[MD] Precious ?

[Ian Glendinning]

Pirsig revealed his Anglophile love of the English language and the
many uses of the word "fair" from his earliest experiences.

Question - does the English use of the word "precious" translate into
US / abroad ?
As in one person describing another as being "precious" or "precious about X" ?

I wanted to pick up on the "words as gravestones" point in the quality
context - not sure what language to use.
Ian