Like people, gems come in closely related families. One of the most important gem families is beryl. With a trace of chromium to bestow a fabulous green, Beryl becomes Emerald, the rare and valuable green gem. If instead, nature includes a trace of iron in one valence state, beryl is Aquamarine. If the iron in beryl has a different valence state, it isn't pale blue: it turns a rich golden yellow. Golden Beryl, or Heliodor, is as brilliant as Aquamarine, with a warm sunny color. The peachy to pink variety of beryl is considered Morganite.

 

Beryl is found in all corners of the globe, with individual colors being determined by the other minerals found in those regions. South America and Asia tend to produce blues and greens, while Africa produces yellows and greens and the rarest color, red, is only found in one location, the Wah Wah Mountains in Utah.

 

Beryl is a durable gem, excellent for daily wear.