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

How to clean silver and sterling silver jewelry Silver jewelry does tarnish. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2025

Created by chief artistic director of jewelry and high jewelry Nathalie Verdeille, Sea of Wonder is a direct link to the archive of Jean Schlumberger — Tiffany’s much-loved and influential creator known for his fantastical designs. —Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 24 Apr. 2025

In the container where some of her remains were originally found, gold jewelry, a red towel and a floral pillowcase were also recovered, authorities said. —Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025

Born and bred in New York City, Avery is a fashion journalist and owner of antique and estate jewelry company, Palley & Co. —Avery Matera, Glamour, 23 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