A precious stone or gem of uncertain identification, mentioned in medieval texts as a reddish or glowing stone.
From Medieval Latin 'chiereta' or similar forms, possibly related to Old French sources. The exact etymology is obscure, and the stone's actual identity has been lost to modern lapidaries. It may derive from an old language referring to its color or properties.
Medieval gemstones with vague descriptions like 'chierete' remind us that before modern geology, people named stones based on folklore and hearsay—sometimes the same stone had five different names, and sometimes completely fictional stones lived in literature for centuries!
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