Natural Gems Belgium Editorial Team

The Book of Exodus describes an extraordinary sacred garment: a breastpiece set with twelve precious stones, each engraved with the name of one of the tribes of Israel. Yet identifying those stones is far more difficult than modern Bible translations suggest. Was sappir really sapphire? Could yahalom have been diamond? Recent philological and archaeogemological research challenges several familiar identifications. Discover how gemstones became symbols of remembrance, collective identity and priestly service—and why the original stones remain one of biblical gemmology’s most fascinating mysteries.

In the Buddhist traditions of Nepal and the Himalayas, the diamond represents far more than material wealth. Its exceptional hardness inspired the symbolism of the vajra, a ritual implement associated with indestructible wisdom, compassionate action and spiritual awakening. Explore the remarkable history of the vajra, its relationship with ancient Indian thunderbolt imagery, the ceremonial traditions of Nepalese Vajracharya priests and the extraordinary gemstone-encrusted religious objects preserved in major museum collections. This investigation reveals how the physical characteristics of a natural gemstone became a powerful religious metaphor.