Sapphire

Associated with diamonds (Ex. 28:18) and emeralds (Ezek. 28:13); one of the stones in the high priest’s breastplate. It is a precious stone of a sky-blue colour, probably the lapis lazuli, brought from Babylon. The throne of God is described as of the colour of a sapphire (Ex. 24:10; comp. Ezek. 1:26).

(Heb. sappir), a precious stone, apparently of a bright-blue color, set: (Exodus 24:10) the second stone in the second row of the high priest’s breastplate, (Exodus 28:18) extremely precious, (Job 28:16) it was one of the precious stones that ornamented the king of Tyre. (Ezekiel 28:13) The sapphire of the ancients was not our gem of that name, viz. the azure or indigo-blue, crystalline variety of corundum, but our lapis lazuli (ultra-marine).

SAP'PHIRE. This was one of the precious stones of the high priest's breastplate, and of the foundations of the Apocalyptic city, Ex 28:18; Rev 21:19, and is often mentioned in the O.T. It was certainly of a blue color. Ex 24:10; Eze 1:26; Dan 10:1. But it is generally agreed that the ordinary sapphire of the ancients was our lapis-lazuli, an opaque mineral of a dark azure hue. Some scholars still hold that the Bible references require a transparent, hard, and valuable gem like the true sapphire. This stone is next to the diamond in lustre, beauty, and hardness. It differs only in color from the Oriental ruby, varying from the deepest to the lightest blue, and even to pure white. See Stones, Precious.

SAP'PHIRE. This was one of the precious stones of the high priest's breastplate, and of the foundations of the Apocalyptic city, Ex 28:18; Rev 21:19, and is often mentioned in the O.T. It was certainly of a blue color. Ex 24:10; Eze 1:26; Dan 10:1. But it is generally agreed that the ordinary sapphire of the ancients was our lapis-lazuli, an opaque mineral of a dark azure hue. Some scholars still hold that the Bible references require a transparent, hard, and valuable gem like the true sapphire. This stone is next to the diamond in lustre, beauty, and hardness. It differs only in color from the Oriental ruby, varying from the deepest to the lightest blue, and even to pure white. See Stones, Precious.

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. Native alumina or aluminium sesquioxide, Al2O3; corundum; esp., the blue transparent variety of corundum, highly prized as a gem. of rubies, sapphires, and of pearlés white. Chaucer.

2. The color of the gem; bright blue.

3. Any humming bird of the genus Hylocharis, native of South America. The throat and breast are usually bright blue. Star sapphire, or Asteriated sapphire (Min.), a kind of sapphire which exhibits asterism.

Part of speech: adjective (a.)

Of or resembling sapphire; sapphire; blue. "The sapphire blaze." Gray.