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Geography
Beryl is a common ore, mined worldwide. Granite and granite pegmatites, which are more coarsely grained than regular granite, are the most common sources of beryl.
Significance
While beryl is best known for the gemstones it produces, it also is the source of the rare element berylium, which is used in manufacturing.
Berylium Uses
The high tensile strength, ability to resist fatigue and hardness of berylium make it useful in manufacturing metal alloys with light weight.
History
Beryl, in its gem form, has been mined for centuries. It dates back at least to the time of the Egyptian pharaohs, somewhere between 3000 and 1500 B.C.
Fun Fact
The word "brilliance" is thought to come from ancient Greece, where the word for beryl was "berullos," meaning crystal.