Although BeO ceramic (Thermalox® 995, Materion Co.) is today probably the most important alternative material to widely-used Al₂O₃:C in optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dosimetry, the underlying OSL mechanism in BeO is not yet well-understood and contradictions in the thermoluminescence (TL) and OSL data interpretation remain. The recent discovery of thermally transferred OSL (TT-OSL) in BeO offers a new piece to this puzzle, potentially resolving the existing contradictions. The objective of this work is to show how the discovery of the TT-OSL changes our understanding of the luminescence mechanisms in BeO, leading to a more complete model for the luminescence in this material. Previously knowledge on the TL and OSL data on BeO is briefly reviewed highlighting the existing contradictions. This is followed by an explanation of the TT-OSL in this material and how these new data leads to a more complete model for the BeO luminescence. New data are presented on the detailed charge balance to support the proposed model.