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Variety · Silicate

Goshenite

Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈

Colorless beryl, named for Goshen, Massachusetts.

Hardness7.5–8
Crystal systemHexagonal
ClassSilicate
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Goshenite specimen

Goshenite (Weight: 281.1 g) – Xuebaoding Mt., Mianyang City, Sichuan province, China — Photo: Raimond Spekking · CC BY-SA 4.0

Goshenite

Also known as: White beryl.

Goshenite is a colorless gem variety of beryl. It is sometimes called the “mother of all gemstones” because the addition of various trace elements in nature transforms it into other gems, such as emerald, aquamarine, morganite, or bixbite. Goshenite is also the purest form of beryl because the inclusion of impurities would transform it into a different form of beryl. The gem is used as imitation for diamond or emerald by adding colored foil on it.

Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Goshenite is a mineral variety of Beryl, with the chemical formula Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈.

It crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system.

Key properties: Mohs hardness 7.5–8; typically colorless or white.

Collections: Gemstones.

Index entry. This entry combines official IMA/RRUFF species data with published physical-property data and a Wikipedia introduction — a full written entry hasn’t been published yet. Browse more G minerals or help write this entry.