Heliodor
Also Golden beryl
Yellow beryl, 'gift of the sun'.
- Family
- Beryl
- Formula
- Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈
- Mohs
- 7.5 to 8
- System
- Hexagonal
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Science
Ferric iron colours heliodor yellow to greenish gold. It is the least known of the beryls, though large flawless crystals exist. Ukrainian material from chamber pegmatites is prized for etched, sculptural surfaces.
- Mineral
- Beryl (variety)
- Formula
- Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈
- Crystal system
- Hexagonal
- Mohs hardness
- 7.5 to 8
- Specific gravity
- 2.72
- Refractive index
- 1.577 to 1.583
- Lustre
- Vitreous
- Colours
- Yellow, Gold, Green-yellow
Composition
Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈. Made of Beryllium, Aluminium, Silicon, Oxygen, with trace Iron responsible for colour.
Origin
- NamibiaRössing, type locality
- Brazil
- UkraineVolodarsk-Volynskyi
- Madagascar
- Tajikistan
Filled dots are primary sources
Rarity
Uncommon in saturated colour. Much heliodor on the market has been irradiated to deepen the yellow.
- 1 Abundant
- 2 Common
- 3 Uncommon
- 4 Rare
- 5 Exceptional
Hardness
Heliodor sits at 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale. It will scratch glass and holds a polish in daily wear.
Energy
Associations from crystal-healing tradition, recorded here as folklore. They are not medical claims.
Chakras
- Solar Plexus
Element
- Fire
Zodiac
- Leo
Planets
- Sun
Properties
- Confidence
- Willpower
- Warmth
- Vitality
Lore
Named in 1910 by Namibian miners from the Greek for sun and gift. Its short history is mostly in mineral collections rather than jewellery.
Modern practice treats it as the solar beryl: confidence where morganite is comfort.
- IrradiationSome 'heliodor' is colourless goshenite turned yellow by radiation.
- Type localityRössing, Namibia.