α. 1600s rubacel, 1600s rubacell, 1700s–1800s rubacelle.
β. 1700s–1800s rubicel, 1700s–1800s rubicell, 1700s– rubicelle.
rubicellen.
/ˈruːbɪsɛl/, U.S. /ˈrubəˌsɛl/ Mineralogy.
A variety of spinel of a yellow or orange-red colour; (with plural) a stone of this variety.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > gem or precious stone > spinel > [noun]
balas1414
spinel1528
spinelle1555
espinel?1590
balas-ruby1596
rubicelle1653
spinel ruby1668
ruby spinel1796
spinelle ruby1802
sapphirine1883
taaffeite1951
1653 T. Nicols Arcula Gemmea 62 It is doubted whether the Rubaces and Rubacells belong to the Spinels or Hyacinths, for they seem to have a mixt colour of both.
1671 E. Phillips New World of Words (new ed.) Rubace, and Rubacel, the name of a pretious stone that hath usually a kind of yellowish colour about the extremities of it.
1748 J. Hill Gen. Nat. Hist. I. 590 They also know two other Stones under the same general name of Rubies, calling them the Rock Ruby and the Rubacelle; but these are not of the Ruby kind.
1802 A. F. M. Willich Domest. Encycl. III. 512/1 The rubicell is of a reddish-yellow, and is..obtained from the Brazils.
1842 J. A. St. John Hist. Manners Anc. Greece III. vi. iii. 149 The rubacelle whose glowing red is dashed with a cast of yellow.
1856 J. D. Dana Min. (ed. 3) 130 Jewellers..call the paler ones, balas ruby; and those which incline to an orange tint, they denominate rubicelle.
1897 Edinb. Rev. Oct. 342 Several other colours are distinguished, as for instance the rubicelle.
1936 H. P. Whitlock Story of Gems (1942) viii. 105 Beside the red varieties mentioned above, the Ceylon gravels furnish spinels colored orange red by iron oxide, and known as rubicelles.
2008 D. Morgan Fire & Blood iv. 47 The ruby belonging to this class was the rubicelle, a yellow/orange/brown ruby or spinel.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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