jewelry

noun

jew·el·ry | \ ˈjü-əl-rē

, ˈjül-rē, ˈju̇l-; nonstandard ˈjü-lə-rē\

variants: US jewelry or chiefly British jewellery

Definition of jewelry

: 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? More Example Sentences Learn More about jewelry

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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

Don’t wear jewelry while swimming — chlorine and salt water can damage it. — Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean Your Jewelry Like a Pro," 7 May 2019 Bikoff has installed a feathery wallpaper on the ceiling to complement the Rhapsody seating collection, which features patterned upholstery with jewelry-like hardware accents. — Parker Bowie Larson, ELLE Decor, "The New Versace Home Collection Is the Fantasy of Our Candy-Colored, Neon-Tinged Dreams," 9 Apr. 2019 Their instincts proved correct, too: A piece of metal jewelry from the year A.D. 300-400 was also pulled from the waters of Lake Vidöstern. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "8-Year-Old Girl Finds 1,500-Year-Old Sword Hidden in Swedish Lake," 5 Oct. 2018 Delicia Cordon alleges McCoy failed to protect her after she was bloodied, beaten and had $133,000 worth of jewelry stolen by an intruder at a home the running back owns in Milton, just outside Atlanta. — Fox News, "Mother of LeSean McCoy's son claims abuse by Bills star," 18 Sep. 2018 During the attack, the man who broke into Cordon's house reportedly demanded for specific pieces of jewelry that had been gifted to Cordon by McCoy. — Nihal Kolur, SI.com, "Attorney: Man Who Attacked LeSean McCoy's Ex-Girlfriend Demanded Jewelry," 11 July 2018 You can get pierced or find jewelry for existing bodily voids at Black Hole Body Piercing. — Natasha Bourlin, SFChronicle.com, "Increasingly hip Midtown Reno has a glow that’s not from neon," 29 June 2018 The Bronx native boasted her baby bump in a lavish dress as she and her husband were draped in their usual set of icy jewelry. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, "Cardi B Hosts Lavish Baby Shower With Offset: See Photos & Video," 27 June 2018 Plush robes, jewelry boxes, and bath salts abound, plus coffee mugs peppered with sentimental sayings and delicate brass picture frames. — Rebekah Lowin, Country Living, "Joanna Gaines' Newest Target Collection Has the Most Perfect Mother's Day Gifts," 28 Apr. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jewelry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.