*balas ruby*

[ OE. bales, balais, F. balais, LL. balascus, fr. Ar. balakhsh, so called from Badakhshan, Balashan, or Balaxiam, a place in the neighborhood of Samarkand, where this ruby is found. ] (Min.) A variety of spinel ruby, of a pale rose red, or inclining to orange. See Spinel. [ 1913 Webster ]