326 SCRIPTURE NATURAL HISTORY. 



BERYL. 



THE Beryl is now universally called * topaz' by modern jewellers, 

 and, when perfect and free from blemishes, is a very valuable gem. 

 It is very rare, however, in this state. It is of the number of those 

 gems found only in the round or pebble form. They are ever of a 

 fine yellow color, but they have this, like the other gerns, in several 

 different degrees. The finest of all are of a true and perfect gold 

 color ; but there are some deeper, and others extremely pale, so as 

 to appear scarcely tinged. 



Lamy suggests that the word chrysolite may have been a general 

 name for all precious stones which inclined to a gold color; but 

 this does not imply that it was not given to such particular ones as, 

 having no other color mixed with it, shine like pure gold. That 

 this was the true color of the tarshish or chrysolite, is evident from 

 Dan. x. 5, 6, and Cant. v. 14. 



CARBUNCLE. 



THE Hebrew word, which in our Bible is translated carbuncle, is 

 in the LXX., Josephus, and the Vulgate, rendered emerald. By 

 the ancients the emerald was a gem much in request ; they denom- 

 inated it smaragdus, and are said to have procured it from Ethiopia 

 and Egypt. It is one of the softest of the precious stones, and is 

 almost exclusively indebted for its value to its charming color. 

 The brilliant purple of the ruby, the golden yellow of the topaz, the 

 celestial blue of the sapphire, are all pleasing tints ; but the green 

 of the emerald is so lovely, that the eye, after glancing over all the 

 others, finds delight in resting upon this. In the Apocalypse, the 

 rainbow is compared to an emerald (ch. iv. 3), no doubt from its 

 color. See Emerald. 



CHALCEDONY. 



THIS stone is only mentioned in Rev. xxi. 19. Parkhurst states 

 that Arethas, who has written an account of Bithynia says, this gem 

 had its name from Chalcedon, a eity of the country opposite to 

 Byzantium, and that it was in color like a carbuncle. It is still 

 found in considerable quantities in this part of upper Asia. 



