Bixbite (Beryl)
Color: Red to strawberry-red
Moh’s Hardness: 7.5-8
Refractive Index: 1.57-1.60
Critical Angle: 39.87°
Specific Gravity: 2.65-2.75
Cleavage: None
Fracture: Conchoidal, tough
Dispersion: .014
Heat Sensitivity: Moderate, depending on how clean the rough is
Dichroism: weak
Birefringence (double refraction): Weak (.006-.009)
Crystal Structure: Hexagonal
Treatments: None usually…
What I prefer to polishing with: Cerium oxide with a Spectra Ultralap.
Jeff’s Comments: Rough is rare and expensive, usually small and not clean. Cuts and polishes like any other Beryl, usually no problems… I like to use a 1200 Nu Bond lap for pre-polish, it makes the polishing stage faster and easier. Orientating on the “c” is slightly better.
Design Notes: About any design will work well… I prefer a deeper design and often cut Barions… Step cuts are used a lot because of the small narrow crystals that are available.
Design Links: Signature #4 – This is one of my favorite cuts in Beryl
Blue Ice – Designed for very long crystals
This edited version of an article by the late Jeff Graham is part of a special archived informational series from Gram Faceting. Used with permission.
