Meaning
宝石 refers to rare and valuable minerals or stones that are used in jewelry and decoration. This includes diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and other precious and semi-precious stones. The word combines 宝 (treasure) and 石 (stone) to literally mean 'treasure stone.'
Usage
宝石 is used in formal and informal contexts when discussing jewelry, geology, or valuable stones. It's commonly seen in jewelry stores, fashion discussions, and when talking about luxury items. Native speakers often use it to describe both natural gemstones and sometimes high-quality synthetic stones used in jewelry.
Examples
- 01这条项链上镶嵌着许多珍贵的宝石。.This necklace is set with many precious gemstones.
- 02她收到了一枚镶有蓝宝石的戒指作为生日礼物。.She received a ring set with a sapphire as a birthday gift.
Characters
Measure words
- 颗一颗宝石
- 块一块宝石
Common collocations
- 宝石戒指gemstone ring
- 天然宝石natural gemstone
- 镶嵌宝石to set/inlay gemstones
- 稀有宝石rare gemstone
Origin
The compound directly combines 宝 (treasure/precious) with 石 (stone), creating a transparent meaning of 'precious stone.' This construction has been used in Chinese for centuries to distinguish valuable stones from ordinary rocks.