Beryl

Beryl
/ber"il/, n.
a female given name.

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Mineral composed of beryllium aluminum silicate, Be3Al2(SiO3)6, a commercial source of beryllium.

Several varieties are valued as gemstones: aquamarine (pale blue-green); emerald (deep green); heliodor (golden yellow); and morganite (pink). Before 1925 beryl was used only as a gemstone, but since then many important uses have been found for beryllium (e.g., in nuclear reactors, space vehicles, and X-ray tubes). No large deposits have been found, and most production is a by-product of the mining of feldspar and mica. Brazil is a major producer; others include Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, and the U.S.

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      mineral composed of beryllium aluminum silicate, Be3Al2(SiO3)6, a commercial source of beryllium. It has long been of interest because several varieties are valued as gemstones. These are aquamarine (pale blue-green); emerald (deep green); heliodor (golden yellow); and morganite (pink). Beryl is a minor constituent of many granitic rocks and associated pegmatite dikes, in gneisses, and in mica schists. The gem varieties (other than emerald) commonly are found in cavities in pegmatites. Emeralds occur in mica schist and in bituminous limestone. Common beryl of nongem quality is present in many pegmatites, usually disseminated in small crystals. Large crystals, however, have been found: a 200-ton crystal was found in Brazil; a crystal 5.8 m (19 feet) long and 1.5 m (5 feet) in diameter was discovered in the Black Hills, S.D., U.S.; and a radiating group of large crystals, the largest 16,300 kg (about 18 tons) with a length of 5 m and a diameter of 1 m, was discovered in Albany, Maine, U.S. The largest crystal of any type in the world is a beryl from Malakialina, Madagascar, and is 18 m long and 3.5 m in diameter with a mass of 380,000 kg (about 400 tons). Beryl is not common in detrital deposits. For detailed physical properties, see silicate mineral (table); see also aquamarine; emerald; morganite.

      Before 1925 beryl was used only as a gemstone. Thereafter, many important uses were found for beryllium, and common beryl has been widely sought as the ore of this rare element. No large deposits have been found, and much of the production is a by-product in the mining of feldspar and mica. Although the amount of beryl mined fluctuates from year to year, it has increased rather steadily since 1930. Brazil became the major producer; others are Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, and the United States.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Beryl — Beryl …   Википедия

  • Beryl — Cube Ansicht der Desktops …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • béryl — [ beril ] n. m. • beril « pierre précieuse » 1125; lat. beryllus, gr. bêrullos ♦ Minér. Silicate naturel d aluminium et de béryllium cristallisé, classé en plusieurs variétés selon la couleur et la composition chimique. Béryl ordinaire. Béryl… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • beryl — hard, lustrous mineral, c.1300, from O.Fr. beryl (12c., Mod.Fr. béryl), from L. beryllus, from Gk. beryllos, perhaps from Prakrit veruliya, from Skt. vaidurya , of Dravidian origin, perhaps from the city of Velur (modern Belur) in southern India …   Etymology dictionary

  • Beryl — f English: one of several women s names that are taken from gemstones and which came into fashion at the end of the 19th century. Beryl is a pale green stone (of which emerald is a variety). Other colours are also found. The word is from Greek,… …   First names dictionary

  • béryl — BÉRYL. s. mas. Pierre précieuse, verdâtre et transparente. Le Béryl étoit une des pierres du pectoral du Grand Prêtre chez les Juifs. On le nomme auJourd hui Aigue marine …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • beryl — I {{/stl 13}}{{stl 8}}rz. mnż III, D. u; lm D. i {{/stl 8}}{{stl 7}} pojedynczy kawałek minerału o tej samej nazwie (zwykle oszlifowany) : {{/stl 7}}{{stl 10}}Nosić beryle. {{/stl 10}}{{stl 20}} {{/stl 20}} {{stl 20}} {{/stl 20}}beryl II {{/stl… …   Langenscheidt Polski wyjaśnień

  • Beryl — [bʉrl] n. [< BERYL, with ref. to gems] a feminine name …   English World dictionary

  • beryl — [ber′əl] n. [ME & OFr beril < L beryllus < Gr bēryllos, sea green gem < Prakrit veruliya < veḷuriya, of Dravidian orig., prob. after Vēlūr (now Bēlūr), city in S India] a very hard, lustrous, hexagonal mineral, Be3Al2Si6O18, that is… …   English World dictionary

  • Beryl — Ber yl (b[e^]r [i^]l), n. [F. b[ e]ryl, OF. beril, L. beryllus, Gr. bh ryllos, prob. fr. Skr. vai[dsdot][=u]rya. Cf. {Brilliant}.] (Min.) A mineral of great hardness, and, when transparent, of much beauty. It occurs in hexagonal prisms, commonly… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • béryl — chrysobéryl …   Dictionnaire des rimes

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