Brilliants

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of gemstone that is cut to enhance its brilliance and reflectivity
2. A term for a specific way of cutting diamonds or other precious stones, maximizing light performance
3. Describing sparkling or exceptionally bright qualities in various contexts, often related to gemstones or ideas

Etymology: The cut is named after a word that originally described a light-catching quality rather than a stone: "brilliant" came into English in the late 17th century from French "brillant", the present participle of "briller", meaning "to shine". The "brillant" in French and the Italian verb "brillare" that lies behind it are often traced back to the Latin "berillus", a beryl or gem, which in turn came from the Greek "bḗrullos". Whether the Italian verb really grew out of that gem name is uncertain, so the connection between "shine" and "beryl" should be treated as a possibility rather than settled fact. The stone-cutting sense followed the adjective's meaning of sparkling and luminous. The plural "brilliants" is the form of "brilliant" used for the cut itself, and the same word also served for a gem cut in this way, so the noun inherited its brightness from the adjective rather than from the stone's name.

Synonyms: gems, diamonds, jewels, precious stones, sparkles

Antonyms: dullness, drabness, blandness, mediocrity, ordinariness