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 event is divided across two Atlanta Expo buildings: Both the North and South buildings showcase a mix of high- and low-end antiques, vintage silverware, artisan textiles, and fine jewelry. —Sara Bliss, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Apr. 2025

All jewelry, cell phones, tape-recorders, watches - anything loose - was left in the control room. —Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

For those looking to spruce up their closets for themselves and the whole family, there's a wide range of on-trend apparel — think dresses, shirts, skirts, shorts and jewelry — for women, kids and babies (the clothing also comes in inclusive sizing and adaptive styles). —Michelle Lee, People.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Richemont posted a surprise hike in third-quarter jewelry sales, but its specialist watch division continued to struggle through the 2024 holiday period. —Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2025

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