funny gem malapropisms?

[velouriaL]

The other day, I commented on a woman's rather nice golden yellow gem earrings, and she told me that they were "Yellow Alexandrites" and that they changed color from brownish yellow to greenish yellow. Yellow Alexandrite? Uh-huh. Okay. But then I thought, I love a chrysobery, but I have wondered if they'd be more marketable with a better name.

Anyway, have you heard any funny euphemisms or malapropisms for gems? My mom once told me about someone referring to a "canary ruby," which was probably a corundum...

 

[VapidLapid]

The other day, I commented on a woman's rather nice golden yellow gem earrings, and she told me that they were "Yellow Alexandrites" and that they changed color from brownish yellow to greenish yellow. Yellow Alexandrite? Uh-huh. Okay. But then I thought, I love a chrysobery, but I have wondered if they'd be more marketable with a better name.

Anyway, have you heard any funny euphemisms or malapropisms for gems? My mom once told me about someone referring to a "canary ruby," which was probably a corundum...

or a conundrum. green amethyst is one that gets to me. Whenever I see "mahenge" it looks like mengele to me. Now that's malapropos .

 

[jstarfireb]

Mystic fire topaz is a lot more marketable than treated/coated topaz...or tanzanite as opposed to zoisite...

 

[Largosmom]

Argentine Silver for Argentium Silver...

 

[klewis]

Along these lines, my colleague thought tsavorite was so named because it was a favourite of the Tzars

 

[VapidLapid]

Im inclined to put Black Moonstone in this section.

 

[LD]

Demented Garnet - the mad form of Demantoid

 

[klewis]

Demented Garnet - the mad form of Demantoid

That would be a great screen-name

 

[Richard M.]

After years in the gem business I'm still waiting to see my first "flourescent" gem. Are they found in bakeries?

Richard M. (Rick Martin)

 

[VapidLapid]

The flourescent gems, much like their crescent roll cousins, are a light, buttery drop-shaped fare. They have a mysterious, evanescent scent that can only be detected in UV light.

 

[Richard M.]

The flourescent gems, much like their crescent roll cousins, are a light, buttery drop-shaped fare. They have a mysterious, evanescent scent that can only be detected in UV light.

Dang! I think I ate one for breakfast today

 

[Barrett]

silver topaz...can't stand the term "silver topaz"

 

[klewis]

After years in the gem business I'm still waiting to see my first "flourescent" gem. Are they found in bakeries?

Richard M. (Rick Martin)

This is a fluorescent gem with flour inclusions

 

[T L]

Everytime someone calls a padapradscha a pad, I think about sanitary pads. It drives me bonkers

 

[Arkteia]

Along these lines, my colleague thought tsavorite was so named because it was a favourite of the Tzars

Believe me or not, I thought the same! Although I knew there were not tsavorites mined in Russia, there were so many weird histories connected with the tzars, I thought it was just one more. It was sort of disappointing to find out that it was just a park.
TL - I do call padparacha a "pad", because "padparacha" is a romantic, almost erotic word... And to hear "Beryllium-treated padparacha"... better call it a pad.
I always thought that "moldavite" was named after "Moldavia" ("Moldova").
And dear PS-ers, can anyone explaint to me once and forever - are "Bohemian" garnets really garnets, or just pieces of colored glass?
And honestly - I think that "5-ct gold" is clearly a marketing term!

 

[jstarfireb]

Along the same lines as padparadscha, it irks me a little when people market spinels or garnets or some other stone as "padparadscha." I don't even like them that much, but I think the term should only apply to sapphires.

 

[VapidLapid]

Along the same lines as padparadscha, it irks me a little when people market spinels or garnets or some other stone as "padparadscha." I don't even like them that much, but I think the term should only apply to sapphires.

+1

 

[Richard M.]

This is a fluorescent gem with flour inclusions

Ah, so that's what they are. Whole wheat or white?

 

[Richard M.]

Along the same lines as padparadscha, it irks me a little when people market spinels or garnets or some other stone as "padparadscha." I don't even like them that much, but I think the term should only apply to sapphires.

It's only an attempt to describe color. The problem is that no one on Earth agrees on exactly what color a padparadscha sapphire is! But we know it has to come from Sri Lanka!

 

[Indylady]

Along the same lines as padparadscha, it irks me a little when people market spinels or garnets or some other stone as "padparadscha." I don't even like them that much, but I think the term should only apply to sapphires.

+1

+2

 

[chictomato]

Everytime someone calls a padapradscha a pad, I think about sanitary pads. It drives me bonkers

Haha I thought so too!

But I still prefer to call it pad, Padparadscha is simply too lloooonnggg to spell correctly.. (btw did you just misspell it? or was it me?? hee)

 

[chrono]

OMG! I’m cracking up here. Thank you for a good hearty laugh as I needed a healthy dose of it this morning to counteract the rough weekend I had.

 

[Kismet]

Not a colored stone story, but I was reading a description of an antique diamond pendant and the seller stated that SI3 clarity rating means that there are 3 slight inclusions.

 

[T L]

Everytime someone calls a padapradscha a pad, I think about sanitary pads. It drives me bonkers

Haha I thought so too!

But I still prefer to call it pad, Padparadscha is simply too lloooonnggg to spell correctly.. (btw did you just misspell it? or was it me?? hee)

I vote we change the name completely and call it orange-pink sapphire. That doesn't sound like an exotic marketing term though.

 

[Pandora II]

Strictly speaking it should be 'padmaraga' (Sinhala - padma = lotus, raga = colour) pronouced pad-ma-raj-a

Padparadscha is a german spelling for padmaraga as the 'j' sound in german is 'dsch'.

 

[LD]

This is a fluorescent gem with flour inclusions

Ah, so that's what they are. Whole wheat or white?

Don't know but it gives me indigestion.

 

[LD]

Along the same lines as padparadscha, it irks me a little when people market spinels or garnets or some other stone as "padparadscha." I don't even like them that much, but I think the term should only apply to sapphires.

+1

+2

AND why do people spell it Podporadscha, Padarascha and all such nonsense? Drives me insane.

 

[Treenbean]

Geez as a newbie I make a lot of the mistakes that annoy you all

Crasru: Bohemian garnets are pyrope garnets, I have a really pretty halo'd pair of bohemian earrings that are rose cut.

http://www.bohemian-garnet-jewelry.com/introduction.html

 

[Largosmom]

AND why do people spell it Podporadscha, Padarascha and all such nonsense? Drives me insane.

I diagnose pad-dyslexic misspelling induced insanity (PDMII).

LD, you must admit, however, that Padparadscha is nearly the most difficult word to spell (next to floury fluorescent which I can only spell properly with a spell checker despite the fact I use it regularly).

The sure-fire cure for PDMII is to stare into the depths of a pink or orange gemstone for at least 15 minutes while breathing deeply.

 

[T L]

Along the same lines as padparadscha, it irks me a little when people market spinels or garnets or some other stone as "padparadscha." I don't even like them that much, but I think the term should only apply to sapphires.

+1

+2

AND why do people spell it Podporadscha, Padarascha and all such nonsense? Drives me insane.

Well, at least I could live with the short version, "pod" vs "pad"