The McConnell Beryl occurrence is located approximately 9 kilometres east of Dortatelle Peak (Property File - Canadian Superior Exploration Limited, Maps from Company Files, c. 1973).

The occurrence is hosted in pegmatitic dikes cutting Upper Triassic Takla Group volcanics metamorphosed by the Early Jurassic Hogem batholith (the batholith has recently been re-defined as part of the Hogem Plutonic Suite). To the west lies the north trending Dortatelle fault. Smaller faults in the area trend northwest.

The Takla Formation in the area consists of intermediate flows and tuffs, interbedded with minor amounts of calcareous fragmental and clastic sedimentary rocks. The Hogem batholith, in this area, is reported to be a coarse-grained granite. Within the contact areas, both volcanic and intrusive rock are cut by pegmatite and aplite dikes, and quartz veins.

Large megacrysts (up to 2 centimetres) of pale green beryl occur within pegmatitic dikes scattered throughout the granitic masses and surrounding volcanic rocks. The pegmatites contain pink and white feldspars, quartz, mica and minor amounts of red-brown garnet, beryl and pyrite (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 251). The dikes are more common near the contact between the granitic body and the surrounding schistose and gneissic volcanic rocks.

The McConnell Beryl occurrence was discovered during a Geological Survey of Canada mapping program prior to 1948, under the direction of C.S. Lord. Lord published the survey's findings as Memoir 251 in 1948.