The Kanji: 璃 (Ri)
The kanji 璃 specifically refers to "lapis lazuli" or "glassy gemstone." It combines 王 (jade) with 离 (mythical beast), originally depicting precious gemstones. This character appears almost exclusively in compound words describing crystal and glass-like materials.
Common Words & Example Sentences
1. 琉璃 (ruri) - Lapis lazuli
琉璃の輝きが美しい。
"The lapis lazuli's shine is beautiful."
2. 玻璃 (hari) - Crystal glass
玻璃の器を使う。
"Use crystal glassware."
3. 琺瑯 (shippō) - Enamel (alternative reading)
琺瑯加工の鍋。
"An enamel-coated pot."
4. 璃色 (ruri-iro) - Lapis lazuli color
深い璃色の空。
"The deep lapis lazuli-colored sky."
In summary, 璃 is a specialized kanji for gemstone descriptions - from lapis lazuli (琉璃) and glass (玻璃) to enamel (琺瑯) and color references (璃色). It preserves poetic material descriptions in Japanese.