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gemstone

American  
[jem-stohn] / ˈdʒɛmˌstoʊn /

noun

  1. a precious or semiprecious stone that can be cut and polished for use as a gem.

gemstone British  
/ ˈdʒɛmˌstəʊn /

noun

  1. a precious or semiprecious stone, esp one cut and polished for setting in jewellery

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of gemstone

before 1000; Middle English gimstone, Old English gimstān. See gem, stone

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The structure included a rounded base and a top with multiple flat faces resembling a cut gemstone.

From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2026

These include unusual ones such as the gemstone eudialyte and steenstrupine, which contains other rare earths used in high-tech devices.

From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026

The find, in the village of Sedgeford, near Hunstanton, is set with a dark red gemstone.

From BBC • Dec. 28, 2024

Meanwhile, the Brazilian government has engaged in its own lengthy legal battle in federal court to try to repatriate the gemstone.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2024

Most people head right through this room to the gemstone one next door, with its flashy precious and semiprecious rocks.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.