Jewelry symbols are motifs worn for what they mean, not only how they look. Most fall into six groups: protection and luck (evil eye, hamsa), love (heart, love knot), faith (cross, dove), the sky (star, moon), renewal (snake, butterfly), and strength and memory (anchor, skull). Most carry more than one meaning.
Most symbol guides give each motif one tidy meaning. History rarely does. The snake has stood for eternal love, medicine, temptation and rebirth. The skull has stood for death and for living well because of it. What a symbol means depends on who wore it, where and when, and increasingly on what it means to the person wearing it now. This guide gives the documented history where there is one, and says plainly where a popular meaning is modern.
The 25 Symbols at a Glance
| Symbol | Most common meaning | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Evil eye | Protection from envy and ill will | Protection and luck |
| Hamsa | Protection, blessing | Protection and luck |
| Horseshoe | Good luck, a home kept safe | Protection and luck |
| Four-leaf clover | Luck; faith, hope and love | Protection and luck |
| Elephant | Good fortune, wisdom, obstacles removed | Protection and luck |
| Heart | Romantic love | Love and connection |
| Love knot | Unbroken, enduring love | Love and connection |
| Infinity | Endless love or friendship | Love and connection |
| Lock | Commitment, a love kept safe | Love and connection |
| Key | Coming of age, access, "the key to my heart" | Love and connection |
| Initial | A name, a person, a bond | Love and connection |
| Cross | Christian faith | Faith and spirit |
| Angel wing | Protection, remembrance | Faith and spirit |
| Dove | Peace, the Holy Spirit | Faith and spirit |
| Star | Guidance, hope, ambition | The sky |
| Moon | Cycles, femininity, change | The sky |
| Sun | Vitality, warmth, life | The sky |
| Zodiac | Birth sign, personal identity | The sky |
| Snake | Eternity, renewal, eternal love | Nature and renewal |
| Butterfly | Transformation, the soul | Nature and renewal |
| Tree of life | Connection, family, growth | Nature and renewal |
| Lotus | Purity, awakening | Nature and renewal |
| Anchor | Hope, stability | Strength and memory |
| Skull | Mortality, living fully | Strength and memory |
| Celtic knot | Interconnection (a largely modern reading) | Strength and memory |
Symbols of Protection and Luck
Evil Eye
The evil eye is the belief that an envious or hostile look can cause harm. The charm against it, called a nazar, is usually a disc of handmade glass in concentric circles of dark blue, white, light blue and black. It is the nazar boncuğu in Turkey and the máti in Greece, and it is far older than either name: blue eye amulets go back to the Assyrians, with surviving examples some 3,500 years old. In jewelry it is worn as a pendant, bracelet charm or stud, given most often to new babies, new homes and anyone about to have a run of good fortune worth protecting.
Hamsa
The hamsa is an open palm, often with an eye set in its center. It is also called the Hand of Fatima in Islamic tradition and the Hand of Miriam in Jewish tradition, and it is especially associated with Sephardic Jewish communities. Its purpose is the same as the nazar's: to ward off the evil eye. That is why the two so often appear together. Its exact origins are debated, which is part of its appeal: it belongs to several cultures at once rather than to one.
Horseshoe
Horseshoes were made of iron, and iron was long believed to repel evil spirits and fairies, which is why a shoe was nailed above the door. Over time the protection became simple good luck. The argument about which way up it goes is real and unresolved. In the more common tradition the ends point up, so the shoe holds luck like a cup. In others the ends point down, so the luck pours onto whoever stands beneath. As a pendant, it is a classic gift for a new home or a new venture.
Four-Leaf Clover
The odds of finding a four-leaf clover are about 1 in 10,000, which is the whole point. In Christian and Irish tradition the first three leaves stand for faith, hope and love, and the fourth for luck or God's grace. Saint Patrick is said to have used the ordinary three-leaf shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity, which is why the clover and Ireland are inseparable. In fine jewelry the four-leaf form has become one of the most recognized good-luck motifs in the world.
Elephant
The elephant carries weight in several traditions. In Hinduism, the elephant-headed god Ganesha is the remover of obstacles, invoked at the start of new undertakings. In popular belief across much of Asia and beyond, an elephant with its trunk raised brings good fortune. As jewelry, it is usually given for a new beginning: a move, a degree, a business.
The nazar's history and materials are documented in Wikipedia's nazar entry; the hamsa's names and traditions by My Jewish Learning; the horseshoe and iron beliefs in Wikipedia's entry on iron in folklore; and the clover's odds and leaf meanings by Wonderopolis.
Symbols of Love and Connection
Heart
The heart shape as a symbol of love is younger than most people assume. It developed in the 15th century, became popular across Europe in the 16th, appeared on playing cards from the late 1400s, and has decorated Valentine's cards since the 19th century. That long run is why it reads instantly in any language. A heart pendant from a partner says one thing; a heart from a parent or a friend says something just as real, which is why it is the most gifted symbol in jewelry.
Love Knot
A love knot, or lovers' knot, is an interlaced knot with no visible end, standing for love that does not come undone. It is one of jewelry's oldest symbols of binding love and became especially fashionable in Victorian sentimental jewelry, where it was often combined with hearts, clasped hands and gemstones. Today it appears most often in studs, rings and pendants, and suits an anniversary better than almost any other motif.
Infinity
The infinity sign, also called a lemniscate, was introduced to mathematics by John Wallis in 1655 to mean a quantity without limit. Its use in jewelry for endless love or lifelong friendship is a modern borrowing rather than an old tradition, but it is a fair one: a single line that loops back on itself without end is an easy symbol to understand.
Lock
A lock is the plainest love token there is: a promise that something is closed and kept safe. Worn as a pendant, it reads as commitment. It pairs naturally with a key, and some couples split the two between them.
Key
The key has two strong meanings. As a love token it is "the key to my heart". As a milestone gift, it marks coming of age: the 21st-birthday key, the "key of the door" to the family home, is a tradition still alive in places such as New Zealand, where carved keys were long given at 21. A key pendant suits both, which makes it one of the more versatile gifts on this list.
Initial
An initial is the most personal symbol of all because it carries no meaning until someone gives it one. People wear their own initial, a partner's, a child's or a parent's. A small disc or letter pendant in solid gold is also one of the few pieces that can be worn every day for decades without dating.
The heart's history is set out in Wikipedia's heart symbol entry; the lovers' knot by Mozeris Fine Antiques; the infinity sign's origin in Wikipedia's infinity symbol entry; and the 21st-birthday key by Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
Symbols of Faith and Spirit
Cross
The cross is the principal symbol of Christianity. It comes in many forms: the Latin cross with its longer lower arm, the equal-armed Greek cross, the Celtic cross with a ring around its center, and the crucifix, which carries the figure of Christ. It is also worn as a design motif, from gothic silver to the sideways cross on a fine chain. Many people wear a cross for faith, some for family, and some for its shape alone; the respectful course is simply to know which you mean.
Angel Wing
Angel wings stand for protection and, more and more, for remembrance. A single wing is often worn in memory of someone who has died, while a pair suggests a guardian watching over the wearer. It is a modern motif rather than an ancient one, and one of the gentlest gifts for someone who is grieving.
Dove
The dove has two biblical roots. It returns to Noah with an olive branch, the origin of the dove as a symbol of peace, and it descends at the baptism of Jesus as the Holy Spirit. In jewelry it is given at baptisms, confirmations and weddings, and worn by many simply as a sign of peace.
The cross as Christianity's principal symbol is defined by Britannica.
Symbols of the Sky
Star
Stars stand for hope, ambition and guidance, and the North Star carries the last meaning most precisely. Polaris sits within one degree of the celestial pole, so while every other northern star appears to wheel around it, it stays almost still. For centuries navigators used it to find north and estimate their latitude. A North Star pendant is therefore the natural gift for someone setting out: a graduation, a move, a new job.
Shop star jewelry, including North Star pieces
Moon
The moon stands for cycles, change and, in many traditions, femininity. The crescent is the form jewelry has favored: diamond-set crescent brooches and hair ornaments were very popular in the late 18th and 19th centuries, when the crescent was linked to Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and the hunt. A crescent pendant today is often worn alongside a star, the two together reading as a small piece of night sky.
Sun
The sun is the most direct symbol on this list: warmth, energy and life itself. Sun motifs are often paired with a moon to represent balance, day and night, or two people who complete each other. In yellow gold the sun is, fittingly, the motif that most suits the metal.
Zodiac
The zodiac is the belt of 12 constellations through which the sun and planets appear to move as seen from Earth, which is why each birth date falls under one sign. A zodiac pendant turns a birthday into something worn, and it is a good choice when you know someone's birth date but not their taste in jewelry.
Polaris's position and use in navigation are described in Wikipedia's Polaris entry; crescent jewelry by the Lang Antiques jewelry encyclopedia; and the zodiac by Britannica.
Symbols of Nature and Renewal
Snake
The snake is the richest symbol in jewelry. Because it sheds its skin, it stands for renewal. Coiled into a circle with its tail in its mouth, it becomes the ouroboros, an emblem of ancient Egypt and Greece that came to mean eternity and the unity of all things. As jewelry, its most famous moment came when Prince Albert proposed to Queen Victoria with a gold serpent ring set with an emerald, which he said represented eternal love. Serpent jewelry was fashionable through the 1840s, and the snake has never really left. A single snake around a staff, the rod of Asclepius, is also the symbol of medicine.
Butterfly
In ancient Greek, psyche meant both "soul" and "butterfly", and the Greeks believed the soul left the body in a butterfly's form. That double meaning sits under the butterfly's modern symbolism of transformation and rebirth, and explains why butterflies appear on old tombstones as well as in jewelry given for new chapters.
Tree of Life
The tree of life appears in a remarkable number of traditions: the tree in the Garden of Eden in Genesis, Yggdrasil in Norse myth, and the ten-node tree of Kabbalah, among many others. Across them, it stands for the connection between all living things, and between heaven, earth and what lies beneath. As jewelry, it is most often a family piece, its branches read as generations.
Lotus
The lotus grows from mud and opens clean above the water, which made it, in Buddhism, the symbol of the soul rising toward awakening and of purity in a muddy world. In every form of Buddhism it represents the highest spiritual attainment. As jewelry, it is worn for resilience as much as for faith: beauty that comes from difficult ground.
The ouroboros is defined by Britannica; serpent jewelry and Victoria's ring by the Victoria and Albert Museum and Royal Central; psyche by Interesting Literature; the tree of life in Wikipedia's tree of life entry; and the lotus by Tricycle.
Symbols of Strength and Memory
Anchor
The anchor is a symbol of hope before it is a symbol of the sea. Early Christians carved anchors on tombs as far back as the late first century, echoing Hebrews 6:19: "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Sailors adopted it for the obvious reason. Today an anchor pendant says stability, and it is often given to someone who has been the steady one.
Skull
Skull jewelry began as memento mori, Latin for "remember you must die". From the 16th to the 18th centuries, gold and enamel rings and pendants with skulls, skeletons and coffins reminded the wearer that life is short and should be lived well. The motif returned through gothic and rock style, most visibly in heavy silver from brands such as Chrome Hearts. Worn now, it is less about death than about not wasting time.
Celtic Knot
Celtic knotwork comes from Insular art, the illuminated manuscripts and metalwork of Britain and Ireland, and its finest examples fill the pages of the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells. The specific meanings now attached to individual knots are largely modern. The historical record shows magnificent decoration rather than a dictionary of symbols. The broad reading, endless lines standing for interconnection and continuity, is a fair one, but it is a reading, not a documented tradition.
The anchor's early Christian history is from Christianity Today; memento mori jewelry from the Lang Antiques jewelry encyclopedia; and Celtic knotwork's origins from Wikipedia's Celtic knot entry. For more on the materials behind gothic silver, see our guide to what Chrome Hearts is made of.
How to Choose a Symbol That Means Something
Start with the meaning, not the shape. If a piece is a gift, ask what you want it to say: protection for a new baby (evil eye, hamsa), commitment (lock, love knot), guidance for someone setting out (North Star, anchor), or remembrance (angel wing, tree of life). If it is for yourself, choose the symbol you would still want to explain in ten years.
Then think about how it will be worn. Small motifs on a fine chain suit everyday wear and layering; larger pieces suit a single statement chain. Check that the bail opening fits the chain you plan to use, and that the pendant's weight suits the chain's width.
Finally, the metal. A symbol is meant to last, so it should be made of something that does. Solid gold does not flake, wear through or need the care that plating does, and a piece with its weight stated is a piece you know you can keep.
Wearing Symbols from Other Faiths and Cultures
Several of these symbols are sacred to someone: the cross, the hamsa, the lotus, the dove. Wearing them across cultures is common and usually welcomed, and many, like the hamsa and the evil eye, have always crossed borders. The considerate approach is simple: know what the symbol means, wear it as something you value rather than as costume, and be ready to answer honestly if someone asks why you chose it.
Jewelry Symbols FAQ
| Question | Factual Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the most popular symbol in jewelry? | The heart is the most widely recognized, having stood for love since the 15th century. Protective and celestial symbols such as the evil eye and the star are also long-standing favorites. |
| Which jewelry symbols mean protection? | The evil eye (nazar), the hamsa and the horseshoe are all protective. The angel wing is a modern symbol of a guardian. |
| Which jewelry symbols mean love? | The heart, love knot, infinity sign, lock and key. A snake ring was Queen Victoria's engagement ring, chosen by Prince Albert for eternal love. |
| What does a snake mean in jewelry? | Renewal (it sheds its skin), eternity (the ouroboros, a snake eating its tail) and eternal love. |
| What does the North Star mean? | Guidance. Polaris stays almost fixed in the northern sky, so navigators used it to find their way. |
| Can you wear a religious symbol if you are not religious? | Many people do. Know what the symbol means to those who hold it sacred, and wear it with respect rather than as costume. |
| Do Celtic knots have specific meanings? | Mostly no. The knotwork is historic, but meanings attached to individual knots are largely modern. |
| What symbol is good for a graduation gift? | The North Star for guidance, a key for a new chapter, or an anchor for steadiness. |
A symbol is the smallest piece of jewelry that can carry the most meaning. Choose the meaning first, then make sure the piece is built to last as long as the meaning will.
