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

Some of these approach the chrysoberyl and topaz in hardness and hue.

From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science Volume 11, No. 27, June, 1873 by Various

On the apex is a topaz 1 10-16ths inch in length, and 9-16ths of an inch in depth, shaped like a horseshoe; in the centre of the horseshoe the great chrysoberyl cat's-eye stands upright.

From Our Cats and All About Them Their Varieties, Habits, and Management; and for Show, the Standard of Excellence and Beauty; Described and Pictured by Weir, Harrison

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 Wade, Frank Bertram

After chrysoberyl come the materials rated as about 8 in hardness.

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

The ancient stone was not improbably our chrysoberyl, and it is doubtful whether the modern chrysoprase was known until a comparatively late period.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3 "Chitral" to "Cincinnati" by Various