Precious Stones

Precious stones are rare, valuable minerals or rocks used for jewelry and decoration.

The Old Testament gives a long list of precious stones in Exodus 28:17–20 and 39:10–13. The high priest’s breastpiece held twelve stones arranged in four rows. Each stone had the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on it.

Other lists of precious stones appear in Ezekiel 28:13 and Revelation 21:19–21.

It is difficult to identify all these ancient stones. The Hebrew and Greek names do not always match the names of modern minerals. For this reason, Bible translations sometimes use different names for the same stone.

Click on a precious stone listed below to access the full-length article:

Agate: A form of chalcedony with bands or cloudy patterns in different colors.

Alabaster: A soft white or partly transparent stone often used for jars, bowls, and decorations.

Amethyst: A transparent purple or violet form of quartz.

Beryl: A hard mineral that can be green, blue, white, or golden.

Carbuncle: A red or fire-colored precious stone.

Carnelian: A red or reddish-brown form of chalcedony.

Chalcedony: A form of quartz that can have many colors and includes agate and carnelian.

Chrysolite: A yellow-green precious stone whose exact biblical identity is uncertain.

Chrysoprase: A light-green or apple-green form of chalcedony.

Coral: A hard material formed from the remains of small sea animals and used for jewelry.

Crystal: A clear or nearly clear mineral, often a form of quartz.

Diamond: A very hard precious stone made of crystallized carbon, though the biblical words translated “diamond” may refer to other hard stones.

Emerald: A valuable green form of beryl.

Jacinth: A reddish-brown form of zircon, though the identity of the biblical stone is uncertain.

Jasper: An opaque form of quartz that can have many colors.

Lapis lazuli: A deep blue stone made of several minerals, often with gold-colored spots.

Marble: Limestone changed by heat and pressure into a hard stone that can be polished.

Onyx: A form of chalcedony with straight layers or bands of different colors.

Pearl: A hard, smooth object that forms inside the shell of some mollusks.

Ruby: A valuable red gemstone whose name may refer to other red materials in some Bible translations.

Sapphire: A hard precious stone that is usually deep blue. The biblical word may refer to lapis lazuli.

Sardius: An older name for a red or reddish-brown stone, often identified with carnelian.

Sardonyx: A form of onyx with reddish-brown and white layers

Topaz: A hard, transparent gemstone that can have several colors, especially yellow.

See also Minerals and Metals.