[kal-sed-n-ee, kal-suh-doh-nee] 
| a microcrystalline, translucent variety of quartz, often milky or grayish. |
n chalcedony, identified by Saint Jerome with Chalcedon, the city) + -ius -ious 
[kal-si-don-ik] , chal⋅ced⋅o⋅nous, adjective | chal·ced·o·ny also cal·ced·o·ny (kāl-sěd'n-ē) n. pl. chal·ced·o·nies also cal·ced·o·nies A translucent to transparent milky or grayish quartz with distinctive microscopic crystals arranged in slender fibers in parallel bands. [Late Latin chalcēdonius, from Greek khalkēdōn, a mystical stone (Revelation 21:19), perhaps from Khalkēdōn, Chalcedon.] chal'ce·don'ic (kāl'sĭ-dŏn'ĭk) adj. |
| chalcedony (kāl-sěd'n-ē) Pronunciation Key
A type of quartz that has a waxy luster and varies from transparent to translucent. It is usually white, pale-blue, gray, brown, or black and is often found as a lining in cavities. Agate, flint, and onyx are forms of chalcedony. Chemical formula: SiO2. |
Chalcedony
Mentioned only in Rev. 21:19, as one of the precious stones in the foundation of the New Jerusalem. The name of this stone is derived from Chalcedon, where it is said to have been first discovered. In modern mineralogy this is the name of an agate-like quartz of a bluish colour. Pliny so names the Indian ruby. The mineral intended in Revelation is probably the Hebrew _nophekh_, translated "emerald" (Ex. 28:18; 39:11; Ezek. 27:16; 28:13). It is rendered "anthrax" in the LXX., and "carbunculus" in the Vulgate. (See CARBUNCLE.)