A variant or archaic spelling of chalcedony; a translucent mineral variety of quartz often used in jewelry and decorative arts.
From Latin 'chalcedonius,' derived from the place name Chalcedon in ancient Asia Minor. The '-ony' ending is a phonetic variant of the standard '-dony' spelling.
Medieval merchants treasured chalcedony/calcedony for its dreamy translucence, and it appears in Biblical descriptions of precious stones—this humble quartz was a status symbol for centuries!
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