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

Lucrezia Buccellati, jewelry designer and co-creative director of Italian jewelry house Buccellati, said this is particularly true in Asian markets. —Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026

Complete this look with a pointy heel in a contrasting color or a cowboy boot and some statement jewelry. —Dino Bonačić, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2026

Some employees weren’t properly washing their hands, the cream gravy was stored at an unsafe temperature and several employees were wearing jewelry on their arms and hands while preparing food. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Mar. 2026

There will also be live music and local small businesses selling clothing, jewelry and home goods. —Alyson Rodriguez, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 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