jewel

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun A precious stone; a gem.
• noun A small natural or artificial gem used as a bearing in a watch.
• noun A costly ornament of precious metal or gems.
• noun One that is treasured or esteemed.
• transitive verb To adorn with jewels.
• transitive verb To fit with jewels.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun A precious stone or gem; especially, a gem cut and shaped for ornament or use: as, the jewels of a crown.
• noun An article of personal adornment, consisting of a gem or gems in a setting of precious metal; also, formerly, any piece of jewel-work, or a trinket or ornament worn on the person, as a ring, a bracelet, or a brooch.
• noun An ornament of precious stones, or metal, enamel, etc., worn as a decoration, or as the badge of an honorary order: as, the jewel of the Garter.
• noun A precious stone used in watchmaking, on account of its hardness and resistance to wear, as where a pivot turns in a socket.
• noun An imitation, in glass or enamel, of areal jewel. See jeweled, 3.
• noun In colored-glass windows, etc., a projecting boss of glass, sometimes cut with facets, introduced in the design to give variety and richness of effect.
• noun Anything of great value or rare excellence; anything especially fine or dear: sometimes applied to persons as a term of high commendation or tender endearment.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun An ornament of dress usually made of a precious metal, and having enamel or precious stones as a part of its design.
• noun A precious stone; a gem.
• noun An object regarded with special affection; a precious thing.
• noun A bearing for a pivot a pivot in a watch, formed of a crystal or precious stone, as a ruby.
• noun (Naut.) block at the extremity of a yard, through which the halyard of a studding sail is rove.
• transitive verb To dress, adorn, deck, or supply with jewels, as a dress, a sword hilt, or a watch; to bespangle, as with jewels; to bejewel.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun A precious or semi-precious stone; gem, gemstone.
• noun A valuable object used for personal ornamentation, especially one made of precious metals and stones; a piece of jewellery.
• noun figuratively Anything considered precious or valuable.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a person who is as brilliant and precious as a piece of jewelry
• noun a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
• verb adorn or decorate with precious stones