Topaz
one of the gems used in the high priest's breastplate, Ex 28:17; 39:10; Eze 28:13 one of the foundations also of the New Jerusalem, in St. John's description of the city. Re 21:20 The topaz of the ancient Greeks and Romans is generally allowed to be our chrysolite, while their chrysolite is our topaz. Chrysolite is a silicate of magnesia and iron; it is so son as to lose its polish unless carefully used. It varies in color from a pale-green to a bottle-green. It is supposed that its name was derived from Topazos, an island in the Red Sea where these stones were procured.
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