crown jewels

British  

plural noun

1. the jewellery, including the regalia, used by a sovereign on a state occasion

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crown jewels Idioms  

1. A prized possession or asset, as in The Iliad and Odyssey are the crown jewels of ancient literature , or The software products are the company's crown jewels . This usage transfers the value of royal jewels to some other object. [Late 1800s]

2. Also, family jewels . The male genitals, especially the testicles. For example, She gave the would-be mugger a hard kick in the family jewels . A slang euphemism, the term dates from the 1970s, and the variant from the early 1900s.

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Example Sentences

Paramount is the only major studio to be physically located in Hollywood and its studio lot is one of the company’s crown jewels.

From Los Angeles Times

The two Panama container terminals—Balboa on the Pacific coast and Cristóbal on the Atlantic side—were the crown jewels of the deal.

From The Wall Street Journal

Just a few weeks ago, a U.S. hedge-fund manager known for playing the long game in Latin America won a protracted battle for one of Venezuela’s crown jewels.

From MarketWatch

Just a few weeks ago, a U.S. hedge-fund manager known for playing the long game in Latin America won a protracted battle for one of Venezuela’s crown jewels.

From MarketWatch

Questions continue to swirl since the October 19 break-in over whether it was avoidable and why thieves were able to steal crown jewels worth more than $100 million.

From Barron's

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