One of the most poignant jewelry trends to emerge recently is the evil eye. Just this week alone, celebrities like Meghan Markle and Gigi Hadid have been spotted wearing their evil eye jewelry — and the meaning runs deep.
The power of the evil eye is thought to be in its ability to ward off evil spirits and protect the wearer. There are origins of the belief that can be traced back to Greece, Turkey, Ancient Rome, and more, all landing on a similar sentiment. The cultural entrance of the evil eye came as a way to dispel curses and, as BBC notes, "With such an ardent and widespread belief that a stare held the power to inflict catastrophic misfortune, it’s no surprise that the people of these ancient civilizations sought out a means to repel it, which led to the earliest iterations of the nazar amulet that we know today."
After showing up in a number of religious texts, jewelry became more mainstream with the invention of glass beads. According to The New York Times, "Glass beads appeared in the Mediterranean in about 1500 B.C., as glass production became more sophisticated, and evil-eye beads became popular among the Phoenicians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans."
The jewelry trend continues to pick up steam today. Markle was seen wearing her evil eye pendant during a Zoom call with Smart Works, and many believe she was sending a hidden message to the press to keep negativity at bay. New parents-to-be, Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik, took to Instagram to share their matching diamond-studded evil eye bracelets, also interpreted as a call to the press after their pregnancy news was leaked — and also perhaps a sign of their commitment to surround their new baby with positive vibes.
From the affordable amulets to the splurge-worthy gems, add the below evil eye pieces to your jewelry collection this season.
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Go classic with a navy glass evil eye bracelet.
Pack a hard punch (literally) with a dainty evil eye ring featuring gold, enamel, and diamonds.
Splurge on a pair of earrings with a pavé diamond detail and single sapphire stone to ward off evil spirits.
Consider a more abstract take on the trend with a hard-stone pendant.
Go trendy with a chunky chain and a diamond and sapphire pendant in the middle.
Keep it simple with a stackable bracelet featuring fun, fringe detail on the clasp.
Add a little glam to your arm party with a crystal-studded evil eye bracelet.
