jewel
gb/d͡ʒˈul/ us/d͡ʒˈul/
B1
English
~ 9400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
cut precious stone for adornment
A small, valuable stone that is cut and polished and used to make jewellery.
Usage pattern:
[someone] buys [a jewel]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "jewel" and "jewelry". "Jewel" is a countable noun for a single precious stone (e.g. "a jewel", "three jewels"), while "jewelry" is usually uncountable and refers to decorative objects you wear, such as rings and necklaces (e.g. "She loves jewelry," not "She loves jewels" unless you specifically mean the stones).
Synonyms
gemstone (More technical or specific; almost always refers to the stone itself, not the finished piece of jewellery.)
|
gem (Very common and slightly more informal; can also be used more freely in figurative ways.)
Antonyms
pebble (Contrasts a valuable, polished stone with a small, ordinary stone with no special value.)
Collocations
precious jewel
|rare jewel
|sparkling jewel
|cut jewels
|loose jewels
|a bag of jewels
Themes
fashion
|objects
|commerce
|core_vocabulary
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The necklace was set with blue jewels that caught the light.
- Divers searched the wreck for gold coins and hidden jewels.
- Each jewel was carefully weighed and inspected by the dealer.
- She wore a simple dress but adorned it with a single beautiful jewel.
- The crown glittered with hundreds of tiny jewels.
Learner examples
- The king’s crown has many jewels.
- He kept the small red jewel in a box.
- They found a green jewel on the beach.
- This ring has three white jewels in it.
- The thief stole gold and jewels from the house.
Noun
B1
entity
2
item of jewellery with gems
A valuable thing you wear, like a ring or necklace, usually with precious stones.
Usage pattern:
[someone] wears [a jewel]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "jewel" when they really mean a specific type of jewellery, such as "ring" or "necklace". For example, instead of "He gave her a jewel," native speakers usually say "He gave her a ring" or "He gave her a necklace" unless they want to keep it very general.
Synonyms
piece of jewelry (More explanatory and slightly more informal; a broad phrase for any single item of jewelry.)
|
ornament (More general; can refer to decorative objects not worn on the body.)
Antonyms
trinket (Suggests a decorative item that is cheap or not valuable, contrasting with the richness of a jewel.)
Collocations
wear jewels
|her finest jewels
|royal jewels
|antique jewels
|heirloom jewels
|set with jewels
Themes
fashion
|daily_life
|culture
|clothing
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- She locks her most expensive jewels in a safe at night.
- The actress arrived on the red carpet covered in diamond jewels.
- He inherited several family jewels, including a ruby brooch.
- For security reasons, the museum does not allow visitors to touch the royal jewels.
- She chose simple clothes so that her jewels would stand out.
Learner examples
- She keeps her jewels in a small box.
- The queen’s jewels are very famous.
- He bought a jewel for his wife.
- The old woman sold her jewels to pay her bills.
- These jewels belong to my grandmother.
Noun
B2
entity
3
someone or something very precious
A person or thing that is very special, very good, or very important to someone.
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is a jewel
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this figurative meaning in very formal writing where it can sound too emotional or flowery. In neutral academic or business texts, it is often better to say "very valuable", "highly successful", or "especially important" instead of calling something a "jewel".
Synonyms
treasure (Strongly emotional; often used about loved people or highly valued things.)
|
gem (Very common informal alternative, especially in phrases like "a real gem".)
Antonyms
disappointment (Contrasts something especially good and valued with something that fails to meet hopes.)
Collocations
a real jewel
|a hidden jewel
|a little jewel
|a jewel of a movie
|a jewel of a place
|a jewel in [something]
Themes
evaluation
|relationships
|emotion
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her assistant is an absolute jewel and keeps the whole office running smoothly.
- The little café on the corner is a real jewel, but hardly anyone knows about it.
- This short novel is a tiny jewel of modern literature.
- The new park is a jewel in the center of the city.
- Among all our projects, this hospital program is the jewel of the organization.
Learner examples
- My daughter is a jewel to me.
- This small hotel is a jewel in the city.
- That film is a little jewel; it is so good.
- Our teacher is a jewel; she helps everyone.
- The old church is a jewel of this town.
Noun
literary
C1
entity
4
term of endearment for a person
A sweet, loving name for a person you care about very much.
Usage pattern:
"[Jewel]," said [someone].
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this word as a pet name in modern English. In most everyday situations, native speakers are more likely to say "darling", "love" (UK), or "sweetheart". "Jewel" as a term of endearment can sound old-fashioned, poetic, or marked as Irish English.
Synonyms
darling (Very common term of endearment; sounds more natural in modern English than "jewel" in most contexts.)
|
sweetheart (Warm and affectionate; similar emotional tone but more common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
stranger (Contrasts a loved, intimate person with someone with whom you have no close relationship.)
Collocations
my jewel
|oh, my jewel
|you are a jewel
|sleep well, my jewel
|come here, my jewel
Themes
relationships
|emotion
|communication
|emotions
Examples
- "Come in out of the rain, my jewel," the old woman said softly.
- "Sleep now, my little jewel," he whispered to the baby.
- In the poem, the speaker calls his lost love "my only jewel."
- She kissed the child’s forehead and murmured, "Are you all right, my jewel?"
- The letter began, "To my dearest jewel," and was signed with a heart.
Learner examples
- "Good night, my jewel," the mother says to her son.
- In the story, the man calls his wife his jewel.
- He writes, "You are my jewel" in the love letter.
- The grandmother says, "Come here, my jewel."
- She smiles at the baby and says, "My little jewel."
Noun
technical
C2
entity
5
hard bearing stone in a watch
A tiny, very hard stone inside a watch that helps the moving parts work smoothly.
Usage pattern:
[a watch] has [number] jewels
Common mistake:
Learners may think the "jewels" listed on a watch are decorative stones. In fact, they are tiny technical parts inside the movement, not usually visible and not mainly for decoration.
Synonyms
jewel bearing (More precise technical term used by engineers and watchmakers.)
Antonyms
plain bearing (A bearing surface without jewels, usually made only of metal, contrasting with jeweled bearings.)
Collocations
17-jewel movement
|watch jewels
|jeweled movement
|synthetic jewels
|friction jewels
|jewel bearings
Themes
technology
|engineering
|science
Examples
- The back of the watch states that it has a 21-jewel movement.
- Jewel bearings reduce friction and make the watch more accurate and durable.
- Older pocket watches often advertised the number of jewels on the dial.
- Synthetic jewels are now standard in most mechanical watches.
- The watchmaker carefully inspected each jewel for damage.
Learner examples
- This expensive watch has many jewels inside it.
- The small jewels help the metal parts move easily.
- He reads the words "17 jewels" on his watch.
- Modern watches use artificial jewels, not real ones.
- The watchmaker cleans the tiny jewels in the watch.
Verb
C2
action
6
decorate by adding jewels
To make something look rich and beautiful by putting jewels on it.
Usage pattern:
to jewel [something]
Common mistake:
This verb is not very common in everyday speech; learners more often see the adjective "jeweled" (as in "a jeweled crown"). Using "to jewel" in very casual speech can sound unusual; verbs like "decorate" or "cover with jewels" are more typical.
Synonyms
adorn (More general and slightly more formal; not limited to using jewels.)
|
embellish (Suggests adding decorative details; may involve jewels or other decoration.)
Antonyms
strip (Means to remove decorations or coverings, the opposite of adding jewels.)
Collocations
jeweled crown
|jeweled belt
|jeweled sword
|jeweled handle
|heavily jeweled
|richly jeweled
Themes
fashion
|art
|objects
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Examples
- They jeweled the costume with crystals to make it shine on stage.
- The craftsman jeweled the sword’s handle with small red stones.
- Her hair was jeweled with tiny pins that glittered in the light.
- The designer plans to jewel the neckline of the dress for extra sparkle.
- In the painting, the queen’s cloak is heavily jeweled and richly colored.
Learner examples
- They jeweled the dress for the show.
- The belt is jeweled with many small stones.
- Artists jeweled the crown for the king.
- Her hair is jeweled with small blue stones.
- The box was jeweled to make it look special.
Grammar
Dictionary form
jewel
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈul/
US/d͡ʒˈul/
Syllables & stress
jew - el (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (jew)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: jewel
- Plural: jewels
Word family
Expressions
a jewel of a [noun]
1/ə d͡ʒˈul əv ə nˈaʊn/
idiom
something that is especially excellent
Used to say that something is a very small but very special and excellent example of its kind.
Examples
- It’s a tiny restaurant, but it’s a real jewel of a place.
- She wrote a jewel of a short story that won several awards.
- Hidden in the back streets is a jewel of a little park.
family jewels
1/fˈæmɪli d͡ʒˈulz/
idiom
vulgar
humorous term for male genitals
A humorous and informal way to talk about a man’s testicles.
Examples
- The ball hit him right in the family jewels.
- He crossed his legs protectively, joking about guarding the family jewels.
- That bike seat is so hard it hurts the family jewels.
jewel case
1/d͡ʒˈul kˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
box or plastic case for valuables
A small box or hard plastic case used to protect and store jewelry or a compact disc (CD).
Examples
- She kept the earrings in a black jewel case on her dresser.
- The CD jewel case was cracked, but the disc played fine.
- He opened the jewel case and took out a silver necklace.
jewel in the crown
1/d͡ʒˈul ˈɪn ðə kɹˈaʊn/
idiom
most valued part of a larger whole
The best, most important, or most successful part of a larger thing, such as an empire, organization, or group of things.
Examples
- For many years, India was described as the jewel in the crown of the British Empire.
- The university’s medical school is the jewel in the crown of its academic programs.
- This beautiful island is the jewel in the crown of the country’s tourism industry.
the crown jewels
1/ðə kɹˈaʊn d͡ʒˈulz/
fixed phrase
a country's official royal regalia
The king or queen’s official crowns and other very valuable objects used for special ceremonies.
Examples
- Millions of tourists visit London every year to see the Crown Jewels.
- The security around the crown jewels is extremely strict.
- The crown jewels are displayed in a special vault at the tower.
crown jewel
1/kɹˈaʊn d͡ʒˈul/
fixed phrase
Most valuable part of something
The best, most valuable, or most important thing in a group or collection.
Examples
- This park is the crown jewel of our city.
- The research division is considered the crown jewel of the company.
- The company’s research lab is its crown jewel.
- Their new smartphone is the crown jewel of the product line.
- The museum’s crown jewel is a painting by Van Gogh.