'avanturine' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'avventurina', where 'avventura' meant 'chance' or 'adventure'.

'avanturine' changed from the Italian word 'avventurina' (and via French 'aventurine') and eventually became the modern English word 'avanturine'.

Initially, the root referred to 'chance' or 'an event by chance' (because the glittering glass was discovered accidentally); over time the term came to denote the glittering stone or glass itself.