Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BER'YL, n. [L. beryllus; Gr. βηρυλλος; Ch. Syr. and Eth. a gem, beryl, and in Syr. crystal, and a pearl; the latter word being a different orthography of beryl; probably from the root of the Fr. briller, to shine, Eng. brilliant, Eth. በርሀ bareah, to shine.]

A mineral, considered by Cleaveland as a subspecies of Emerald. Its prevailing color is green of various shades, but always pale. Its crystals are usually longer and larger than those of the precious emerald, and its structure more distinctly foliated. It is harder than the apatite, with which it has been confounded; harder and less heavy than the pycnite. The best beryls are found in Brazil, in Siberia and Ceylon, and in Dauria, on the frontiers of China. They are found in many parts of the United States. – Silliman. Cleaveland.