EMERALD

Emeralds are traditionally a deep green color or some shade of green. The darker the color green, the more expensive the emerald becomes. It is a variety of beryl which is a clear transparent gem that comes in several colors. The emerald is somewhat fragile and it is difficult to find a “perfect” emerald. It is the birthstone for the month of May. It is ranked along with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires as the top stones for jewelry.

CHALCEDONY

This stone is mentioned as the third foundation layer in the New Jerusalem mentioned in Revelation. This is a fairly common gem and is a white green color of quartz. It withstands weathering and is common in river beds and areas that contain water. It is an extremely fine grained gem and the word agate gives a better idea of what the stone looks like. It is found in almost every color or combination of color. Because the gem is made of quartz it is not clear but opaque. The stone pictured here is a pink chalcedony.

SAPPHIRE

This stone is usually a deep blue color although today it is found in a pink color. There is also a very rare sapphire that is found in Sri Lanka that is a combination of orange-pink and is rather striking. In one place I studied it was mentioned that the 10 Commandments were transcribed on a sheet of sapphire. This same site mentions that sapphire can be called lapis in today's world.
[http://rockhoundingar.com/miscellaneous/bible.html]

Personally, I have a sapphire stone and it is a dark blue. My son has a lapis cross but I can't necessarily agree with the interchangeable use of the terms sapphire and lapis. The lapis has a slightly different texture and is very fragile. The sapphire color is darker and is a much harder gem. I believe that the sapphire is prettier but the color is somewhat lighter than the sapphire..

JASPER

The first mentioned stone in these verses is jasper. There are a variety of colors associated with jasper but the greenish color is the most desirable.
An early variety discovered in India and still mined there today is called bloodstone. It is dark to medium green with small spots of red scattered throughout. It has been said that it originated when Christ's blood fell to the ground and was scattered on the rocks under the Cross,

TWELVE JEWELS AND THE HOLY CITY

If anyone were to ask me where I could find a reference to gems and jewels in the Bible I would automatically turn to Revelation. Near the very end of the Bible Revelation shows that a Holy City is coming down to earth and the beauty is undeniably glowing and sparkling beyond my wildest imagination.

From Revelation 21: 18-21 (NIV) "The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 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. 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."

OTHER COLORS

Numerous gems and stones are mentioned throughout the Bible. To understand exactly how and where these gems are mentioned also involves seeing their beauty through their colors. Also, many names mentioned in the Bible may be confusing because we cannot make a connection to the names used in today's world. For me, this was an insight into not only the beauty of the gems but into the glorious colors created by our Maker.

GREEN, VIOLET, AND BLACK

Searching out the meanings of these colors took a little more effort.

Green is the color that represents joy, hope, and the bright promises of youth. According to the source I studied this symbolism is used in the Catholic Church.

Violet is normally used around Easter and Lent; it shows the suffering and purifying effects that come as a result of chastening. Again, this symbolism comes from wihtin the Catholic Church.

Black seems to be a pretty obvious color since in most cases today we use black to refer to death. Black does indeed represent death but it can mean sorrow, and mourning. Darkness fell over the earth just before Christ died and his time in the tomb was for 3 days. Dark=black. As far as this color being mentioned in church, it is seldom used except for Easter.

THE COLOR WHITE

White represents purity, innocence and light. It also is associated with virginity, faith, and life. The bride wears white to represent her virginity; the angels and saints in heaven are clothed in white; the candles lit at Easter and Christmas represent our faith in Christ who is the light of the world

THE COLOR BLUE

For the longest time the color blue was one of my favorite colors. In the Bible the color blue represents the heavens, probably from the mention of light in Genesis. Since the day and night were separated and because our sky is usually blue, it is my guess that this connection can be made. In Christian art the saints and angels may be clothed in blue robes. In the curtains of the tabernacle, the colors that were intertwined in the material were blue, red, and purple.

THE COLOR RED

Red is the color that symbolizes the blood of our Lord. It always connects with the sacrifice that He made for us when he was on the cross. His suffering resulted in crimson blood. The Old Testament scriptures required sacrifices of lambs and other animals as a symbol of the blood which would be shed by Jesus. These animals were cut so that the blood flowed freely and became part of the offering.

In some cases red can be used to distinguish royalty or important people who were named in the Bible. Examples include such people as Solomon, King Herod and Pilate

WHAT DO THE COLORS MEAN?

First of all, I have not attended Bible seminary nor do I consider myself a Bible scholar. I am an inquisitive person who loves to research and learn new things. When questions come to my mind I usually Google something and read, read, and read. I have looked at numerous websites and have come up with what I think the colors represent. If you have a different opinion or another insight into what I am studying, let me know.

GEMS, SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES, AND PRECIOUS STONES

Gems are defined as any stone that is rare or extremely brilliant. Examples include the diamond, sapphire, emerald, and ruby. The clarity (clearness) of the stone allows light to shine through creating a prisms or shimmer of light that surrounds the gem, especially in sunlight. In some areas of research the opal and pearl are added to the gem list.

Stones that are used in jewelry are called semi-precious. These stones are usually opaque in color rather than clear and easily visible.

Precious stones are ones that have been formed over a long period of time. The diamond is the most common precious stone. Other stones can be made to resemble a diamond such a the cubic zirconium. (Ask any woman what she really wants and the diamond always wins out because it is the real precious stone, not an imitation.)