GOSHENITE

Goshenite is the pure, colourless variety of beryl. It has been used to imitate diamond or emerald, by placing silver or green-coloured metal foil behind a cut goshenite gemstone, then placing the stone in a closed setting so that the foil cannot be detected.

Goshenite is named after Goshen, Massachusetts, in the USA, where it was first found. Present localities include Canada, Brazil and the former USSR.

Pale and colourless beryl was once used for the lenses in spectacles, thus the German word for spactacles, brille, may have been derived from the word beryl.

Crystal Structure: Hexagonal

Composition: Beryllium aluminium silicate

Hardness: 7.5

Specific Gravity: 2.80

Lustre: Vitreous