nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnGems and Minerals of the Bible

Aaron's Breastplate: Exodus 39:8-14 (NIV)

8. They fashioned the breastpiece - the work of a skilled craftsman.
9. It was square, a span long and a span wide - and was folded double.
10. The they mounted four rows of precious stones on it.
In the first row there was a ruby, a topaz, and a beryl;
11. in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald.
12. in the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
13. in the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper.
They were mounted in gold filigree settings.
14. There were twelve stones,
one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,
each engraved like the seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

Job's description of wisdon: Job 28:15-19

15. It cannot be bought with the finest gold,
nor can it's price be weighed in silver.
16. It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir
with precious onyx or sapphires.
17. Neithergold nor crystal can compare with it,
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
18. Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention;
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
19. The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it;
it cannot be bought with pure gold.

Ezekiel's lamentation: Ezekiel 28:13

13. You were in Eden, the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper,
sapphire, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
on the day you were created they
were prepared.

The Walls of New Jerusalem: Revelation 21:18 - 20

18. The wall of it was made of jasper,
and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
19. The foundations of city the walls were
decorated with every kind of precious stone.
The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire;
the third chalcedony, the fourth, emerald,
20. the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, carnelian,
the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl,
the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase,
the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
21. The twelve gates were twelve pearls,
each gate made of a single pearl.
The great street of the city was of pure gold,
like transparent glass.

The Gems & Minerals

Amethyst: The amethyst is a type of quartz (silicon dioxide). To say that quartz comes in various forms is an understatement in extreme. The precious gems from quartz are Amethyst and Citrine, the semi-precious are too numerous to list.

Agate: Agate is a variety of chalcedony which is a family of minerals (microcrystalline quartz). Chalcedony are often milky to gray to bluish in color, however agats are found in a wide range of colors, including black, gray, brown, reddish, green, pink, blue, and yellow

Beryl: Beryl is the mineral we get the Aquamarine and Emerald from. It comes in a variety of colors; clear, light pink, red, light blue, greenish-yellow and green. Their names are Goshenite, Morganite, Red Beryl, Aquamarine, Heliodor and Emerald respectively.

Carnelian: The carnelian is another type of chalcedony, however carnelian is a deep redish brown.

Chalcedony: Chalcedony is a family of minerals (microcrystalline quartz) which are often milky to gray to bluish in color.

Chrysolite: There is no mineral called chrysolite outside the Bible. However, Chrysolite is sometimes used as a synonym for light green Peridot, Prehnite and Chrysoberyl.

Chrysoprase: This is a beautiful apple-green microcrystalline quartz sometimes used in jewelry.

Coral: Coral is an animal that grows in colonies in the ocean.

Emerald: The emerald is the green form of Beryl.

Jasper: Another member of the quartz family specifically chalcedony. It is found in many colors, including white, brown, yellow, red, and green.

Jacinth: Jacinth is a lustrous orange-yellow, orange-red, or yellow-brown type of zircon. **Do not confuse zircon with zirconium (or zirconia) which is a man made gem.**

Onyx: Onyx is another species of chalcedony. It is a semi-precious stone that is black and white, generally arranged in layers.

Ruby: The ruby comes from the mineral corundum. Corundum can be found in a range of colors; colorless, blue, red, yellow, orange, green, brown, purple, and pink. All colors except orange and red are called sapphire's, orange is called Padparadsha and red, Rubies. Rubies and their corundum relatives are one of the hardest gems know to man. with a 9 on the hardness scale.

Sapphire: The sapphire is a form of the mineral corundum. All colors of Corundum are called Sapphires except red and orange.

Topaz: Both the name of the gem and the name of the mineral it comes from is Topaz (Aluminum silicate fluoride hydroxide). Topaz is the third hardest gem. with a hardness of 8.

Turquoise: Turquoise is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminum. It was first found in Turkey, hence the name (Turquie is the French word for Turkey).

 

Other Translations

New American standard:

Exodus 39:

10. The they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row there was a ruby, a topaz, and a emerald;

13. in the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper.

Job 28:

18. Coral and crystal are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.

Ezekiel 28:

13. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you:
ruby, topaz and diamond;beryl, onyx and jasper; sapphire, lapis lazuli and emerald.

Revelation 21:

20. the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl,
the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.