EOSC 118 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Wah Wah Mountains, Beryl, Pegmatite

• School: UBC
• Department: Earth and Ocean Sciences
• Course: EOSC 118
• Professor: David Turner

Document Summary

For sole purpose of finding beryl, best to look at places with pegmatite. Beryl can also be found in other unusual places: yields better quality gems: red beryl from utah, emeralds from colombia, dark blue beryl from yukon. Efficient way of finding and studying gem deposits is by identifying source of necessary components, understanding subsequent transport mechanisms, and defining the events that cause deposition. Search for beryllium is good way to find beryl because it contains be. Geological models of beryllium enrichment include: pegmatitic, magmatic, metamorphic and secondary, which leads to crystallization of beryl. Need to recognize the environment that will produce stones that are sufficiently large and transparent to semi-transparent to be considered for faceting. Large crystals need open space cavities or robust growth within a solid rock. For the clarity of a stone, you need a stable and nurturing growth environment. Gem varieties are found within rare-element-enriched pegmatites.