joyería
/xoʝeˈɾia/
The Spanish word for jewelry is joyería.
joyería is a collective noun used to describe jewelry. The most common translation for jewelry is joyas.
Which one should you use?
There are different words depending on what you are describing. Use joyas to refer to individual pieces of jewelry or gems. Use bisutería specifically for costume jewelry or fashion accessories, and use baratijas if you are referring to trinkets or jewelry of lesser value. Additionally, joyerías is the plural form of joyería meaning jewelry stores.
How does it change in a sentence?
joyería functions as a collective noun. However, when you want to refer to individual pieces of jewelry, you should use the plural form joyas.
How do you pronounce it?
/xoʝeˈɾia/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistake the word for the person (jeweler) with the word for the object (jewelry). In Spanish, the person is a joyero and the object/store is joyería.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a joyero is not just a person who sells jewelry, but can also specifically refer to a wooden or metal box used to store it.
- If you use the word baratijas to describe someone's jewelry, you are not just being descriptive, you are being quite insulting by calling their items 'cheap trinkets'.
- The suffix -ería in joyería is a common way to name shops, such as in panadería for a bakery or librería for a bookstore.
Examples in context
- Yo no tengo nada de joyería costosa.I don't own any expensive jewelry.This sentence shows how to use joyería to talk about expensive items.Tatoeba #1279025 by marcelostockle, translation #681676 by Source_VOA
- La caja contiene algo de joyería antigua.The box contains some old jewelry.This sentence illustrates using joyería to describe old items in a box.Tatoeba #1423270 by marcelostockle, translation #680578 by Source_VOA
- ¿Qué clase de joyería vas a usar con este vestido?What sort of jewelry are you going to wear with this dress?This sentence shows how to ask about wearing joyería with an outfit.Tatoeba #1254604 by marcelostockle, translation #57280 by CK
- ¿Dónde puedo encontrar joyerías en esta ciudad?Where can I find jewelry stores in this city?
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are looking at a store window.
- AlejandroMira esa joyería, ¡qué bonita!Look at that jewelry, how beautiful!
- MaríaTienes razón, me encanta la joyería de oro.You're right, I love gold jewelry.
- AlejandroQuieres entrar a ver la joyería?Do you want to go in and see the jewelry?
- MaríaSí, vamos a mirar la joyería ahora.Yes, let's look at the jewelry now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry joyería, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
