Jewelleries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection of decorative items typically made from precious metals and gemstones worn as accessories
2. the art or profession of creating and selling such adornments
3. an assemblage of ornamental objects, often cherished for their beauty and value

Etymology: "Jewelleries" is the plural of "jewellery," so the word's story is really the story of its singular. English took "jewellery" from Middle English "juelrye," which came from Old French "juelerye," a formation built from "jewel" plus the suffix "-ery," which marks a collection or trade of things. A jewellery is, in effect, a set of valuable objects gathered together, and the suffix does the same work in words like "armoury" or "pottery." The base word "jewel" has its own journey: it passed from Old French into English, where it originally meant a piece of precious ornament. Adding "-ery" turned that single object into a category, the whole body of such ornaments. The plural "jewelleries" is the form used when people mean several distinct collections or kinds of such ornaments, rather than jewellery in general.

Synonyms: jewelry, bijouterie, ornaments, adornments, trinkets