Gema

Gema is the Spanish word for a gem and a Spanish personal name related to Italian Gemma. Both belong to the Latin gemma family, which gives the name a direct connection with precious stones. The image is small and vivid: something valued for its beauty, color, and natural rarity, rather than a long descriptive phrase hidden behind the name.

Its single m is the normal Spanish word spelling. Spanish speakers generally give the opening g the sound heard in Spanish words such as gente, while English readers familiar with Gemma may initially expect a different beginning. That difference is useful to discuss in a bilingual family. Gema preserves a distinctly Spanish written form while sharing an easily understood jewel meaning with its Italian relative.