precious stone

American

noun

a gem distinguished for its beauty and rarity, used in jewelry.

precious stone British

noun

any of certain rare minerals, such as diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, or opal, that are highly valued as gemstones

"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 precious stone

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300

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.

I hover over them, careful not to breathe so that no precious stone gets fogged up.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2024

“A precious stone collection could be displayed in an antique letterpress drawer. You can put a piece of glass over it and make it into a side table or a coffee table,” Araujo says.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 29, 2024

Pieces still missing include an epaulette on which a precious stone known as the Dresden White Diamond was mounted.

From Reuters • Dec. 17, 2022

So a precious stone from Persia was named "Turkey stone," and the French version of that name, "pierre turquoise," gave us the word "turquoise."

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2021

“Allow me to dress! I cannot look on this precious stone in my pajamas.”

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

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