宝石 (bǎo shí) literally means 'treasure stone' — 宝 (bǎo) means 'treasure' or 'precious thing', and 石 (shí) means 'stone' or 'rock'. Together, they refer to naturally occurring minerals that are valued for their beauty, rarity, and durability — such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Unlike ordinary rocks or synthetic imitations, genuine 宝石 are typically cut and polished for use in fine jewelry and collectibles.

This word is used in formal and everyday contexts when discussing jewelry, geology, collecting, or luxury goods. It carries a positive, refined connotation and is rarely used metaphorically. Note that while some culturally significant stones (e.g., jade) are called 宝石 in modern usage, traditional Chinese classification sometimes distinguishes jade (玉, yù) as its own category. The term does not include pearls (珍珠, zhēn zhū), which are organic and not mineral-based.