This month’s twelve foundation stones article puts the spotlight on beryl—a radiant and multi-faceted family of gemstones that includes coveted treasures such as aquamarine, emerald, and morganite. The Bible is full of references to precious stones, with over a hundred verses that mention them. Here’s a fascinating one about beryl:

“His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.” (Daniel 10:6 NKJV)

This verse is describing an angelic encounter had by the prophet Daniel while he was fasting and seeking divine support. Comparing the body of this angel to beryl conveys that it glowed with radiant, celestial energy. Many biblical scholars believe that the angel is Gabriel, who is known as the divine messenger. Given what we know about gemstones from the beryl family, this is fitting. Beryl is known to form a connection between the spiritual realms and the earthly planes. It helps one tap into wisdom and information from higher dimensional sources.

Perhaps the most interesting and well-known verse about gemstones can be found in the Book of Revelation. The Book of Revelation is an enigmatic read, filled with visionary accounts of the end of the world and the second coming of Christ. The final two chapters, 21 and 22, are said to metaphorically describe the heavenly realm, and it is where we find mention of a future holy city. This city made of gold was described as having twelve stones in the foundation.

What are the Twelve Foundation Stones?

Revelation 21:19–20 reads, "The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst."

There’s debate among experts today about the accuracy of this list of foundation stones. This is because the ancient names of gemstones don’t correspond with our modern mineral classifications. Instead of categorizing gemstones based on their crystalline forms and composition, like we do today, in ancient times stones were named based on their color, place of origin, or how they were used.

The International Gem Society published this list of the twelve foundation stones as the one they believe is the most accurate and correct version: garnet, amethyst, jasper, diamond, emerald, agate, turquoise, carnelian, chrysolite (peridot), beryl, topaz, and ruby.

Each article in this series will cover the geological properties, historical uses, and metaphysical qualities of one foundation stone. This month, it’s all about the eighth foundation stone, beryl.

Beryl: Beryl is a family of minerals made of beryllium, silicon, aluminum, and oxygen. Beryl is part of the cyclosilicate mineral group, which has a crystalline structure that consists of silicate tetrahedrons that link together to form rings. Circular patterns naturally radiate wholeness, unity, and perfection, and this is felt in the energetic transmission of beryl stones.

Beryl has a hardness of 7.5 to 8, a vitreous (glassy) luster, and is transparent to translucent. All these qualities make beryl ideal for use in fine jewelry. Beryl is listed as the 38th anniversary stone. In addition, beryl represents a big and colorful family—there is a beryl variety that matches almost every color in the rainbow. The different colors occurring in beryl are due to specific trace impurities present in the crystalline structure. Here is a list of some of the most popular types of beryl and their distinguishing properties:

• Emerald: One of the most prized gemstones of all time, emerald gets its vivid, saturated green color from chromium and vanadium. It is the May birthstone and the 55th anniversary stone.
• Aquamarine: A gemstone that reflects the colors of the sea, Aquamarine’s bluish-green color comes from trace amounts of iron. It is the March birthstone and the 19th anniversary stone.
• Morganite: Radiating hues of soft pink and peachy pink, Morganite gets its color from manganese.
• Heliodor: This sunny stone gets its pale greenish yellow to golden yellow color due to small amounts of iron.
• Goshenite: This clear or colorless form of beryl is sometimes used as a substitute for diamond.
• Bixbite: Fiery bixbite is one of the rarest gems in the world. Its vivid red shades come from manganese.

Historical Uses

The name beryl originates from the Greek word beryllos, which means precious blue-green gemstone. The ancient Greeks would create a gem elixir with beryl, allowing it to charge water that they drank to cure kidney and bladder issues.

Pliny the Elder (the first-century Roman author of an encyclopedia of natural science) wrote that beryl cured eye diseases. To treat minor eye issues, he suggested washing out the eyes with water charged by beryl. For more serious eye problems, his remedy was to use powdered beryl directly in the eyes. During the medieval times, beryl was also thought to cure liver disease, jaundice, throat infections, swollen glands, general swelling, fever, and stomach issues. In the 1300s, the first eyeglasses were made by Italian monks using beryl lenses because beryl was clearer than the glass made in that era.

In the Middle Ages, beryl was known as an oracle crystal and a divining tool for obtaining psychic information. Interestingly, the first crystal balls were made from beryl. It was believed that if you had a beryl on a string and suspended it over a bowl of water with the alphabet displayed along the rim, it would serve as a Ouija board and spell out the answer to your questions. Another method involved tossing beryl into a bowl of water and focusing on the resulting ripples, which would facilitate scrying.

Here are some other historical beliefs about beryl: It was known as a protection stone that kept travelers safe from various threats and was particularly effective against demons and negative spirits. Beryl was known to enhance love, romance, and fidelity. It was also believed to sharpen the mind, help the body maintain youth, and motivate the lazy into action.

Metaphysical Properties

The beautiful beryl family offers a glittering array of healing and spiritual powers that are recognized today. While each type of beryl has its own unique metaphysical properties based on the colors and trace minerals, there are some properties that are universal among all beryl stones.

Beryl is still regarded as a stone that promotes physical healing and health. It is known to support the major organs and systems of the body. It is especially fortifying for the immune, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems. Beryl is also known to help the body release toxins and harmful chemicals.

Beryl is a stone that heals and balances the emotions. It is a stress-relief stone that can counteract feelings of anxiety, panic, and overwhelm. It calms the emotions, settles the mind, and filters out extraneous thoughts and energy that would overstimulate you. Beryl is also known to lift depression and negative moods. It can help you process grief and loss.

Beryl maintains its reputation as a stone that shines in the psychic realms. It awakens clairvoyance and psychic vision, assisting with scrying and fortunetelling. Beryl is also known to assist with dream recall, lucid dreaming, and precognitive dreaming. It can deepen your meditation practices by helping you to calm and focus the mind. It is also still seen as a powerful protection stone that can shield you from negative energy.

Here is a brief list of the metaphysical properties assigned to the six most popular beryl stones:

• Emerald: a powerful healing stone that boosts all organs and systems of the body. It also promotes love, abundance, and growth.
• Aquamarine: the fountain of youth stone that assists with rejuvenation, peace, calm, communication, and clearing negativity.
• Morganite: a gemstone of divine love that heals the emotional body, increases compassion, helps attract a soulmate, and deepens existing relationships.
• Heliodor: a gemstone of solar light and divine masculine traits. It assists with personal power, leadership, manifestation, and optimism.
• Goshenite: a gemstone of the crown and higher chakras. It enhances psychic abilities, dreams, prayers, meditation, and analytical thinking.
• Bixbite: a gemstone of vitality and passion. It boosts creativity, courage, and self-esteem. It harmonizes relationships and facilitates grounding.

Beryl bestows its bright light and illuminating qualities into the foundation of the heavenly city. There is a beryl for every chakra and facet of the being, bringing your energy into higher resonance with the celestial and earthy realms. Stay tuned for the next article in this series, which will dive into the history and properties of the fascinating foundation stone, topaz.