jewellery
gb/d͡ʒˈuˈɛlɚi/ us/d͡ʒˈuˈɛlɚi/
A2
English
~ 4100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Decorative items worn for adornment
Rings, necklaces, or other pretty things people wear to look nice, often made of gold, silver, or gems.
Usage pattern:
[someone] wears [jewellery]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'jewellery' (uncountable) with 'jewel' (countable), which refers to a single precious stone.
Synonyms
ornaments (More general term for decorative items, not limited to items worn on the body.)
|
adornments (Formal term for decorative accessories, sometimes used for clothing or spaces.)
Antonyms
clothing (Not a direct opposite in meaning, but contrasts with jewellery as functional wear rather than purely decorative.)
Collocations
wear jewellery
|gold jewellery
|silver jewellery
|expensive jewellery
|costume jewellery
Themes
fashion
|daily life
|art
|clothing
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She wore elegant gold jewellery to the wedding.
- The thief stole all the jewellery from the shop.
- I prefer silver jewellery over gold.
- He gave her a box of fine jewellery for her birthday.
- Costume jewellery can be stylish without being expensive.
Learner examples
- She is wearing a gold ring and other jewellery.
- The shop sells cheap jewellery.
- I like silver jewellery.
- She got jewellery for her birthday.
Grammar
Dictionary form
jewellery
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈuˈɛlɚi/
US/d͡ʒˈuˈɛlɚi/
Syllables & stress
jew - ellery (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (jew)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: jewellery
- Plural: jewellery
Word family
Expressions
costume jewellery
1/kˈɔstum d͡ʒˈuˈɛlɚi/
fixed phrase
Cheap decorative fashion accessories
Jewellery that looks nice but is not made from expensive materials.
Examples
- She bought some colourful costume jewellery for the party.
- Costume jewellery is perfect if you want to change styles often without spending much.
fine jewellery
1/fˈaɪn d͡ʒˈuˈɛlɚi/
fixed phrase
High-quality precious adornments
Jewellery made from expensive materials like gold and diamonds.
Examples
- The store specialises in fine jewellery.
- Fine jewellery is often passed down through generations.
piece of jewellery
1/pˈis əv d͡ʒˈuˈɛlɚi/
fixed phrase
A single item of jewellery
One item of jewellery, like a ring or necklace.
Examples
- That necklace is my favourite piece of jewellery.
- She inherited a beautiful piece of jewellery from her grandmother.