jewelry

noun

jew·​el·​ry ˈjü-əl-rē 

ˈjül-rē, 

ˈju̇l-;

nonstandard ˈjü-lə-rē

variants US jewelry or chiefly British jewellery

: ornamental pieces (such as rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets) that are made of materials which may or may not be precious (such as gold, silver, glass, and plastic), are often set with genuine or imitation gems, and are worn for personal adornment

a collection of valuable jewelry

a jewelry store

see also costume jewelry

Did you know?

Objects designed for the adornment of the body are called jewelry. While modern jewelry is made of gold, silver, or platinum, often with precious or semiprecious stones, it evolved from shells, animal teeth, and other items used as body decoration in prehistoric times. Over the centuries it came to be a sign of social or religious rank, and in Renaissance Italy, jewelry-making reached the status of a fine art. By the 19th century, industrialization brought jewelry within the reach of the middle class. Firms opened by such jewelers as Carl Fabergé and Louis Comfort Tiffany achieved great success by making fine jewelry for the wealthy.

Examples of jewelry in a Sentence

a store that sells jewelry

Recent Examples on the Web

Jain listed a few Canadian products sold directly to consumers that will likely experience price increases, including alcohol, candles, perfumes, clothing, jewelry and some food products. — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026

Santa Fe also offers endless shopping and right next door is Shiprock which is a good starting point, with their remarkable selection of native ceramics, jewelry, and textiles. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026

According to documents published by the White House, other goods subject to the tax include honey, seeds and agricultural products — as well as select makeup, perfumes, clothing, jewelry, furniture, cameras, fabric and more. — Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Earlier at Macy’s, Gonzalez held divisional merchandise manager roles in fragrances, women’s shoes, handbags, accessories, jewelry and intimate apparel. — David Moin, Footwear News, 23 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

jewel entry 1 + -ry

First Known Use

circa 1624, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing jewelry

• costume jewelry

Kids Definition

jewelry

noun

jew·​el·​ry ˈjü-əl-rē 

ˈjül-rē

: ornamental pieces (as rings and necklaces) worn on the person : jewels