Red beryl is one of the rarest minerals in the world. Because it is so rare, red beryl is about 1000 times more valuable than gold. Read the passage that describes how red beryl forms. Use the information to draw an inference about why red beryl has been found in only four places on Earth.


It takes several steps for red beryl to form. First, a volcano with lava rich in topaz rhyolite erupts. Volcanoes with this type of lava have been found only in the United States, Mexico, Russia, and Mongolia. If the lava cools at just the right speed — not too quickly and not too slowly — it will shrink and form large gaps. The gaps fill with hot volcanic gases rich in beryllium, a rare element. Over time, surface water seeps into the cracks and reacts with the gases, forming red beryl crystals.