Have you ever thought that jewels are not only ornaments, but also symbols? That’s right: jewels are also messages. Very often they contain symbols that communicate a feeling, an intention, and even a request for help. But these symbols are not always known. Maybe you are wearing a piece of jewelry that has a meaning and you don’t know it. Here, then, are the symbols most used in jewelry and what their meaning is.
With a premise: every moment of history, every society, every culture has its own symbols. So, a list that includes exactly all the symbols that are used in jewelry would be very long. Furthermore, the symbols used in Asia, for example, are quite different from the Western ones (for example the dragon or the circles). Then there are symbols that need no explanation, such as those linked to the zodiac signs, or the cross, a symbol of the Christian religion.
Symbols of love
Symbols linked to love are the most used in jewellery. The meaning of the eternity ring, for example, composed of a continuous line of diamonds or other gems along the entire edge of the shank, is easily understandable: the desire for endless love. From mathematics, however, comes the symbol ∞, the sign of infinity which, on a jewel, means forever, eternal love. Furthermore, it is impossible not to mention the heart, an organ which, according to an ancient tradition, contains passions and feelings of love.
The heart is the most common symbol for love, passion, but also for charity. A crown placed above this symbol wearing it indicates that the one who gave it as a gift is the king of the heart. Another symbol linked to love is the arrow, which according to the ancient Greeks was shot by Cupid to make people fall in love. A lock or padlock protects the heart and, therefore, who you love. A padlock is also used as a union sign that cannot be divided.
A key, on the contrary, symbolizes the power to open the heart, therefore access to love and feeling. Or to close off access to other competitors in love. Always among the symbols of love, there are occasionally two shaking hands: they are not the sign of a deal just concluded, but a symbol of loyalty, friendship, alliance in life. But this symbol is used more rarely.
The snake
The snake symbol has different meanings. In the ancient Greek and Roman world it meant a guardian, but also a symbol of wisdom, fertility and creative life force. More recently, however, a snake bracelet has had the meaning of eternal love in the Victorian period. Symbol of sin for the Christian religion, the snake has also become a symbol of carnal passion, of desire.
Lucky symbols
Since ancient times, jewels have also been used as amulets. Therefore, jewels with symbols to ward off the evil eye or as a good luck charm abound. It does not appear that a jewel of this type can win the lottery, but the fact is that a large number of people who hope to find luck wearing a necklace or a bracelet. The four-leaf clover is traditionally one of the most used symbols. In fact, luck is as rare as a four-lobed clover leaf.
Another symbol of protection from bad luck is the eye. It is a symbol that dates back to classical Greek antiquity. The idea is that the eye protects from the malevolent gaze of enemies. The horseshoe is also a symbol often used for pendants, although their use is controversial: some think it brings good luck when turned up, but bad luck when turned down. But others think otherwise. In Italy, especially in the South, a small horn is considered a good luck charm.
Beetle
Today it is less common, but every now and then some jeweler proposes a pendant or a ring with the shape of a scarab. The meaning comes from ancient Egypt, when these insects were considered a symbol of renewal and regeneration. Later the scarabs were also considered a sign of resistance of the soul.
Moon and tree of life
It has no meaning related to the stars. The crescent moon, however, symbolizes the beginning of a new relationship, with the hope that the couple will consolidate over time. Another symbol that refers to nature, but also to the origin of life is the tree. And in addition to representing the cycle of biological life on Earth, in the tradition of the Christian religion the tree of life is a tree that God placed in the Garden of Eden, together with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The hand of Fatima
Called Hamsa or Khamsa in Arabic, the hand it is an amulet characteristic of the Muslim and Jewish religions. For the Jews it is the Hand of Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron. For popular Islam, the hand represents an infallible remedy against the evil eye and negative influences in general. But the hand of Fatima was also a sign of freedom for women: according to legend, a woman named Fatima sacrificed her hand to be free. Today the hand of Fatima is also used to indicate spaces dedicated to women.
Symbol of peace
The peace symbol, also called “make love, not war”, dates back to 1958: it is an idea by the American designer and pacifist Gerald Holtom. It became popular in the 1960s and 1970s during the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations. Although for some the symbol is a graphic representation of the physical love between man and woman, Holtom explained that in reality the graphic sign refers to the semaphore alphabet used in nautical signaling: it would represent the letters N and D, which stands for Nuclear Disarmament. In any case, it has become the universal symbol of peace and love more generally.
