ONYX (Lat. onyx). — A term in the Vulgate that denotes both a perfume and a precious stone.
In Ex. 30:34 it refers to the perfume of the scented nail (blatta byzantina; Heb. šeheleth), which is found as the operculum of certain mollusks or shells; together with other substances, it was used for the sacred incense.
In Ez. 38:13 it translates the Heb. šoḥām, elsewhere rendered as sardonyx, sardius, beryl, or chrysoprase. This is a red gemstone set in the ephod and in the breastplate of the high priest (cf. Ex. 25:7; 28:9, etc.). In Gen. 2:12 it is said that the region of Hevila was rich in such precious stones, whose high value is evident in the comparison with wisdom (Job 28:16).