An ancient name for a golden-yellow or greenish gemstone, now typically referring to olivine or peridot with a golden color.
From Greek chrysos (gold) + lithos (stone). This name directly translates as 'gold stone,' and it's been used since ancient times to describe yellow-green gemstones prized for jewelry and decoration.
Chrysolite appears in the Bible and ancient Greek texts as a precious gemstone, but modern scientists figured out it was actually olivine—the same mineral found in the dark rocks that make up much of Earth's mantle, so basically we've been calling fancy mantle rocks 'gold stones' for 3,000 years!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.