[Tax-chick]

According to Wikipedia, "jewel" originates in the Latin word for "play" ... jocus (joke) ... which became jeu in France. I suppose the connection is that people (and animals) play with sparkly things that have no survival utility.

There is no connection to "Jew."

[yarddog]

Thanks, I always sort of thought it came from “Jew”.

Gypsies, at least the word, came from “Egypt”, and some people still think they originated there. Most say originally India then Romania.

[GreenHornet]

According to Wikipedia, "jewel" originates in the Latin word for "play" ... jocus (joke) ... which became jeu in France. I suppose the connection is that people (and animals) play with sparkly things that have no survival utility. There is no connection to "Jew."

It brings to mind one of Gilda Radner's "Emily Litella" editorials: "What's all this fuss about Soviet jewelry?"