What is "balas ruby"

Balas ruby \Bal"as ru`by\ [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.

n. (context archaic English) (alternative form of balas-ruby English)

n. a pale rose-colored variety of the ruby spinel [syn: balas]