BERKELYITE :
Variety of transparent Lazulite  of Brazil.

BERNATE :
Or Bernart.
Etymology : from Bernstein, the German name for amber.
Synthetic resin, possible imitation for Amber.
Physical and optical properties:
- Colour : yellow like amber, yellow orange, dark orange, blackish,…
- Hardness :
- S.G. : 1.22 to 1.23
- R.I. : 1.54
Confusions :
- Copal.
- Amber (S.G. : 1.08 ; R.I. : 1.54 ; amber floats in strongly saline water). To make the analyst life even more difficult,  Bernate is tribo-electrical (becomes electrically charged by rubbing) and one incorporates sometimes insects.
See also :
- Bernart (artificial product imitating amber), ZDG n°39 de 1962 page 25.

BERNSTEIN :
German for Amber.

BERTRANDITE :
Hydrated silicate of glucine, small white crystals.

BERYL : .
Etym. : from the Greek ‘berullos’ meaning crystal (?) ; only since the 19^th century is the name used to designate all the varieties of the group, before the name meant aquamarine only.
Aluminosilicate of beryllium.
Al₂Be₃(Si₆O₁₈)
The stones of the beryl group :
- Emerald.
- Aquamarine.
- Yellow beryl or golden beryl.
- Bixbite.
- Goshenite.
- Heliodor .
- Morganite.
Physical and optical Properties:
- Colour : all colours. A different name is given to certain varieties according to their colour :  blue-green to blue = aquamarine, green to vivid intense green = emerald (when coloured by chromium), pink = morganite, golden yellow  = heliodor, colourless = goshenite…
- Transparency : transparent (when pure) to opaque
- Lustre : vitreous
- Hardness : 7.5 to 8
- S.G. : 2.68 to 2.9
- R.I. : 1.564 - 1.602 ( -0.004 to -0.009)
- Fluorescence of morganite : weak lilac.
- Pleochroism : yellow beryl : yellow citron/golden yellow. Heliodor : pale golden yellow /yellow-green. Morganite : pale pink /slightly bluish pink. Green Beryl : distinct green-yellow/green-blue.

- Crystal system : hexagonal
- Structure : rings of silica parallel to the base of the prism, linked by aluminium and beryllium. These rings are related to the channels parallel with the main axis of the prism where foreign elements may be found (alkaline metals like potassium, sodium, hydroxides etc.)
Sometimes, part of the aluminium is replaced by ions of the same dimensions (chrome, iron, titanium, vanadium, magnesium, manganese,…). The crystals have the form hexagonal prisms striated lengthwise, mostly terminated by base accompanied by small faces forming a crown.
The foreign elements are responsible for the different colours (=allochromatic).
Inclusions :
- alkaline metals like potassium, sodium, hydroxides, healing fractures.
- fine needles of ilmenite are perceptible in brown beryl. These needles are oriented parallel to the prism faces, provoking asterism.
Occurrence :
Essentially a mineral of granitic pegmatites, where it may be accompanied by topaz and divers minerals of beryllium (chrysoberyl, euclase, phenacite, hambergite, …).
Brazil, USA, Mexico.
Supplementary Information :
- A cabochon of brownish beryl of 8,80 cts presented a particular " cat’s eye". Viewed from the back, the stone was quasi transparent.
The brown colour was due to a concentration of opaque inclusions disposed in such a way, that when observed from the top, one saw a line giving the illusion of a " cat’s eye ", its observation was limited to a few degrees when the stone was moved.

See also :

BERYL DORE :
French for golden Beryl .

BERYL FEUILLETTE :
French name used for Disthene.

BERYLITE :
Prohibited Appellation : Synthetic spinel, red or pink.
Synonym for Beryl. (Source mineralogical index British Museum)

BERYLLINE :
Synonym for Beryl. (Webster)

BERYLLIUM-GLASS :
Prohibited Appellation for an imitation of Ruby.

BERYLLONITE
Collector’s stone

Phosphate of beryllium and sodium.
NaBe[PO4]
Physical and optical p roperties:
- Colour : colourless, sometimes yellowish.
-Transparency : transparent
- Lustre : vitreous
- Hardness : 5
- S.G. : 2.85
- R.I. : 1.552 - 1.562 ( Birefr. : -0.009)
- Biaxial negative
- Crystal system : monoclinic (short prisms) pseudo-orthorhombic.
- Cleavage : sometimes basal, good pyramidal.
- Weak dichroism.
- Fluorescence : none.
Occurrence :
in pegmatites, in association with beryl and phenacite ; Stoneham, Maine, U.S.A. ; Afghanistan.
Confusions :
Phenacite, Beryl, Topaz, Quartz.

BERZELINE :
Variety of Haüyne. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BETA QUARTZ :
Quartz formed at high temperatures.

BETA ZIRCON :
Name given in mineralogy to any Zircon with properties between alpha and gamma zircon. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BETEL NUT JADE :
Name given by the Chinees to describe a particular colour-tint of Jade.

BEUSTITE :
Variety of Epidote.

BEZOAR :
Stone-like concretion formed in the intestines of certain animals.
In very particular cases, in the intestines of the ruminant a mass of hair and grass is enrobed by phosphate of calcium associated to oxalates of calcium.
Recent scientific analysis has proven that the phosphates of calcium of the bezoar stones coupled to the keratine of the hair could annihilate the effect of poisons (ex : arseniates and arsenites). The Bezoar thus behaves like a sponge to arsenic.
Divers imitations of Bezoars have been made during the Middle Ages with the purpose of selling them as medicaments.

BIANCO :
Name given by the Italians to precious white Coral.

BIHARITE :
Variety of Pagodite.

BILDSTEIN :
German. Synonym for Agalmatolite.

BILLITONITE :
Synonyms : Agni-mani, pearl of fire.
Natural glass found on the isles of Indonesia and neighbouring isles.
This glass is supposed to be pieces of meteorites.
Very rare, collector’s stone. The stones are only remarkable for their form, resembling to buttons with an irregular rim, the surface pitted like  moldavites.
Etym : The explorer Shadding discovered it on the isle of Billiton (a tin-rich island in the Indonesian archipelago near Sumatra, now called Belitung), famous for its tin mines.

" Agni-mani ”, also called Agni gemma, is one the rarest stones. Modern science calls it tektite and  billitonite is a variety. It’s not a particular attractive stone: black with dark green reflections on the sides, very irregular surface, covered with small craters. Because of its rarity, the stone is considered by the local people to be a magical stone with beneficial powers. On Java and  Borneo, and in Tibet, people ascribe a protective power to tektites. The local people that found a tektite, buried it, believing that it favoured the growth of the mineral. Tektites were also discovered in Oceania, Indo-China, Colombia and Peru. The mineralogist G. Guillemin found that tektites are meteorites formed of a transparent glass, dark blue, green, rarely brown, very rich in SiO₂ (± 70%), rich in Al₂O₃ (10 to 16%), Fe and Mg, but poor in alkalis and lacking any water. They owe their characteristic form and aspect of their surface (crossed striae) to their flight trough the atmosphere.
Physical and optical properties :
- Colour : black.
- Transparency : translucent to opaque
- Hardness : 5.5
- S.G. : 2.36 to 2.51
- R.I. : 1.49 to 1.53

BINARITE :
Synonym for Marcasite.

BINARKIES :
Synonym of Binarite.

BIRD'S EYE :
Name given by the American fishermen to pearls with slight imperfections on their surface. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BIRYUZA :
Russian translation for Turquoise.

BISHOP'S STONE :
Synonym for Amethyst. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BITTERSTEIN :
German. Synonym for Zoisite.

BIXBITE :
Variety of Beryl.

BLACK AMBER :
Fossilized resin. In this colour very rare.

BLACK ANDRADITE GARNET :
Synonym for Melanite. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLACK AND WHITE ONYX :
Onyx with alternating layers of black and white colour. The colour can be produced artificially. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLACK DIAMOND :
Prohibited Appellation for Hematite. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)
Synonym Boart. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BLACK GARNET :
Synonym for Melanite.

BLACK ONYX :
Prohibited Appellation : chalcedony of uniform black colour. Name correct: black chalcedony. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLACK MOONSTONE :
Variety of Labradorite , black in body colour, possessing a blue and chatoyant lustre.

BLACKMORITE :
Variety or Synonym of Opal.

(BLACK) OPAL :

Natural opal designating generally all opals with a nice play of colour on a black to very dark brown background

Prohibited Appellation for a doublet made of white opal glued on a black onyx or any other black material.

BLACK PRINCE'S RUBY :
Red Spinel mounted in the "British Imperial State Crown".
Weight unknown, 5 cm.
For a long time it was supposed to be a ruby.

BLACK SEED PEARL :
Very small blackish pearl. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLATTERKIES :
German. Synonym for Marcasite.

BLAUSPATH :
German. Synonym for Lazulite.

BLEACHED PEARL :
Pearl treated to make its colour whiter colour. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLENDE :
Old name for Sphalerite.

BLEICHROMAT :
German. Synonym for Crocoite. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BLISTER PEARL :
Concretion attached to the shell and it is not a full pearl. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

Pearl formations (in general of irregular form ) due to a protuberance - natural growth deformation of the inner face of the shell.

BLOOD AGATE :
Agate red, pink or salmon from Utah. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLOOD CORAL :
Coral of intense red colour. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLOODHOTIOLITE :
Name given by the English to a red Cordierite , colour due to inclusions of hematite.

BLOOD JASPER :
Synonym for Bloodstone. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLOODSTONE :
Synonym of Oligiste or Hematite, for others Synonym of Heliotrope. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLUE ALEXANDRITE :
Prohibited appellation : for a sapphire. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLUE AMBER :
Commercial name given to Amber of slightly bluish colour.

BLUE ASBESTOS :
Synonym for Crocidolite.

BLUE CHRYSOPRASE :
Chalcedony coloured by inclusions of Chrysocolla.
Synonym : chrysocolla Quartz, azurlite and azurchalcedony. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLUE COPPER :
Synonym for Azurite and Covelline. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BLUE CORAL :
Variety of akori.

BLUE FELDSPAR :
Synonym for Lazulite. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BLUE GROUND :
See kimberlite, matrix rock of Diamond.

BLUE IRON EARTH :
Synonym Vivianite. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BLUE JASPER :
See Swiss Lapis. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLUE JOHN :
Name given by the English to blue-violet Fluorite .

BLUE MALACHITE :
Prohibited appellation : azurite. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLUE MOONSTONE :
Prohibited appellation : bluish chalcedony. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)
Name given to a superior quality of moonstone presenting bluish reflections. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLUE ONYX :
Prohibited Appellation for agate or chalcedony that are artificially coloured

BLUE OPAL :
Prohibited appellation : lazulite
Precious opal from Queensland (Australia) with a bluish tint. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLUE QUARTZ :
Synonym sapphire Quartz. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BLUE SCHORL :
Old name for octahedrite.
Blue Tourmaline. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLUE SPAR :
Synonym Lazulite. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

(BLUE) SPINEL :

Prohibited Appellation for haüyne .

BLUE TALC :
Prohibited appellation : for a dysthene/cyanite. (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLUE ZEOLITE :
Synonym Lapis-lazuli. (Source : mineralogical index British Museum)

BLUE ZIRCON :
Zircon blue or bluish (colour obtained by heat-treatment). (Source : Robert M. Shipley)

BLUTSTEIN :
German. See bloodstone. Synonym for oligiste or hematite; for others : synonym of Heliotrope.