Beryl
Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈

     Beryl occurs very rarely at Mont Saint-Hilaire.

It is very similar to fluorapatite in the hornfels environment, from which it is difficult to distinguish visually.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Color is usually pale yellow to yellowish-green.
Luster is vitreous.
Diaphaneity is transparent.
Crystal System is hexagonal; P6/mcc.
Crystal Habits include hexagonal prisms terminated by the
   {0001} pinacoid and small pyramidal faces.
Cleavage {001} is indistinct.
Fracture is uneven to subconchoidal.
Hardness is 7.5 - 8.
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.6 g/cm³.
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include albite, ancylite, chlorite group,
   molybdenite, siderite and UK #56.
Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit.
Origin: Known since antiquity, name comes from the Greek
   beryllos, an ancient term for a blue-green gem.

CLASSIFICATION:

REFERENCES:
MinRec 21:299 (1990), Dana 8:1239-1244 (1997)

DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:

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