Meaning & use
semiprecious
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a noun
Describing a gemstone that is beautiful and used in jewelry but is less rare and less expensive than precious stones like diamonds, rubies, or emeralds.
Grammar: Used before a noun: semiprecious stone, semiprecious gem. It is not usually used after a verb (not 'The stone is semiprecious').
Patterns
- semiprecious stone
- semiprecious gem
- semiprecious gemstone
Amethyst and garnet are common semiprecious stones used in rings and necklaces.
The shop sells both precious and semiprecious gems.
She prefers semiprecious stones because they are affordable and colorful.
Common combinations
- semiprecious stone
- Turquoise is a semiprecious stone often set in silver.
- semiprecious gem
- The necklace features a large semiprecious gem.
- semiprecious gemstone
- Garnet is a semiprecious gemstone with a deep red color.
- precious and semiprecious
- The museum displays both precious and semiprecious stones.
Synonyms and how they differ
- precious
- Precious stones are rarer and more valuable; semiprecious stones are more common and less costly.
Opposites
Commonly confused: semiprecious or semiprofessional?
semiprecious vs semiprofessional
Semiprecious refers to gemstones; semiprofessional describes someone who is paid for an activity but not as a full-time job.
Practice
Which gemstone is typically described as semiprecious?
Choose one answer.
Amethyst is a semiprecious stone. Diamonds, rubies, and emeralds are classified as precious stones, which are rarer and more expensive.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “semiprecious”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.