Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
a. sort of or somewhat precious or valuable. Usually used as part of the phrase semi-precious stones or semi-precious gems. alt. sort of or somewhat precious or valuable. Usually used as part of the phrase semi-precious stones or semi-precious gems.
Usage examples of "semi-precious".
The eye of a goat is a living semi-precious stone half way between amber and arylide, and the crickets are the fluorescent green of the youngest shoots of grass in the original Eden.
The amulet cases carried by men and women varied in design and shape and gave an opportunity for the craftsmen to express the characteristically Tibetan love of colour and inlay, whether using semi-precious stones or imitations.
Nor did she appear aware of how the fine garments, rich embroidery, and semi-precious stones of a great baron's daughter had vanished forever.
In the sunlight of late afternoon it looked like one of the pietra dura inlays at which Florentine craftsmen excelleda picture shaped from antique gold and semi-precious stones, amber and carnelian, topaz, heliodor, and chrysoberyl.
The High Temple's benches were not of serviceable ash but sun-blond oak, waxed and polished to glowing perfection and inset with ebony, fragrant red sandalwood, thin layers of semi-precious stones, and whole sheets of shimmering mother of pearl.
You saw in the eye of your mind, you looked with fierce attention at the world and what it showed you, you chose carefully among the tesserae and the stones and-if they were on offer-the semi-precious gems you were given.