Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
hexagonalrareSilicates
Emerald
Be3Al2(Si6O18)
This specimen features a vibrant green emerald crystal, exhibiting a hexagonal habit, partially embedded in a matrix of white to translucent quartz.
Emerald Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
7.5Crystal System
hexagonalLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
imperfect basalFracture
conchoidal to unevenSpecific Gravity
2.72Colors
greenTransparency
transparentType Locality
Kagem Emerald Mine, Kafubu Emerald District, Ndola, Copperbelt Province, ZambiaMineral Group
SilicatesUses
jewelry, collectorAssociated Minerals
quartz, mica, feldsparRarity
rareGeological Context
Emeralds form in metamorphic and igneous rocks, often in pegmatites, schists, and hydrothermal veins, where beryllium, aluminum, and silicon-rich fluids interact with chromium or vanadium-bearing rocks.
