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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.

See Examples For:

precious stone

The addition of a single precious stone could have upped the price to $1,600, said Jae Choi, nephew of the owner, a Korean immigrant who goes by Mr. Bling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 8, 2024

The book’s theme plays off the author’s name: “Ruby” is a precious stone, and “Bridges” are meant to bring people together.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 5, 2022

International organisations are yet to certify the precious stone.

From Reuters ● Dec. 12, 2021

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

Her mother had just sold Hazel’s first precious stone: a small diamond.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

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