cornelian
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What is cornelian? Cornelian is an alternate spelling of what’s more commonly called carnelian, a reddish gemstone. It is a variety of chalcedony, a type of quartz. It varies from semi-opaque to translucent, and it can be various shades of red or amber. When it is variegated or banded (meaning the stone shows stripes of white), it is sometimes called agate. It is considered a semiprecious gemstone, which is a label applied to gemstones that have a lesser value than those deemed precious. However, it is not commonly seen in fine jewelry and can be quite inexpensive. It is typically formed into a shape known as a cabochon, which is polished but not cut into facets. These are often used as beads in necklaces and bracelets. It is one of the traditional birthstones for the month of August (though in the UK it is considered one of the birthstones for the month of July). The word can also refer to a color—a shade of dark reddish-brown, like that of the gemstone. Example: The ancient pendant was made from a striking piece of banded cornelian.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pink mother-of-pearl earrings, ocean-hued amazonite bracelets and flame-tinged cornelian rings are all in full bloom in this versatile collection.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2025
The pale green in color is most desirable; a cup of cornelian red, very tiny, was 145 yen; a small figure of a lion, beautifully carved, 175 yen.
From My Trip Around the World August, 1895-May, 1896 by Hunt, Eleonora
After Captain Maxwell had given his present, the Prince turned to me, and I put over his neck a cornelian ornament, suspended by a ribbon, in the same manner as the thermometer.
From Account of a Voyage of Discovery to the West Coast of Corea, and the Great Loo-Choo Island by Hall, Basil
With noise of bell and cymbal, they ran leaping through an enchanted Piccadilly seen in amber or cornelian.
From Carnival by MacKenzie, Compton
Among them was a man’s seal-ring with a crest cut in a cornelian.
From The Valiants of Virginia by Rives, Hallie Erminie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
