05/30/2026
Check out this post from GIA Education! A little insight on how different beryls get their color!
The beryl family is packed with gem-world celebrities including emerald, aquamarine and morganite. Then there’s the rare and mysterious maxixe beryl and red beryl, plus more common beauties like heliodor, goshenite and green beryl.
Beryl is allochromatic, meaning it's colorless in its purest form. It gets its color from trace elements or radiation.
- Green beryl gets its pale green hue from iron.
- Emerald glows green thanks to chromium and vanadium.
- Aquamarine gets its serene blue hue from iron.
- Maxixe turns deep blue from radiation, but its color can fade!
- Red Beryl owes its rich red hue to manganese.
- Morganite blushes pink from manganese.
- Goshenite is pure, colorless beryl, sometimes with trace elements but not enough to add color.
- Heliodor’s golden yellow comes from iron.
Which beryl variety is your favorite?
