And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; (Revelation 21:19)
Twelve kinds of precious stones are listed as being in the foundation. Not all of these can be identified by the modern jeweler, nor is much to be gained by making a comparison with the jewels of the high priest’s breastplate (Ex. 28:17-20). Neither ancient sources nor modern scholars agree as to the identification of all the stones. Some of their suggestions are listed below under the respective stones.
Emerald.
Believed to be a gem of bright-green color.
Chalcedony.
The identification of this stone is uncertain. The RSV reads “agate.” Some suggest a gem of greenish color.
Sapphire.
Perhaps lapis lazuli, a transparent or translucent sky-blue stone of great hardness.