Forms: 5– balas; also 5 balace, -ase, -ess, -is, -eys, 6 bales, -ays, ballass, -ais, 6–8 balasse, 6–9 balass, ballas, 7 -ase, -eys, balais, (ballest). [a. OF. balais, balai, cogn. with Pr. balays, balach, It. balascio, Sp. balax, med.L. balascus (Marco Polo), balascius, -asius, ad. Arab. balakhsh, f. Pers. Badakhshān, the district near Sarmacand where they are found.] A delicate rose-red variety of the spinel ruby.
1414. Test. Ebor. (1836), I. 363. Unum annulum de auro, cum uno balase.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., II. xxvii. Grete balas lemyng as the fyre.
1439. E. E. Wills (1882), 118. My Noych with my Baleys.
1494. Fabyan, VII. 540. Dyamantys, rubyes and balessys.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., III. 801/1. A great bauderike about his necke of great balasses.
1877. W. Jones, Finger-ring, L. 247. Sapphires, balasses, diamonds.
b. Now usually balas-ruby.
1596. Danett, Comines Hist. Fr. (1614), 279. Fowerteene Rubies ballais.
1611. Cotgr., Ballay, a balleys Rubie.
1623. Jas. I., in Four C. Eng. Lett., 46. The collar of great ballest rubies.
1822. Scott, Nigel, v. A carcanet of large balas rubies.
1874. Westropp, Prec. Stones, 18. The balas ruby is of a delicate rose-pink colour, showing a blue tint when looked through.
