You might have noticed it on jewelry pieces of various prominent celebrities. Even Megan Markle has been spotted a few times wearing this accessory. But what is this piece of jewelry, and why is it becoming so popular?
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What Is The Evil Eye?
The name sound ominous, right? It sounds like someone is about to place an evil curse on you. However, the name of this piece of jewelry couldn’t be any more misleading. Rather than a curse, the evil eye is supposed to be a form of protection against evil, and the story surrounding this piece of jewelry is one of the oldest, going as far back as ancient Egypt.
They were glass symbols on leather chords in the past, but now they have transformed into beautiful jewelry pieces studded with precious stones.
They usually come in two designs. It could be round with an iris at the center, or it could be oblong. However, both designs and all evil eye jewel pieces serve the same purpose; to ward off evil.
The mystery and fascination with this item have followed it through time. If you are one of those people fascinated with this item, this article is meant to guide you to understand the Evil Eye. And the best place to start is at the very beginning. So let us take a look at the origin and history of this piece of jewelry.
The Origin Of The Evil Eye.
Imagine if someone could inadvertently curse you because they were jealous of you. Imagine if someone could suddenly cause misfortune to befall you through a look of envy. This curse that dates back to 3000 B.C. in ancient Greece is the reason behind the evil eye amulet. People believed that the evil eye reflects the evil eye curse on the person who sent it.
So let’s assume you won the lottery, and someone out of envy casts an envious gaze on you. The evil eye amulet will reflect the curse on the person. This story was an important part of the Greek and Roman culture, so the evil eye amulet was popular back then, as no one wanted to be cursed.
However, evil eye protective jewelry wasn’t reserved for the Greeks and Romans alone. The evil eye amulet also has a history in Turkey, and it was commonplace and went by the name Nazar Boncuk. Since the Turkish believed that blue was the color for good luck, most people who wore these amulets had them made in blue.
But What Does An Evil Eye Jewelry Piece symbolize?
It is supposed to bring guidance and peace and fend off evil, and since no evil will befall you, it is assumed that it also brings good luck.
The evil eye wasn’t kept as jewelry alone. Because of its popularity, it was made into various keepsakes and kept in various forms to protect the home and everyone who had it on them.
Because some cultures believed that the evil eye curse could be accidental, it wasn’t strange to see beautiful women, children, and affluent people with this amulet. Kids were said to be vulnerable, and beauty and success caused even the gods to get jealous. Remember what happened to Medusa? I know she wishes she had an evil eye amulet on her at the time.
The Evil Eye Can Come In Many Forms.
If you run a Google search on Evil eye, you will see a lot of hits, and the most noticeable thing is that a lot of them don’t look similar. They come in many forms like necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and even items not worn on any part of the body. Some look like regular flea market jewelry, while others look like they would be fit to grace the necks of royalty. Does this mean that the effects are different? According to anecdotes, the shape or look of the evil eye does not matter as long as it has the essential elements required to protect oneself.
Even in ancient times, the evil eye amulet was not the same across all the cultures that used it. For example, in cultures that practice Islam and Judaism, and even some that practiced Christianity, the form of evil eye amulet they used was called the Hamsa hand. It is an evil eye that is on a hand, and it symbolizes the hands of God. While most people would argue that this wasn’t the case, the Hamsa hand served the same purpose as the evil eye; protecting the wearer from evil while bringing them good luck.
Turkish culture also had its own stories and version of the evil eye. They believed that the look of evil came from the evil god, so they would wear a blue amulet shaped like an eye to avoid bad luck. This eye was said to look like the Devil’s eye. The Turkish evil eye is so popular that it is still their favorite amulet.
Does The Color Matter?
The most common form of the evil eye amulet comes with a blue eye. But there are other colors of the evil eye, and it isn’t weird for one person to have multiple evil eye bracelets. It is not just for getting matching bracelets for different outfits. The colors all have different meanings. They all have one function in common: protecting the wearer from any form of bad luck.
The most common form, the deep blue, also serves for calmness and promotes healthy conversation. I would say a lot of people need this one. The lighter blue version of this amulet offers protection and peace. Other popular colors include brown, which brings orderliness and a broadening of perspective, and black, which brings prosperity and prepares you for the unknown. Other colors include:
- Light Green offers personal power and promotes good health.
- Dark Green is good for health and anxiety.
- Pink is for calm, acceptance, and order.
- Red is for courage and confidence
- White means purity, which is not surprising.
- Purple helps fight depression.
- Orange is for happiness, creativity, and positive energy.
- Grey is for security.
As you can see, each color plays a different role apart from protection, so grabbing multiple evil eye amulets is not surprising, especially among believers.
Are There Precautions To Take When Getting Or Wearing An Evil Eye?
For a jewelry piece associated with belief and potency as strong as this, it is not amiss to be careful when trying to get one. Many important questions require answers before you can get one, and the most important of them is, can you buy evil eye jewelry for yourself?
There is a belief that the power of the Evil eye increases if someone who is truly worried about your safety gets it for you. But this does not mean that you can’t get one for yourself. It just means that you might not be accessing the full power of the jewel piece.
Another question, especially for people who wear their evil eyes as bracelets, is what hand should they wear the evil eye on?
The answer is that both wrists are safe, but wearing it on the right has a different symbolism than wearing it on the left. The right wrist helps with career and finances because the right side of the brain deals with productivity. On the other hand, the left side will help protect you in the creative, emotional, and interpersonal realm.
What Happens When Your Evil Eye Breaks
It is a piece of jewelry and will break, but the evil eye breaking could have a different meaning for the wearer. If your evil eye breaks, it means that you have successfully warded off so much negative energy that it breaks. However, this isn’t entirely good news as the implication is that you were surrounded by so much negative energy. If your evil eye breaks, you should replace it as soon as possible.
Final Words: Does The Evil Eye Work
The evil eye is supposed to protect you. It is like a lucky charm, and it is probably, the origin of all lucky charms. It protects you from negative energy and could even help with other areas of your life, depending on the color you get.
But does it work? Evidence shows that there might be some truth to this agelong story. However, whether the evil eye protects you from evil or not, there is no doubt that it is an excellent fashion accessory and will add to the beauty of your get-up. It is also a confidence booster as nothing boosts confidence more than the thought that you have added protection. Go ahead and get that evil eye jewelry; it is worth it.
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