water sapphiren.

1698 J. Fryer New Acct. E.-India & Persia 215 There are three sorts, one perfect Blue, and very hard... The second is perfect White, and very hard... The third, called Water-Saphires, are of small Esteem, being not so hard as the other, and commonly of a dead Waterish Colour.

1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Sapphire The soft Water-Saphirs of Bohemia and Silesia are of some Account, though far inferior to the Oriental ones.

1850 D. T. Ansted Elem. Course Geol. §409 It [Iolite] is also called Cordierite and Water sapphire, the latter name being given by jewellers to a variety from Ceylon, which presents different colours in two directions.

1925 E. H. Kraus & E. F. Holden Gems & Gem Materials ii. 165 Ceylon is the most important locality, and the gems from that country have sometimes been called saphir d'eau, or ‘water sapphire’.

1936 H. P. Whitlock Story of Gems 175 Iolite. This silicate of magnesium, aluminium and iron is better known as water-sapphire (saphir d'eau).

1979 C. S. Hurlbut & G. S. Switzer Gemology xiii. 182/2 Iolite is the sapphire-blue gem variety of the mineral known by mineralogists as cordierite... ‘Water sapphire’, or ‘saphir d'eau’ are misleading names early applied to the gem.

2009 A. Matlins & A. C. Bonanno Jewelry & Gems (ed. 7) xv. 186 Iolite..is sometimes called dichroite, and in its sapphire blue color is sometimes referred to as water sapphire or lynx sapphire.

1788 W. Nicholson tr. L.-J.-M. Daubenton in tr. A.-F. de Fourcroy Elements Nat. Hist. & Chem. I. 242 (table) Transparent Quartz, Rock Crystal..Varieties..blue. Water Sapphire.

1829 Chapters Physical Sci. 171 The blue variety of rock crystal, called water sapphire.

1888 Encycl. Brit. XVI. 385/2 When perfectly devoid of colour, they are called Water Sapphires.

1904 Ceylon Jrnl. Sci.: Zool. & Geol. b. 65 Topaz.—Colourless, erroneously called water sapphire; rarely yellow; pale sea-green, cut as aquamarine... Cordierite.—Blue, the true water-sapphire.