Beryl, Beryllium, Bertrandite Serve Technology Well
By the 1950s, the metal had become vital for a variety of high-tech applications. Historically, beryllium's sole source was beryl [beryllium aluminum silicate, Be3Al2Si6O18], which was obtained only from a small number of granite pegmatites. But most of these were already mined out, and the United States was forced to import beryl.