hessonite

[ hes-uh-nahyt ]

/ ˈhɛs əˌnaɪt /

essonite.

Origin of hessonite

< Greek hēsson- (stem of hḗssōn) less, inferior + -ite¹

Hessonite garnet, the cinnamon stone or "hyacinth" (incorrect) of the trade, comes mainly from Ceylon.

A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public |Frank Bertram Wade
Hessonite is rather a soft stone, its hardness being about that of quartz or 7, whilst the hardness of most garnet reaches 7.5.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 4 |Various
Hessonite garnet furnishes yellowish-red and brownish-red stones, which are sometimes also called "cinnamon stones."

A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public |Frank Bertram Wade
Certain stones, notably the peridot (or chrysolite) and the hessonite (or cinnamon stone), have an oily luster.

A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public |Frank Bertram Wade

The hessonite garnets are frequently brownish red and are sometimes called "cinnamon stones."

A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public |Frank Bertram Wade

hessonite

/ (ˈhɛsəˌnaɪt) /

an orange-brown variety of grossularite garnet Also called: essonite, cinnamon stone

C19: from French, from Greek hēssōn less, inferior + -ite 1; so called because it is less hard than genuine hyacinth