gioiello
/d͡ʒoˈjɛl.lo/
The English word jewel is gioiello in Italian.
gioiello refers to a piece of jewelry or a jewel. If you want to refer specifically to the gemstone itself, you can use the more formal term pietra preziosa. Other related jewelry terms include bracciale for bracelet and orecchino for earring.
Meaning: gemstone (noun)
Which one should you use?
While gioiello is used for a piece of jewelry, pietra preziosa is used specifically to refer to the precious stone itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of gioiello is gioielli.
How do you pronounce it?
/dʒoˈjɛl.lo/. The word has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- Italian has a specific word for the setting of a stone, incastonatura, which comes from the verb incastrare, meaning 'to fit' or 'to wedge' something into place.
- In Italian, if you want to call a person a 'gem' or a 'jewel' to praise them, you might use gioiello, but it is even more common to call them a tesoro, meaning 'treasure'.
- The word gioiello is a direct linguistic cousin to the English word 'jewel', as both trace their roots back to the Old French word 'jouel'.
Examples in context
- Mia madre è il mio gioiello.My mother is my jewel.This sentence is useful for showing how gioiello can be used metaphorically to describe a person.Tatoeba #1634405 by Guybrush88, translation #1012181 by Miktsoanit
- Hanno esaminato il gioiello.They examined the jewel.This sentence shows the use of gioiello when referring to an object being examined.Tatoeba #1817463 by Guybrush88, translation #1817355 by Amastan
- Quel gioiello è veramente prezioso.That jewel is truly precious.
- Mi hai regalato una pietra preziosa.You gave me a precious stone.
- Mi piace moltissimo il tuo gioiellino.I really like your little jewel.
- Quel bijou che hai indossato è molto elegante.That jewel you wore is very elegant.
- Questo gioiello è molto prezioso.This gemstone is very precious.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are looking at a display in a jewelry store.
- ChiaraGuarda che bellissimo gioiello!Look what a beautiful jewel!
- FrancescoÈ davvero splendido, Chiara.It really is splendid, Chiara.
- ChiaraQuanto costerà quel gioiello?How much would that jewel cost?
- FrancescoProbabilmente è molto costoso.It is probably very expensive.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gioiello, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gioiello, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
