Japanese symbol for “gem”
宝石
ほうせき
Romaji: houseki
gem; jewel; precious stone
In Japanese, gem is 宝石, read ほうせき (houseki).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n gem; jewel; precious stone
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “gem”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 玉 | たま tama | gem; jewel (esp. spherical; sometimes used figuratively); pearl |
| 逸品 | いっぴん ippin | excellent article; fine item; rare beauty |
| 珠玉 | しゅぎょく shugyoku | jewel; gem |
| ジェム | ジェム jemu | gem |
| ビジュー | ビジュー bijuu | gem; jewel; ornament |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 宝くじ | たからくじ takarakuji | lottery |
| 宝物 | たからもの takaramono | treasure; treasured item; prized possession |
| 国宝 | こくほう kokuhou | national treasure |
| 重宝 | ちょうほう chouhou | convenient; useful; handy |
| 宝庫 | ほうこ houko | treasury; treasure house; storehouse |
| 石油 | せきゆ sekiyu | oil; petroleum |
| 化石 | かせき kaseki | fossil |
| 石鹸 | せっけん sekken | soap |
See also: Chinese symbol for “gem”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.