1A precious stone, typically a single crystal or piece of a hard lustrous or translucent mineral cut into shape with flat facets or smoothed and polished for use as an ornament.

1. 1.1usually jewels An ornament or piece of jewellery containing a precious stone or stones.
   she loved dressing up in her jewels

   the Crown Jewels

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Tony is just out of jail, after serving five years for a jewel heist.
   • Your gowns and jewels and trinkets, all of those were very pricey.
   • He was wearing the ceremonial cape covered with silver jewels and other amulets.
   • Duessa is dressed in the jewels and scarlet costume of the Whore of Babylon.
   • An epidemic of jewel heists is plaguing stores in malls from Connecticut to Florida.
   • There were tents of vendors selling artwork, trinkets, jewels and food.
   • Jewels have adorned the stars of the silver screen for over a century.
   • During a performance of Swan Lake, wacky cops and jewel thieves overrun the stage.
   • Is he just trying to get close enough to steal the jewel for power?
   • The jewels sparkled as she stepped out onto the deck of the ship.
   • There was a separate stall for jewels embellished with precious stones like pearls, ruby and emerald.
   • The maid reappeared soon with three leather cases brimming with jewels and other trinkets.
   • The fecund decorations are transplanted in the exquisitely designed gold-plated jewels embellished with precious stones.
   • Five men carrying guns burst into King's jewellers last night and demanded money and jewels.
   • The twist comes when Wilma's handbag gets switched with that of a jewel thief.
   • He was dressed in purple silk robes and had jewels adorning his stubby neck and fingers.
   • They were dumped and locked in a fine cabin, full of exotic rugs, firs, jewels and trinkets.
   • The princess and elephant puppets were also wonderfully designed with pearl-strewn costumes, jewels, and glittering fabrics.
   • Village women often wear great wedding jewels to work.
   • My eyes were drawn to the exotic colors of beautiful gowns and glittering jewels the Thai ladies wore.

   Synonyms

   piece of jewellery, ornament

   trinket
2. 1.2 A hard precious stone used as a bearing in a watch, compass, or other device.
   Example sentencesExamples

   • There are only 16 rooms in this little jewel, now part of the Orient Express group.
   • Bikini Genie is an ingenious little gizmo of a jewel that clips onto the back of your bikini and gathers it up into an instant thong.
   • August is the month my family makes its annual escape to Pinecrest Lake, a pretty little jewel north of Yosemite.
   • The Celtic fans, meanwhile, patiently awaited the little jewels that brighten up such routine victories.
   • Il Desiderio Preso per la Coda is a little-known jewel near the Piazza Navona.
   • I twirled it between my index finger and thumb, watching the jewel give off bright rays when it passed a specific angle.
   • Her jewel was resonating a little, then returned to normal.
   • Also, instead of the usual single row of stitching common on other designs, this little jewel of the outback sports two lines for an extra measure of strength.
   • The song, added to the tongue-in-cheek scenario, made this a hilarious little jewel.
   • Quite how this shiny little jewel of a record got ignored I will never know.
   • Compassion and love - those are the real jewels.
   • It is a little jewel of a place and an interest in fly fishing or shooting is not necessary.
   • When I took my little jewel of a dinner out, the yolk's top half was beginning to harden a little, and this proved very enjoyable.
   • Fine blades of Chinese cabbage came with pumpkin seeds, little jewels of red pepper and just a breath of sweetness.
   • Now I'm spooning the little jewels of fruit salad into my mouth as I look out the window.
   • Naturally you would like to know more about the Jewel of Elrokis - and more about the whereabouts of your little jewel.
3. 1.3 A very pleasing or valued person or thing; a very fine example.
   she was a jewel of a nurse

   Example sentencesExamples

   • And Galway is the shining jewel in the crown of the Irish racing industry.
   • On the cradle by the window slept their precious jewel, their baby daughter.
   • He has made little jewels of melody and elegant settings to surround them.
   • To him, she was a precious jewel among thousands of massive and useless rocks.
   • Their last three albums were sparkling jewels in the power-pop coal mine of the 1990s.
   • Peterhof stands out like a jewel among the bland communist structures found in greater St. Petersburg.
   • The Indian woman wears the priceless jewel of modesty with pride.
   • Close to the beach a living jewel glowed in front of us.
   • St. Pio is certainly one of the most precious jewels of the Capuchin Order.
   • The Buddha, the jewel in the lotus himself, didn't start out in the mud.
   • His squad boasts but one jewel, the 23-year-old Phil Jagielka, but Warnock can look forward to a new contract and more cash should United advance.
   • Draped with some of the world's finest footballing jewels and still Italy have failed to truly sparkle.

   Synonyms

   finest example/specimen, choicest example/specimen, best example/specimen, showpiece, pearl, flower, pride, pride and joy, cream, crème de la crème, jewel in the crown, nonpareil, glory, wonder, prize, boast, pick

   masterpiece, chef d'oeuvre, pièce de résistance

   outstanding example, shining example

   Latin ne plus ultra

   informal the pick of the bunch

   treasure, saint, angel, paragon, marvel, find, godsend, someone/something worth their weight in gold

   darling, dear

   informal one in a million, one of a kind, a star, the bee's knees, the tops

   archaic nonesuch