SearchEvil eye meaning: what the symbol means, its colors, and how it is worn
The evil eye is the old belief that an envious or ill-wishing look can bring bad luck, and the name of the eye charm, classically dark blue, worn to turn that look away. The belief is very old, and families across the Mediterranean, the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America have kept it for generations.
The short answer
- A belief and a charm. Whether the charm protects anyone is a matter of faith, and the meaning does not depend on the metal.
- The charm is an eye looking back, classically dark blue, white and light blue around a dark center, worn to turn that look away. That is custom and faith, not a promise.
- It is worn as a bracelet, a pendant, a ring or earrings, and often given as a gift.
- The hamsa hand often carries the eye in its palm. The Eye of Horus is a different symbol, from ancient Egypt.
Looking for an evil eye in gold? Ask in the live chat, or call or text 212-872-9692; a person answers from 10 AM ET.
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What the evil eye means
The belief is simple. A look full of envy, or praise with no blessing behind it, can bring harm, often without the one looking meaning any. The evil eye is that look. The charm, an eye looking back, is there to catch it or send it back.
It is very old and very widespread. The belief turns up in ancient Greek and Roman writing, and it has a name in many languages: nazar in Turkish, mati in Greek, malocchio in Italian, ayin hara in Hebrew, mal de ojo in Spanish.
Whether it protects anyone is a matter of belief. What is certain is that families across the Mediterranean, the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America have kept it for generations: a bead pinned to a baby's clothes, an eye hung by the door, a charm on the wrist.
Where the evil eye comes from
The belief is older than the bead. Texts from Ugarit, a port city in what is now Syria that stood until about 1180 BC, already speak of an evil eye, and Greek and Roman writers from Hesiod and Plato to Plutarch and Pliny the Elder wrote about it. The glass eye bead came later, with glassmaking: eye beads survive from as early as the 16th century BC, more than 3,500 years ago, and were made from Mesopotamia and Egypt to Greece, Phoenicia, Persia and Rome.
- Greece: the eye is called mati, simply "eye". To lift it, someone in the family may say a quiet prayer handed down from an older relative; the ritual is called xematiasma.
- Turkey: the blue glass bead is the nazar boncuğu, hung in homes, cars and offices and on children's clothes. In Turkish belief, the blue turns the look aside.
- Jewish tradition: in Hebrew it is ayin hara, and it comes up again and again in rabbinic writing. Many families add b'li ayin hara, "without an evil eye", when they speak of good news or of their children, and a thin red string tied at the wrist is a folk custom against it.
- Muslim tradition: a saying of the Prophet Muhammad, recorded in Sahih Muslim, holds that the influence of the evil eye is real. Rather than praise a child outright, many Muslims say mashallah, "God has willed it".
- Hindu families and South Asia: it is nazar, or drishti in much of the south of India. When a child is praised too much, a mother may circle red chilies around the child's head and burn them; a small black mark on a baby's cheek, and lemons and green chilies hung at the door, are kept for the same reason.
The forms differ from family to family. The idea underneath is the same everywhere: praise can carry envy, and people keep a small sign against it.
Evil eye colors
Dark blue is the classic. The Turkish bead runs in rings of dark blue, white, light blue and black, sometimes with a yellow edge. The other colors are newer, and the meanings below are the ones sellers give most often today: a custom, not a rule, and they vary from one seller to the next. Pick the color you will wear.
| Color | What it is said to stand for | In our case |
|---|---|---|
| Dark blue | The classic color. Said to stand for calm, and for karma and fate. | a blue enamel eye in a diamond hamsa pendant |
| Light blue | Said to stand for everyday protection and peace. | the bracelet with blue and white lab-grown diamonds |
| Green | Said to stand for luck, growth and balance. | the gemstone necklace with an emerald eye, also made with a sapphire |
| Red | Said to stand for courage and energy. | the bracelet with rubies and natural white diamonds |
| Yellow | Said to stand for happiness and a clear head. | the bracelet with yellow lab-grown diamonds |
| White | Said to stand for purity and a fresh start. | the bracelet with natural white diamonds, also made with white lab-grown diamonds |
| Black | Said to stand for strength and power. | the bracelet with natural black diamonds |
| Pink or purple | Pink is said to stand for love and friendship; purple for imagination and wisdom. | the bracelet with pink lab-grown diamonds; no purple in our case today |
Most of ours set the eye in stones rather than glass: white, blue, pink, yellow or black diamonds, natural or lab-grown as each listing states, and a few with rubies, opal or blue enamel.
How the evil eye is worn
- On the wrist: a bracelet of small eyes, worn every day. Which wrist is a matter of custom, and customs differ.
- At the neck: one eye as a pendant, alone or beside a cross, a Star of David or a hamsa.
- On the hand and the ear: rings and earrings.
- As a gift: many families give one to a new baby, or to someone starting something new. Plenty of people buy their own, too.
- If it breaks: the old saying is that a cracked bead took a look meant for you, so it gets replaced. In gold, a loose stone or a bent link is a repair; bring it to the store.
Evil eye, hamsa or Eye of Horus?
Three symbols that get mixed up, even on listings:
| Symbol | What it shows | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| The evil eye | an eye, usually blue, looking back | the Mediterranean and the Middle East, with the belief in ancient Greek and Roman writing |
| The hamsa | an open hand, often with an eye in the palm | the Middle East and North Africa, in Jewish and Muslim homes alike; also called the hand of Miriam or the hand of Fatima |
| The Eye of Horus | one eye with falcon markings beneath it | ancient Egypt, a sign of protection, healing and royal power |
The hamsa has its own guide, what the hamsa hand means, and its own page, hamsa jewelry. Eye of Horus pendants sit with our Egyptian pendants.
What to look for when you buy one
- The metal, and its stamp. Solid gold is stamped 10K, 14K or 18K, and sterling silver 925. A bracelet worn every day wants solid gold or sterling; plating wears through where the clasp rubs.
- What makes the eye. Glass and enamel give the classic blues; diamonds and colored stones give the shine. The listing should name the stones and say whether the diamonds are natural or lab-grown.
- The clasp. On a bracelet, close it and give it a tug: a box clasp should click home and a safety catch should snap shut.
- The size. Measure the wrist before you order; our bracelet size chart reads it across, for her wrist and his.
- The color. Pick the one you will wear. The color meanings are custom, not rule.
Evil eye pieces from our case
To see them all at once, bracelets, pendants, rings and earrings, see our evil eye jewelry.
Most of ours are 14K gold, hard enough for a bracelet worn every day, and each listing states whether its diamonds are natural or lab-grown. The bracelets are mostly with our women's diamond bracelets. A size, color or stone we do not list can be made for you as custom work: a deposit starts the 3D design, and nothing is made until you approve. The desk gives you the timing.
Chat, text or call
Want the eye in your color, or on a chain you already wear?
The live chat answers at night too; a person takes calls and texts from 10 AM ET.
Evil eye questions
What does the evil eye mean?
It is the belief that an envious or ill-wishing look can bring bad luck, and the name of the eye charm worn to turn that look away. The belief is very old and found across the Mediterranean, the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America.
What do the evil eye colors mean?
Dark blue is the classic. Sellers today most often give light blue to everyday protection, green to luck, red to courage, yellow to happiness, white to a fresh start, black to strength and pink to love. It is custom, not rule; the table above has all eight.
Which wrist does an evil eye bracelet go on?
Either. Customs differ from family to family and there is no single rule. Wear it where you will see it.
Can you buy an evil eye for yourself?
Yes. Giving one is a kind custom, not a rule, and plenty of people choose their own.
What is the difference between the evil eye and the hamsa?
The evil eye is the eye; the hamsa is an open hand, often with the eye set in its palm. People wear both against the same envious look, alone or together.
What does it mean when an evil eye bracelet breaks?
By the old saying, a cracked bead took a look meant for you, so it gets replaced. In gold, a broken link or a loose stone is a repair: bring it to the store, or ask the desk in the live chat.
Keep reading
More answers from the store: all TraxNYC buyer's guides.
See it on the wrist
We are at 64 W 47th St, Booth F-1, New York, NY 10036, on 47th Street since 2004. Monday to Friday 11 am to 6 pm ET, Saturday and Sunday 12 pm to 4 pm ET; around a holiday, text first. Open the live chat, or call or text 212-872-9692, where a person answers from 10 AM ET; read our showroom page before you come.
