lumachella Min.
(l(j)uːməˈkɛlə)
Also 8 lumachelli, 9 lumachel, lumachelle, lumachello.
[a. It. lumachella little snail, f. lumaca snail. Cf. F. lumachelle.]
A dark-coloured compact limestone containing shells which frequently emit fire-like reflections; fire-marble.
| 1784 Kirwan Min. 30 Marbles..which abound in petrifactions are called lumachellis. 1791 Ibid. (ed. 2) I. 116 The marble called Lumachelli, found at Bleyberg in Carinthia. 1804 Phil. Trans. XCIV. 386 The shells forming the lumachella of Bleyberg, which still possess the lustre and iridescence of their original nacre. 1850 Dana Min. 208 Fire marble or lumachelle is a dark brown shell marble. 1869 tr. Hugo's By King's Command I. 12 The brown corridor in Astracan lumachel. 1894 Geol. Mag. Oct. 463 The shelly limestone below the clay is in part an Oyster lumachelle. |