diamant

Borrowed from French and Old French diamant.


perla

Unknown, probably based on Vulgar Latin *pernula, diminutive of Latin perna, a kind of oyster. Cognate with Italian perla, French perle and Spanish perla.


ocre

Learned borrowing from Late Latin ochra, from Ancient Greek ὠχρός (ōkhrós, “yellow”). The spelling with -e is due to influence from French ocre.


ocre

ca-adj

ocre m or f (masculine and feminine plural ocres)


marbre

Inherited from Old Catalan marbre, from Latin marmor, from Ancient Greek μάρμαρος (mármaros). Compare Occitan marbre~marme.


creta

Borrowed from Latin creta. Doublet of greda.

chalk (a soft, white, powdery limestone)


safir

Borrowed from Latin sapphīrus, from Ancient Greek σάπφειρος (sáppheiros).


cinabri

From Latin cinnabaris. First attested in 1839.


guix

Inherited from Latin gypsum. First attested in 1309. Cognates include Italian gesso and Spanish yeso.

gypsum (a mineral consisting of hydrated calcium sulphate)


mena

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *mīna, *mēna, from Gaulish *meina (“mineral, ore”). Doublet of mina. First attested in 1185.


ambre

Borrowed from Arabic عَنْبَر (ʕanbar, “ambergris”).


granat

Named after the pomegranate fruit. Derived from granar. Cf. granada and magrana. Compare also French grenat.


topazi

Borrowed from Latin topazius, from Ancient Greek τόπαζος (tópazos).


malaquita

(mineralogy) malachite (bright green mineral)


moscovita

ca-adj

moscovita m or f (masculine and feminine plural moscovites)


moscovita

ca-noun

moscovita m or f by sense (plural moscovites)


selenita

Borrowed from Latin selēnītēs, from Ancient Greek σεληνῑ́της (selēnī́tēs).


joia

→ Sicilian: gioja

Inherited from Old Catalan joiell, borrowed from Old French joiel, from Vulgar Latin *jocale (“graceful object”), from Latin iocus (“game; playing; joke”).


pirita

Borrowed from Latin pȳritēs, from Ancient Greek πυρίτης λίθος (purítēs líthos, “stone of fire, flint”).

πυρίτης λίθος


espècie

Borrowed from Latin species (“appearance, type”).


àcid

ca-adj

àcid (feminine àcida, masculine plural àcids, feminine plural àcides)

àcida (feminine)
àcids (masculine plural)
àcides (feminine plural)

Borrowed from Latin acidus (“sour, tart”).

bor+

(mineralogy) acidic (containing a high proportion of silica)


heliotropi

Learned borrowing from Latin hēliotropium.


drusa

Borrowed from French druse, from German Druse.


alabastre

Probably borrowed from Latin alabastrum, from Ancient Greek ἀλάβαστρος (alábastros).


acícula

Learned borrowing from Latin acicula (“hairpin”).

(mineralogy) a slender tapering needle characteristic of an acicular crystal habitat


maragda

Borrowed from Latin smaragdus, or from Ancient Greek σμάραγδος (smáragdos), of Semitic origin.


esmaragda

Inherited from Latin smaragdus, from Ancient Greek σμάραγδος (smáragdos). See maragda.


òpal

Learned borrowing from Latin opalus, from Byzantine Greek ὀπάλλιος (opállios), from Sanskrit उपल (upala, “gem, stone”).


turmalina

tourmaline (a black, semi-precious gemstone)


diamantífer

ca-adj

diamantífer (feminine diamantífera, masculine plural diamantífers, feminine plural diamantíferes)

diamantífera (feminine)
diamantífers (masculine plural)
diamantíferes (feminine plural)

(mineralogy) diamondiferous (containing diamonds, of ore)


esmeril

Ultimately from Ancient Greek σμύρις (smúris), possibly via Italian smeriglio.


sílex

Borrowed from Latin silex (“pebble, flint”). Doublet of sílice.


quars

Borrowed from French quartz, from German Quarz.


àgata

From Latin achātēs, from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓χᾱ́της (ăkhā́tēs).


desgast

ca-noun

desgast m (plural desgasts or desgastos)

war of attrition


aluminífer

ca-adj

aluminífer (feminine aluminífera, masculine plural aluminífers, feminine plural aluminíferes)

aluminífera (feminine)
aluminífers (masculine plural)
aluminíferes (feminine plural)

(mineralogy) aluminiferous (containing aluminum, of ore)


titanífer

titanífer (feminine titanífera, masculine plural titanífers, feminine plural titaníferes)

titanífera (feminine)
titanífers (masculine plural)
titaníferes (feminine plural)

(mineralogy) titaniferous (containing titanium, of ore)


pirop

Learned borrowing from Late Latin pyrōpus, from Ancient Greek πυρωπός (purōpós, “fire-colored”)


pumicita

Borrowed from Latin pūmex (“pumice”) + -ita, from Latin -īta, -ītēs.


argentífer

ca-adj

argentífer (feminine argentífera, masculine plural argentífers, feminine plural argentíferes)

argentífera (feminine)
argentífers (masculine plural)
argentíferes (feminine plural)

(mineralogy) argentiferous (containing or producing silver, of ore)


jaspi

Borrowed from Latin iaspis, from Ancient Greek ἴασπις (íaspis).


balaix

From Arabic بَلَخْش (balaḵš) (possibly via Old French balais), from Persian بلخش (balaxš), a form of بدخش (badaxš, “balas”), related to بدخشان (badaxšân, “Badakhshan”), the region where they are found.

balas-ruby (transparent pink variety of spinel)


anisòtrop

anisòtrop (feminine anisòtropa, masculine plural anisòtrops, feminine plural anisòtropes)

anisòtropa (feminine)
anisòtrops (masculine plural)
anisòtropes (feminine plural)


atzabeja

[ə.d͡zəˈβɛ.ʒə]

[ə.d͡zəˈbə.ʒə]

Borrowed from Arabic السَّبَج (as-sabaj).


corindó

Borrowed from French corindon, from Tamil குருந்தம் (kuruntam).


grossulària

From New Latin grossularia (“gooseberry”), from the green colour of one of its variants.