Identification guide · Minerals
How to Identify Chrysoberyl
Chrysoberyl typically appears yellow, greenish-yellow, brown, or, in the alexandrite variety, green shifting to red under different lighting. It has a vitreous luster, a white streak, and a hardness of 8.5, letting it scratch quartz and topaz with ease, a quick field test that separates it from softer look-alikes. Cleavage is distinct in one direction but often not obvious in rounded river-worn pebbles, which instead show conchoidal fracture. Twinned crystals form pseudo-hexagonal trillings. It is commonly confused with yellow beryl or topaz, but its superior hardness sets it apart.
Chrysoberyl identification checklist
| Color | Yellow, Greenish-yellow, Green, Brown, Colorless, Color-change green/red (alexandrite) | Look at a clean, dry surface in daylight. Color zoning, banding or spots are as diagnostic as the hue. |
|---|---|---|
| Luster | Vitreous | Fresh surfaces shine like glass; a dull surface usually means weathering, so chip or wet a corner. |
| Transparency | Transparent to translucent | Hold a thin edge up to a bright light and note whether light passes through. |
| Mohs hardness | 8.5 | It scratches glass, steel and even quartz; only harder gems will mark it. |
| Streak | White | Drag a corner across unglazed porcelain (the back of a bathroom tile) and check the powder color. |
| Cleavage | Distinct/good on {110}, poor on {010} | |
| Fracture | Conchoidal | Broken surfaces show smooth, curved, shell-like scoops. |
| Specific gravity | 3.65–3.8 | Heavier than it looks (specific gravity about 3.7249999999999996). |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
Extra tests for Chrysoberyl
Glass check. Chrysoberyl shares a glassy luster and conchoidal fracture with man-made glass. Glass sits near Mohs 5.5 and often contains round gas bubbles, so a hardness test and a hand lens separate them.
Chrysoberyl look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Chrysoberyl is harder (Mohs 8.5) than Quartz (Mohs 7), so Chrysoberyl will scratch Quartz and not the other way round. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. Chrysoberyl vs Quartz →
Chrysoberyl is harder (Mohs 8.5) than Calcite (Mohs 3), so Chrysoberyl will scratch Calcite and not the other way round. A copper coin (Mohs 3.5) scratches it, but a fingernail does not. Chrysoberyl vs Calcite →
Chrysoberyl is harder (Mohs 8.5) than Andalusite (Mohs 6.5–7.5), so Chrysoberyl will scratch Andalusite and not the other way round. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. Chrysoberyl vs Andalusite →
Both sit near Mohs 8.5, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead.
Chrysoberyl identification FAQ
How can you tell if a rock is Chrysoberyl?
Check the color (yellow, greenish-yellow, green, and brown), the vitreous luster, a Mohs hardness of 8.5 and a white streak. Photographing it with the StoneSnap app gives a match in seconds.
What is the hardness of Chrysoberyl?
Chrysoberyl has a Mohs hardness of 8.5. It scratches glass, steel and even quartz; only harder gems will mark it.
What is the difference between Chrysoberyl and Quartz?
Chrysoberyl (Mohs 8.5, vitreous luster) and Quartz (Mohs 7, vitreous, greasy on fracture surfaces luster) look alike, but hardness, streak and heft usually separate them. See the full Chrysoberyl vs Quartz comparison for a side-by-side table.
Is Chrysoberyl worth anything?
Entry-level Chrysoberyl specimens sell for around $2, typical collector pieces about $20, and premium examples $150 or more depending on size, quality and locality.
What color is Chrysoberyl?
Chrysoberyl is most often yellow, greenish-yellow, green, and brown. Color varies with impurities and locality, so confirm with hardness and luster rather than color alone.
