Occurrences and genesis of emerald and other beryls mineralization in Egypt: A review

Abstract

Beryl and others gem varieties represent the most valuable gemstones due to their good appearance and high hardness (after diamond and ruby). Beryl is a rare mineral due to lack of Be abundance in the upper continental crust. The present work aims to state the occurrences, chemistry, fluid inclusions and genesis of Egyptian emerald and other beryls mineralization. They are recorded in the South Eastern Desert (Zabara-Um Kabu, Homret Akarem- Homret Mikpid) and south Sinai (Ghazala and Sidri) in addition to less significant concentrations in the central Eastern Desert (Igla, Abu Dabbab, Nuweibi and Mueilha granitic rocks). Among all of the Egyptian beryls, Homret Akarem beryl has the highest SiO2 (65.49 wt%), Al2O3 (16.52 wt%), FeO (1.5 wt%) contents. All the recorded beryl and emerald in the Eastern Desert and Sinai are sodic. Emerald and others beryl mineralization of Egypt are found to be formed in tectonic magmatic-related (where beryl is disseminated in tectonic related alkali feldspar granite as a result of Be-bearing fluids from a hidden-granitic intrusion as in Wadi Ghazala, Homret Mikpid and Homret Akarem) and into tectonic metamorphic-related (where emerald and other beryls are formed in mica schists as a result of Be-bearing fluids from tectonic related (Nugrus thrust and related shear zones as in Zabara-Um Kabu district); where muscovite leucogranite and its related pegmatites and quartz veins intrude and interact with Cr, V-bearing mafic-ultramafic rocks).