RED BERYL Be3 All2 Si 6 O18
Crystal Description: Hexagonal
Usually occur as either slender hexagonal prisms, terminated
on both ends by the basal pinacoid, or as small hexagonal tablets as
single crystals or clusters. Crystals have been found in the Thomas
Range, up to 1” (2.5 cm) in length and 5/8”
(15 mm) in width, however, most crystals are generally less than 1/4”
(6 mm). At one location on the west side of the Thomas Range they
occur as tabular crystal rosettes (rose-like) up to 5/8” (15 mm) in width.
Sometimes occurs perched on topaz crystals.
Physical Properties:
Color- Rose pink to deep red
Luster- Glassy
Hardness- 7.5 – 8
Specific Gravity- 2.6 – 2.8
Cleavage- Poor basal
Another mineral discovered by Maynard Bixby at the Maynard
Topaz Mine is a peculiar rose-red variety of beryl. Most people are
quite familiar with beryl asthe green variety being emerald and the
blue variety being aquamarine. Bixby thought it was beryl, but the
color association was unknown at that time. Bixby sent specimens to
Professor W.F. Hillebrand, a geochemist, at the National College in
Washington D.C. Hillebrand described the mineral as a new variety of
beryl and, in 1912, the German mineralogist, Professor A. Eppler, named
this new variety of beryl Bixbite, also in Bixby’s honor. This obscure
name is ,however, seldom used today because it is too easily confused
with the similar sounding bixbyite.
Red beryl is rare and found only at three locations in the world;
the Wah Wah Mountains in south central Utah, the Thomas Range in
the west desert area of Utah and the Black Range in New Mexico.