What does gemstone mean?
A gemstone refers to a precious or semiprecious material, usually a mineral, valued for its beauty and used in jewelry, ornament, or collecting. In ordinary use, it often denotes a piece of such material that has been cut and polished, such as a sapphire, amethyst, jade, or opal. Diamonds are also gemstones, although the term precious stone is sometimes used more narrowly. Gemstone is common in jewelry descriptions, mineralogy, lapidary work, auction listings, and discussions of rarity, provenance, and value. Compared with the shorter gem, which may emphasize a finished jewel, gemstone can name the material or an individual stone more generally. The word is written as one word and is not strongly regional, though jewelry-related language follows the usual British and American differences in spelling and vocabulary.
nounA gemstone is a precious or semiprecious material, commonly a mineral, valued for its beauty and used in jewelry, ornament, or collecting. It may be natural or laboratory-grown.
- A precious or semiprecious stone or other material valued for its beauty, especially when cut and polished for use in jewelry or ornament.
"The sapphire was set in a delicate ring of gold and small gemstones."
"The jeweler set a rare gemstone in a gold mounting."
"The museum's collection includes gemstones from several regions and historical periods."
The standard regular plural adds -s to the complete word.
"The jeweler selected several gemstones for the commission."
A diamond is a gemstone, but the word covers far more—from ruby and sapphire to jade, amethyst, and opal.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gemstone come from?
Gemstone is a compound of gem and stone. Gem came into Middle English from Old French gemme, ultimately from Latin gemma, meaning a gem or precious stone, while stone comes from Old English stān. The Latin root is also reflected in gemma and gemmule, while gemology and gemologist belong to a related line of vocabulary derived ultimately from the same ancient word.
How gemstone is actually used
The term is standard in general English and common in jewelry, geology, auction, and collecting contexts. British and American usage differ mainly in related spelling conventions, such as jewellery and jewelry.
Easily confused with gemstone
A gemstone can refer to the material or an individual stone, whereas a gem often emphasizes a finished piece of gemstone cut and polished for use in jewelry.