Accessory mineral, Be3Al2Si6O18; sp. gr. 2.6–2.8; hardness 7.5–8.0; hexagonal; normally green, sometimes blue, yellow, or pink, and translucent to transparent; vitreous lustre; crystals hexagonal prisms, often striated, also occurs massive; cleavage perfect basal {001}; occurs extensively in cavities in granites, pegmatites, mica schists and gneisses, and associated with rutile. It is an ore mineral for beryllium. Transparent green varieties are emeralds, bluish-green are aquamarine, and pink are morganite.