. An alternative method involved throwing the stone into a bowl of water and reading the disturbance it created. It has been said that the first crystal balls were made of beryl, before clear quartz became more popular, but this was probably a corruption of the low Latin word for magnifying glass, beryllus, and may have been applied to anything clear that enabled one to see, even glass.
All beryls are heart-centred, and are calming and balancing. With this also comes a sense of analytical detachment, making them extremely helpful in stepping back from a problem in order to gain insight. Beryls have been used for thousands of years to treat injuries and diseases of the eyes, and detoxify or remove poison from the body. Some of the best known and best loved gemstones are members of the beryl species, and each have their own individual properties.
In addition to the general properties of beryl, each colour has its own additional properties,please click below:
