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16.4.5: Goshenite

  • Page ID
    4034
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    Goshenite
    Chemical composition Be3Al2(SiO3)6Beryllium aluminum silicate
    Crystal system Hexagonal
    Habit Prismatic
    Cleavage Poor, basal
    Fracture Conchoidal to uneven
    Hardness 7.5
    Optic nature Uniaxial -
    Refractive index 1.57 - 1.59
    Birefringence 0.004 - 0.009
    Dispersion Low, 0.014
    Specific gravity 2.7 - 2.9
    Lustre Vitreous
    Pleochroism None

    File:Béryl var. goshénite 1 (Chine) .jpg

    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Colorless Goshenite
    Xuebaoding, Pingwu, Sichuan Province, China

    Goshenite is the colorless variety of beryl and is named after Goshen in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA (one of the localities where this gem is found).


    This page titled 16.4.5: Goshenite is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by gemology via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

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