Beryllonite Gemstone: Properties, Meanings, Value & More

Beryllonite is a colorless, lesser-known gemstone first discovered in Maine, USA. It’s mostly known among collectors. Some beryllonite gems even display a “cat’s eye” effect when cut properly.

Is beryllonite rare? Yes. Beryllonite minerals are already rare — partly because beryllium is a rare element — but beryllonite gemstones are even rarer, often cut for collectors.

Want to know more about beryllonite? In this guide, we’ll go over all of beryllonite’s properties as a mineral and gemstone, along with its meanings, history, uses, prices, and more!

Pictured above: Rare gemmy beryllonite crystal that's lustrous, mostly translucent, and twinned | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

About Beryllonite Stone

Beryllonite is a commonly colorless but rare semi-precious gemstone. Astrologically, beryllonite is an Aries birthstone.

By its name, you may wonder: is beryllonite a beryl? No. Both beryl and beryllonite contain beryllium, but they have notable differences:

• Composition: Beryl is a beryllium aluminum silicate; beryllonite is a sodium beryllium phosphate.

• Hardness: Beryl ranks at 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale; beryllonite ranks at 5.5 to 6.

• Crystal System: Beryl crystals are hexagonal; beryllonite crystals are monoclinic.

• Density: Beryl’s density is slightly lower (2.63 to 2.92) than beryllonite’s density (2.77 to 2.85).

• Colors: Beryl stones come in many colors (e.g. green emerald or pink morganite) while beryllonite only comes in colorless or yellow crystals.

Speaking of these characteristics, it’s time to get familiar with beryllonite’s mineralogy.

Beryllonite Specifications & Characteristics

As a sodium beryllium phosphate, beryllonite’s formula is NaBePO4. The formula may be written as NaBe(PO4).

Structurally, beryllonite is similar to trimerite, a salmon-colored, manganese calcium beryllium silicate mineral.

Beryllonite crystals may be tabular, columnar, or short and prismatic. The crystal faces are frequently roughened, dull, or even etched. The mineral can also occur in spherical aggregates, along with fibrous or massive forms.

Twinning is common, specifically polysynthetic, penetration, or contact twins. Some twinned beryllonite crystals occur in pseudo-hexagonal stellate forms (thin, long crystals radiating outwards like a circular starburst).

Notably, beryllonite crystals may be pseudo-orthorhombic.

Beryllonite properties listed:

• Mohs hardness: 5.5-6

• Color: Colorless, white, or pale yellow

• Crystal structure: Monoclinic

• Luster: Vitreous to adamantine; Sometimes pearly on {010} cleavage

• Transparency: Transparent to opaque

• Refractive index: 1.552-1.561

• Density: 2.77-2.85

• Cleavage: Perfect on {010}, good/distinct but interrupted on {100}, poor/indistinct on {101}, in traces on {001}

• Fracture: Conchoidal or irregular/uneven

• Streak: White

• Luminescence: None

• Pleochroism: None

• Birefringence: 0.009-0.010

• Dispersion: 0.010 (weak)

• Optical effects: Chatoyancy

Next, we’ll take a break from mineralogy to explore the spiritual meaning of beryllonite.

Pictured above: Small translucent, colorless beryllonite crystal on display at Minerales en el Museo Geominero (Minerals in the Geomining Museum) | Image credit: Benjamín Núñez González, CC-BY-SA-4.0

Beryllonite Meaning & History

Beryllonite crystals symbolize awareness, positivity, and light. Many spiritual practitioners tout beryllonite as a “high vibration” crystal, meaning it brings you high levels of positivity with lots of energy for good.

It’s often used for spiritual awakening and enlightenment journeys.

History

American mineralogist and physicist Edward Salisbury Dana wrote about the first occurrence of beryllonite in 1888. He named it beryllonite for the beryllium in its composition.

The mineral has two type localities, both in Maine, USA. One is the Mcallister Occurrence and the other is the Joe McKeen Mountain locality (a.k.a McKean Farm).

The beryllonite type material was found in granite pegmatite as small, isolated, prismatic or tabular crystals with many crystal faces.

Dana co-wrote the mineral’s first description the next year in 1889 with American mineral chemist and educator Horace L. Wells.

Beryllonite Healing Properties

As a colorless healing stone, beryllonite’s metaphysical properties reflect the purifying and harmonizing powers of other white gemstones.

Physical Healing

Physically, beryllonite is said to treat issues related to:

• Blood circulation

• Reproductive health

• Vision & eye health

• Back pain

Emotional Healing

Emotionally, beryllonite is believed to boost energy and motivation, helping you find purpose in your daily life. Crystal healers recommend it for reducing feelings of stress, anxiety, apathy, or irritability.

In relationships, beryllonite crystals are said to facilitate more harmonious partnerships, encouraging you to see the best in your loved ones.

Chakra Healing

Chakra healing is the process of balancing or opening blocked energy centers (chakras) so energy can flow freely throughout the system. Beryllonite is a heart chakra stone.

The heart chakra is located at, you guessed it, the heart. This energy center governs acceptance and love of all kinds — self-love, romantic love, familial, you name it.

When the heart chakra is blocked, you may feel apathetic, shut off from others, or undeserving of love.

Opening it with beryllonite can help you feel open to love, empathetic, and accepting of the ebbs and flows of life.

Pictured above: Very slightly bluish-white beryllonite cabochon

Beryllonite Gemstone Properties

Besides their rarity, beryllonite gemstones are also valued based on their color, cut, clarity, transparency, and carat weight.

Color

Most beryllonites have a somewhat plain colorless or white appearance. Light yellow is a rarer color and may carry higher value, but most faceted beryllonite gems are colorless.

Cut

Besides the rarity of facetable rough, the value of faceted beryllonite gems also increases because it’s difficult to facet, given its multiple cleavage planes. Faceted beryllonites often have cushion shapes.

Chatoyant (cat’s eye) beryllonite gems must be cut into cabochons to properly display this optical effect.

Clarity & Transparency

Clarity describes the degree of visible inclusions in a gemstone, which can lower its transparency and value. More transparent beryllonites command higher prices.

Beryllonite stones are often found with visible inclusions, particularly fluid inclusions. Though most inclusions decrease value, parallel tube inclusions that cause chatoyancy can increase value.

Other possible beryllonite inclusions include:

• Tubes

• Gas bubbles

• Hollow canals

• Acicular (needle-like) crystals

Even cuttable crystals from the top source (Stoneham, Maine) usually only have “clean” enough clarity for gems in small sections.

Carat Weight & Size

Most beryllonite gemstones are colorless and small, under 5 carats. Larger sized gems are usually lower in clarity. Among the largest faceted beryllonite gems is a 20.64-carat example from Stoneham, Maine.

Cat’s eye beryllonite cabochons are also usually small, often under 2 carats.

Synthetics

Some synthetic beryllonite gemstones have been created and sold on the jewelry market, though these are not common.

Synthetic gemstones have all the same chemical and physical properties of their natural counterparts, but they’re made artificially in a lab.

Pictured above: White beryllonite grown with pink elbaite crystal; Herb Obodda specimen | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Beryllonite Formation & Sources

The mineral beryllonite forms from magma solutions. It’s found in granite and alkali pegmatites.

Most often, beryllonite is found beside beryl and phenakite. Other commonly associated minerals are:

• Albite

• Apatite

• Cassiterite

• Columbite

• Elbaite

• Eosphorite

• Herderite

• Lithiophilite

• Lepidolite

• Morinite

• Petalite

• Pollucite

• Quartz

• Orthoclase

• Triplite

• Väyrynenite

Geographically, where is beryllonite found?

Mining Locations

The top source for beryllonite gem material is where it was discovered: Stoneham, Maine, USA. Other sources of gem-quality rough are Afghanistan, Brazil, and Pakistan. Afghanistan is notable for producing relatively large beryllonite crystals.

Additional beryllonite sources include:

• Canada

• China

• Czechia

• Finland

• France

• Portugal

• Sweden

• UK (England)

• USA (California, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico)

Sources aside, how much does beryllonite cost?

Pictured above: Beryllonite crystal; John Manley Collection | Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0

Beryllonite Price & Value

Faceted beryllonite gemstones, usually colorless, range in price from around $20 to $160 (usually around $65) per carat or about $65 to $270 each.

Cat’s eye beryllonite cabochons cost around $20 to $50 per carat or around $45 each.

The most valuable rough beryllonite crystals are usually large and attached to tourmaline, and these range from around $80 to $3,000 each. Valuable individual beryllonite crystals or crystal clusters can be $175 to $2,400.

Smaller but still attractive pure white beryllonite crystals range from $25 to $170.

Beryllonite jewelry isn’t common, but you can find beryllonite pendants for around $200 each.

Beryllonite Care and Maintenance

In terms of gemstone care, any beryllonite jewelry should have protective settings. Its perfect cleavage, mid-range hardness, and frequent inclusions make it slightly more vulnerable to damage.

Don’t clean beryllonite with mechanical systems (e.g. ultrasonic or steam). Instead, clean beryllonite with warm water, mild soap, and a soft toothbrush.

The stone will dissolve in acid, so keep it away from anything acidic.

Bewitched by Beryllonite?

Beryllonites may seem somewhat plain, but these often-colorless gems carry allure in terms of their rarity and stunning cat’s eye effect. These are a necessary part of any mineral collection, and look gorgeous on everyday rings that will match any outfit!

Buy beryllonite gemstones today!