Beryllonite
Mineral NaBePO4
About it
Colourless, glassy crystals of sodium beryllium phosphate from granite pegmatites, now and then cut as a rare gem. First found at Stoneham, Maine; later material came from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- Type
- Mineral
- Group
- Phosphate
- Formula
- NaBePO4
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 5.5–6
- Specific gravity
- 2.8–2.84
- Streak
- white
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy), pearly
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- Colours
- colourless, white, pale yellow
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent
- Cleavage and fracture
- perfect in one direction
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.