For those of you new to the world of jewelry gemstones or for seasoned jewelry lovers, let me offer some tips about how to pronounce “chalcedony” correctly. It took me years of gemstone shopping to get the pronunciation of this family of beautiful stones right. Even now, I say it phonetically while spelling it out or writing it down. And occasionally, I still accent the wrong syl-LA-ble while saying it to myself late at night and tired. Don’t let this happen to you. Take in these pronunciation tips and you won’t sound silly when shopping for your favorite gemstones in the jewelry stores, rock shops, and gem shows.
Chalcedony
Pronunciation Tip #1: accent the second syllable, not the first.
Pronunciation Tip #2: pronounce “chal” like cal in California, not like chal in challenge.
Pronunciation Tip #3: say the “c” in “ced” like the hisssssssss of a steaming tea kettle.
Pronunciation Tip #4: ignore the “o” altogether.
All together now: say three simple words, cal SAID knee.
You’ll sound like a pro and now you’re an expert pronunciator. I’ll be back with more news about
cal-SAID-knee, but watch for it in print as c h a l c e d o n y.
Lorraine writes about a wide variety of gemstones and jewelry. Click HERE for a list of related articles. Click on subscribe at the top of the page for notices to upcoming articles.
Comments
Now I won't make a fool of myself asking for this beautiful gemstone! Informative and interesting!
Nice. ;-)
Lol, I would have made a fool out of myself! Great info :)
Good to know!
I'm surprised that I actually have been saying it correctly all this time. I tend to butcher words a lot.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!