| 释义 |
water sapphire
[Cf. saphir d'eau.]
a. A colourless variety of native sapphire (sense 1 b).
b. A type of clear blue quartz (quot. 1829).
c. = saphir d'eau.
1698[see sapphire 1 b]. 1727–41Chambers Cycl. s.v., The soft water-sapphires of Bohemia and Silesia are of some account, though far inferior to the oriental ones..in the brightness of their blue. 1829Chapters Phys. Sci. 171 The blue variety of rock crystal, called water sapphire. 1850Ansted Elem. Geol., Min. etc. §409 It [Iolite] is also called Cordierite and Water sapphire, the latter name being given by jewellers to a variety from Ceylon, which presents different colours in two directions. 1888Encycl. Brit. XVI. 385/2 When perfectly devoid of colour, they are called Water Sapphires. 1925,1936[see saphir d'eau]. 1979Hurlbut & Switzer Gemology xiii. 182/2 Iolite is the sapphire-blue gem variety of the mineral known by mineralogists as cordierite... ‘Water sapphire’, or ‘saphir d'eau’ are misleading names early applied to the gem. |