rubellite

[roo-bel-ahyt, roo-buh-lahyt]

noun

a deep-red variety of tourmaline, used as a gem.

Origin of rubellite

1790–1800; < Latin rubell(us) reddish (see rubella) + -ite¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for rubellite

Historical Examples of rubellite

Tourmaline of the reddish variety (rubellite) is seldom of a deep red.
A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public
Frank Bertram Wade
The red of the rubellite should not deceive anyone who has ever seen a fine corundum ruby.
A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public
Frank Bertram Wade
Red tourmaline is, however, sometimes called "rubellite," and white tourmaline has been called "achroite."
A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public
Frank Bertram Wade

British Dictionary definitions for rubellite

rubellite

noun

a red transparent variety of tourmaline, used as a gemstone

Word Origin for rubellite

C18: from Latin rubellus reddish

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012