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

The last photo in the carousel gave a close-up look at her fresh manicure as well as some seemingly new additions to her jewelry collection — including a massive oval diamond that's bigger than the one her husband Justin Bieber proposed with in 2018. —Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 23 July 2024

For now, the offer spans around 40 references in jewelry, ranging from 500 euros up to 35,000 euros. —Lily Templeton, WWD, 23 July 2024

Pros Selective’s Platinum Policy offers replacement cost coverage for non-building structures and jewelry coverage. —Liz Knueven, CNBC, 23 July 2024

Breast milk jewelry is jewelry that is made by using a person's breast milk. —Staff Author, Parents, 22 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

see jewel entry 1

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