a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
"She carefully selected a blue sapphire to serve as the central jewel in her grandmother's tiara."
A precious or semi-precious stone; gem, gemstone.
"She wore a necklace adorned with a sparkling blue jewel around her neck."
In plain English: A jewel is a precious gemstone that people often cut and set into jewelry because of its beauty and value.
"She wore her favorite sapphire jewel in her necklace to the party."
Usage: Use the noun jewel specifically when referring to a cut and polished gemstone rather than an uncut rough stone. Avoid confusing it with similar terms like "gem" if you need to emphasize that the stone has been shaped for use in jewelry or decoration.
To bejewel; to decorate or bedeck with jewels or gems.
"The artisan carefully jeweled the crown with diamonds and emeralds."
In plain English: To jewel something means to set it with precious stones, though this usage is rare and mostly found in formal contexts about jewelry making rather than everyday conversation.
"The jeweler will jewel that ring with three small diamonds next week."
A female given name from English from the noun jewel, used since the end of the 19th century.
"The bride wore a necklace that matched her new jewel name."
The word "jewel" comes from Middle English and Old French, where it originally meant a precious stone. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, though it may be related to the Latin words for "joy" or "joke," or possibly an Arabic term.