The Lapworth Museum of Geology dates back to 1880, and is one of the oldest specialist geological museums in the UK. Throughout its long history the Lapworth Museum has provided a valuable resource for students, schools and colleges, research workers, enthusiasts and anyone with an interest in, or desire to learn, about geology.
The museum is open to the public and provides for school, college, adult education and community groups.
Beryl
Be3Al2Si6O18
Beryl commonly occurs as an accessory mineral in acid igneous rocks. Crystals tend to form hexagonal prisms, and in some pegmatite deposits (particularly in New England, USA) individual crystals can be over 5 metres in length.
Beryl is the main source of the element beryllium, which is used to produce high tensile strength, metal alloys. Transparent varieties are used as gemstones, with the most well known and important varieties being emerald (green) and aquamarine (blue). Pure beryl is colourless, and it is trace amounts of impurities that produce the very varied colours. Gem varieties include:-
Emerald- green; aquamarine- blue; heliodor- yellow to yellow/brown; Morganite- pink; Bixbite- the very rare red form; and goshenite- a colourless form. Some of these varieties are pictured above.
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The Lapworth Museum of Geology is supported by the Arts & Humanities Research Council
