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USGS MRP Coloring Page Bertrandite

By Mineral Resources Program
Coloring page featuring the critical mineral beryllium and its ore mineral bertrandite.
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Detailed Description

USGS MRP Coloring Page Bertrandite

The mineral bertrandite, chemical formula Be4Si2O7(OH)2, is the primary source for the critical mineral beryllium. Fun fact: the only beryllium mine in the United States is Spor Mountain, Utah.

Powerful telescopes like the James Webb Space Scope use beryllium metal for their mirrors. Be-Cu alloys are important for electronics like smartphones, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), high-definition (HD) televisions, and thermostats. Military targeting systems also need beryllium.

Pictured is a sample of bertrandite with patches (gray) and veins (black lines) of fluorite (CaF2).

[1] About the 2025 List of Critical Minerals | U.S. Geological Survey

[2] mcs2025.pdf - Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025

[3] Beryllium

[4] Beryllium -- Important for National Defense U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet

Sources/Usage

Public Domain.

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Beryllium Beryllium

Beryllium is a mineral commodity that is used in a variety of industries to make products that are essential for the smooth functioning of a modern society. Two minerals, bertrandite (which is supplied domestically) and beryl (which is currently supplied solely by imports), are necessary to ensure a stable supply of high-purity beryllium metal, alloys, and metal-matrix composites and...
Authors
Nora K. Foley, Brian W. Jaskula, Nadine M. Piatak, Ruth F. Schulte
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, National Minerals Information Center

Beryllium—A critical mineral commodity—Resources, production, and supply chain Beryllium—A critical mineral commodity—Resources, production, and supply chain

Beryllium is a lightweight metallic element used in a wide variety of specialty and industrial applications. As a function of its unique chemical and physical properties, such as a high stiffness-to-weight ratio, resistance to temperature extremes, and high thermal conductivity, beryllium cannot be easily replaced by substitute materials in applications where combinations of these...
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Graham W. Lederer, Nora K. Foley, Brian W. Jaskula, Robert A. Ayuso
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Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, National Minerals Information Center

Beryllium--important for national defense Beryllium--important for national defense

Beryllium is one of the lightest and stiffest metals, but there was little industrial demand for it until the 1930s and 1940s when the aerospace, defense, and nuclear sectors began using beryllium and its compounds. Beryllium is now classified by the U.S. Department of Defense as a strategic and critical material because it is used in products that are vital to national security. The...
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