chrysoberyl

American  

[kris-uh-ber-uhl] / ˈkrɪs əˌbɛr əl /

noun

1. a mineral, beryllium aluminate, BeAl 2 O 4 , occurring in green or yellow crystals, sometimes used as a gem.

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chrysoberyl British  

/ ˈkrɪsəˌbɛrɪl /

noun

1. a rare very hard greenish-yellow mineral consisting of beryllium aluminate in orthorhombic crystalline form and occurring in coarse granite: used as a gemstone in the form of cat's eye and alexandrite. Formula: BeAl 2 O 4

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Etymology

Origin of chrysoberyl

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin chrȳsoberyllus < Greek chrȳsobḗryllos, equivalent to chrȳso- chryso- + bḗryllos beryl

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chrysoberyl

He leisurely unfastened the great chrysoberyl, big as a hen's egg, which adorned his fillet.

From Domnei A Comedy of Woman-Worship by James Branch Cabell

Ruby and sapphire are scratched by diamond alone, while chrysoberyl, topaz and spinel scratch all the remaining stones, although they do themselves yield to the scratch of ruby and sapphire.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 1082, September 26, 1896 by Various

Other precious stones found in Brazil are the topaz, ruby aquamarine, tourmaline, chrysoberyl, garnet and amethyst.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 4 "Bradford, William" to "Brequigny, Louis" by Various

The term chrysolite is also sometimes incorrectly used for the greenish-yellow chrysoberyl.

From A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public by Frank Bertram Wade

Passing on to the next mineral in the scale of hardness we come to chrysoberyl, which is rated as 81⁄2 on Mohs's scale.

From A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public by Frank Bertram Wade