Bromellite
Current inventory:  0 gems
 

  
Bromellite was named in honor of Magnus von Bromell (1679–1731), Swedish physician and mineralogist.
(photo courtesy of Murray Burford - sinhalite.com)

Discovered in 1925;   IMA status: Valid (pre-IMA; Grandfathered)

Chemistry

Chemical Formula:

BeO

Beryllium Oxide

Molecular Weight:

25.01 gm

Composition:

Beryllium

36.03 %

Be

100.00 %

BeO

Oxygen

63.97 %

O

100.00 %

100.00 %

= TOTAL OXIDE

Classification

Mineral Classification:

Oxides

Strunz 8th Ed. ID:

4/A.03-10

Nickel-Strunz 10th Ed. ID:

4.AB.20

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
A : Metal: Oxygen = 2:1 and 1:1
B : M:O = 1:1 (and up to 1:1.25); with small to medium-sized cations only

Related to:

Simple Oxides

Varieties:

None

Synonyms:

None

Crystal Data

Crystallography:

Hexagonal - Dihexagonal Dipyramidal

Crystal Habit:

As prismatic crystals, elongated along [0001], to 1 mm, showing pyramidal hemimorphism, with {0001} and {1010} well developed, {1011} small; may be tabular || {0001}; in randomly intergrown rosettelike aggregates; cleavage fragments, to 10 cm.

Twinning:

None

Physical Properties

Cleavage:

Distinct on {1010}

Fracture:

None

Tenacity:

Brittle

Moh's Hardness:

9.0

Density:

3.01 - 3.03 (g/cm³)

Luminescence:

Fluorescent; fluoresces yellowish white in both LW and SW UV; may also display weak orange under SW UV.

Radioactivity:

Not Radioactive

Other:

Pyroelectric

Optical Properties

Color:

White to creamy White, Colorless

Transparency:

Transparent to Translucent

Luster:

Vitreous

Refractive Index:

1.719 - 1.733  Uniaxial ( + )

Birefringence:

0.0140

Dispersion:

Strong to moderate; r > v or r < v

Pleochroism:

None

Occurances

Geological Setting:

In hydrothermal calcite veins and veinlets in hematite skarn and skarnized limestones (Långban, Sweden); in vugs in natrolite, hydrothermally altered from nepheline, in syenite pegmatite (Langesundsfjord, Norway).

Common Associations:

Swedenborgite, Richterite, Manganophyllite (Långban, Sweden); Natrolite, Diaspore, Chamosite (Langesundsfjord, Norway).

Common Impurities:

Al, B, Ba, Ca, Fe, Mg, Si

Type Locality:

Långban, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden

Year Discovered:

1925

View mineral photos:

Bromellite Mineral Photos and Locations

More Information

Mindat.org
Webmineral.com

Bromellite is an extremely rare gem, possibly the rarest gemstone in existance. At this time only 17 faceted Bromellite gems are known to exist. One colorless Bromellite crystal was found near Gilimala, Ratnapura, Sri Lanka in March 1999. It was cut into 17 faceted gems. The largest 3 of the 17 gems weighed 2.80 ct, 1.90 ct and 0.68 ct. The remaining 14 gems were all below 0.50 ct in weight. This one crystal from Sri Lanka is the only known gem quality crystal to be found to date. Gems & Gemology has described the three largest stones cut from the Sri Lanka crystal in the Fall 2002 issue, V.38 N.3 pages 250-251. Bromellite was first described by Aminoff in 1925 from skarn-like deposits in Långban, Filipstad, Värmland, Sweden. Very small Bromellite crystals have also been found in the Ural mountain area of Russia, but these are all far too small to be faceted.

Bromellite is an interesting mineral in that it is a simple oxide, similar to Zincite, and consists only of Beryllium and Oxygen and has a Mohs hardness of 9 but a molecular weight of only 25.01 gm.

Non gem quality crystals are found at these localtions: Långban, Värmland, Sweden. In the Saga larvikite quarry, Tvedalen, near Larvik, Norway. From the Izumrudnye district, Yekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk), Ural Mountains, the Pitkäranta district, Lake Ladoga, Karelia, and other less-well-defined localities in Russia.
 

  
Bromellite gems for sale:

We do not have any Bromellite gems in inventory at this time. Please check back soon.