jewel in the crown

English

Etymology

The phrase historically referred to India under the British Raj (1858–1947), the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent.

Noun

jewel in the crown (plural jewels in the crown)

1. (idiomatic) The most valuable or important thing or person among others of its kind.
   • 2020 August 26, Katharine Q. Seelye, “Angela Buxton, Half of an Outcast Duo in Tennis History, Dies at 85”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     They eventually found each other and forged a powerful doubles partnership. In 1956, they won the French Championships and Wimbledon, the jewel in the crown of a sport that had hardly welcomed them.

   • 2022 March 13, Ben Quinn, “Russian-owned auction house faces boycott by art world figures”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     The 226-year-old auction house ranks behind only Sotheby’s and Christie’s as one of the sector’s major international players, […] . It has stood alongside Chelsea as one of the jewels in the crown of Russian investments in “Londongrad”.

Related terms

• crown jewel, crown jewels

Translations

the most valuable or important thing

• Turkish: baş tacı (tr)

Further reading

• “jewel in the crown”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “jewel in the crown”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “the jewel in the crown”, in Oxford Learner's Dictionaries