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Naming History
The original name of Beryllium was actually Glaucinium from the Greek word glykys meaning "sweet" due to Beryllium salts tasting sweet. It wasn't until around 1900 when the name was changed to Beryllium, this time taken from the Greek word beryllo, the word used for the mineral beryl where Beryllium was first discovered.
Discovery
The smallest element not produced by the Big Bang, Beryllium was formed shortly after by radioactive decay and nuclear reaction between the first three elements (Hydrogen, Helium, and Lithium). The earliest recorded uses of Beryllium is the Ancient Egyptians, Jews and Romans who all used beryl and emeralds as gemstones, both of which are aluminum silicates containing Beryllium (Be3Al2(SiO3)6). In 1798, Abbe René Just Haüy and Nicholas Louis Vauquelin analyzed these two minerals with the hope of discovering a new element within them. They were successful in proving a new element, but were not able to isolate it by itself. In 1828, Friedrich Wohler in Berlin and Antoine-Alexander-Brutus Bussy in Paris independently isolated Beryllium from BeCl2. Beryllium was essential in advancing knoweldge of atomic theory when James Chadwick discovered the neutron using samples of Beryllium.
Characteristics
Beryllium is a steel gray, hard metal that is brittle at room temperature. The first Alkaline Earth Metal. It is a very rare element in the universe and is only generated in supernova events.
The Sun has a concentration of here are small parts per billion (ppb) of Beryllium.
The Earth's crust contains about 2-6 parts per million (ppm) of Beryllium.
Seawater contains about 0.2-0.6 parts per trillion (ppt) of Beryllium.
Traces of Beryllium can be found in the blood (10 ppt), bone (3 ppb), and tissues (0.1 ppb).
Overall, approximately 35 mg of Beryllium is found inside the human body.
Large amounts of Beryllium in the soil can be toxic to plants stunting foilage growth, but there are around 1-400 ppb in typical plants.
Naturally Occurring Minerals
Beryllium can be found in over 100 minerals, but most are uncommon or rare. The most common minerals that contain Beryllium are: Bertrandite (Be4Si2O7(OH)2), Beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6), Chrysoberyl (Al2BeO4), and Phenakite (Be2SiO4). Even though the composition of beryls are relatively similar, the additions of small impurities in mineral results in a wide range of colors such as gold (golden beryl; from the presence of Fe3+ ions), red (red beryl; from the presence of Mn3+ ions), blue (aquamarine; from the presence of Fe2+ ions), and green (emerald; from the presence of Cr3+ ions).
Where can I find this element @ home
Beryllium can most commonly be seen at home in the jewerly of the different forms it can take when it comes to gem stones.
Some tools that are non-magnetic and are lightweight are made out of beryllium copper alloys.
Beryllium can also be found in the tweeters of high end speaker sytems.
Beryllium also can be found in dental alloys.