Almandin

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A deep red variety of garnet, valued as a gemstone and often cut into beads or polished for jewellery
2. A dark red gem belonging to the garnet family, prized in jewelry for its rich colour and brilliance
3. A rich red mineral of the garnet group, used as a gemstone and sometimes as an abrasive material

Etymology: The garnet variety now called almandine takes its name from a town rather than from any property of the stone. Its older form, "alabandine," came from Latin "alabandina," which pointed back to Alabanda, a town in Caria, a region of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The mineral was found near there, and the place name became the name of the stone. Over time the word was worn down by speakers and writers into "almandine," which is the form most dictionaries now use. The spelling "almandin" is an alternative version of the same term, shorter and simpler, but referring to the same deep red garnet.

Synonyms: almandine