The NKJV Topaz in Green Goatskin
I’ve been hoping to review this Bible from Cambridge Bibles for quite some time. It combines a lot of things I really like: large font, verse by verse setting, and green! Yes, I really like green Bibles even though I don’t have many of them. I have thought this green goatskin NKJV Topaz from Cambridge was attractive for quite some time and I was finally able to get my hands on one! I’m quite excited about it.
The Topaz is such a beautiful Bible. I’ve seen the ESV in calfskin and goatskin and both are incredible, but I think this green NKJV takes it up a notch! The Bible itself is so flexible and the green goatskin is soft and supple. “Holy Bible” is stamped in gold on the front cover. At first I didn’t like that, but it’s really grown on me. I now like it a lot.
The spine has five raised hubs with “HOLY BIBLE”, “NEW KING JAMES VERSION”, and “CAMBRIDGE” stamped in gold. The spine looks really clean. So many spines are being filled with words and logos and it’s refreshing to see such a clean spine on this Bible.
I really love the bookmarks in this Bible. Cambridge put in one more than the ESV has and the green goatskin is so cool because they made each double-sided satin bookmark a different shade of green. It looks incredible! I should also mention how cool the head and tail bands are. They have an alternating red and green pattern, which lets me know that there is a Christmas fan on Cambridge’s design team!
The page edges have a red under gold art gilt, which could also be a subtle nod to the Christmas season! And maybe not, but the combination looks great together!
The Bible is Smyth-sewn and edge-lined. Inside is a black calfskin cover with black vinyl end sheets. While not red, the black set next to the green does look really good! There are a few blank pieces of white card stock up front, which would serve someone well for notes or quick references. There is also an extensive set of family records pages.
The paper in the Topaz is described as ultra-thin, smooth, and opaque lightweight paper. It’s a 28 gsm Indopaque paper sourced from France. I love the way this paper feels. I’m told this is the same paper used in the Quentel, but if I’m honest, it feels different to me and feels better. I love turning the pages of a Topaz.
Even more, I love the layout of the Topaz. The print is so bold and I feel like the black letters are extra black. I should mention this is a red letter Bible and in my perfect world, there would be a black letter edition available, but I don’t hate red as long as it looks uniform throughout and is a darker red. This Topaz checks both of those boxes. The type is a 10-point called More Pro Book. I find it a joy to look at and read from.
The page layout is a double column verse-by-verse setting. References are in the outside margin of each page and textual notes appear in a single column on the bottom. The red accent colors are one of my favorite features. Verse numbers and chapter numbers are in red. I love setting the verse numbers apart to make them pop from the text. I find this especially helpful in preaching. Cambridge takes it a step further and when the words of Christ are in red, the verse numbers are in black! It’s this attention to detail that makes me love the Topaz so much.
In the back you’ll find a Concordance, full color maps, and several more blank pieces of cardstock.
If you can’t tell, I really, really like this Bible. Cambridge hit a home run with the Topaz. The ESV was great, but I think they made the NKJV even better. If you like a unique colored Bible, I highly recommend getting the green!
You can pick up your copy of the NKJV Topaz on Amazon. (affiliate)
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this Bible in exchange for a fair and honest review.
