Space group:

P63/mmc (Space group number: 194)

Structure: hcp (hexagonal close-packed)
Cell parameters:
a: 228.58 pm

b: 228.58 pm

c: 358.43 pm

α: 90.000°

β: 90.000°
γ: 120.000°

Emeralds and beryl were both known to early Egyptians but it was not realised until the end of the 18th century that they are the same mineral, now called beryllium aluminium silicate: [Be3Al2(SiO3)6]. The element was recognised by M.-L. Vauquelin in 1798 in beryl and emeralds. The metal was isolated much later on in 1828 by Friederich Wöhler (and independently by A.-A.B. Bussy) by the action of potassium on BeCl2 in a platinum crucible.

Beryllium was discovered by Nicholas Louis Vauquelin (1763-1829) at 1797 in France.

Origin of name:

from the Greek word "beryllos" meaning "beryl"

Size of beryllium in several environments



One measure of size is the element-element distance within the element. The bond length in BeBe is: 222.6 pm.

It is not always easy to make sensible comparisons between the elements however as some bonds are quite short because of multiple bonding (for instance the O=O distance in O2 is short because of the the double bond connecting the two atoms.

There are several other ways ways to define radius for atoms and ions. Follow the appropriate hyperlinks for literature references and definitions of each type of radius.

All values of radii are given in picometres (pm). Conversion factors are: