gemstone

Everyday

A precious or beautiful stone that is cut and polished to be used in jewellery, such as a diamond, ruby, sapphire or emerald. tree →

In the lessons

In science, most gemstones are minerals that formed as crystals deep in the Earth; their colour comes from tiny amounts of other elements. In everyday life, gemstones are used in rings, necklaces and crowns. In history and stories, kings' crowns and pirates' treasure sparkle with gemstones. Phrases: «precious gemstones», «a birthstone».

Examples

• A ruby is a red gemstone. tree →
• The crown was covered in gemstones. tree →
• Diamonds are the hardest gemstones. tree →
• We found tiny gemstones when panning at the museum. tree →
• Each month has its own birthstone gemstone. tree →
• Gemstones are cut so they sparkle in the light. tree →
• Amber is a gemstone made from old tree resin. tree →

Note

Countable compound: gem + stone. Also simply called «gems» or «jewels». Not all gemstones are minerals: pearls come from oysters and amber from tree resin.