Antique jewelry glossary

Welcome to our extensive antique jewelry glossary with around 1,500 jewelry related entries.If you feel you are missing an explanation, feel free to let us know and we will add it.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z     all

Chrysolite

A variety of olivine that is yellowish-green. However, the name has been applied confusingly to various stones and it has been recommended that its use be discontinued; it was originally applied to any yellow stone, later it has been used as a misnomer in such compound names as 'Oriental chrysolite' (for yellow-green sapphire and yellowish-green chrysoberyl), 'Brazilian chrysolite' (for pale green chrysoberyl), 'Saxony chrysolite' (for greenish-yellow topaz), 'Syberian chrysolite' (for andradite), 'Ceylon chrysolite' (for tourmaline), and 'aquamarine chrysolite' (for beryl), and in the United States it has been used as a synonym for olivine and peridot. The stone resembles diopside. The name is derived from Greek chrysos (gold) and lithos (stone).

From: An Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry, autor: Harold Newman, publishers: Thames and Hudson