Since ancient times man has created objects to decorate their bodies, and have been transforming and beautifying them according to the beauty canons of each era, nowadays there is a varied range of industries dedicated to jewellery of different styles and qualities, that use a particular symbology.
In this context, we must mention the famous amulets that are part of the lives of many women and men from all over the world and from different cultures. These pieces have their origin in the Neolithic, when the primitive hunters and gatherers picked up bright or shaped stones with forms that seemed peculiar to them, looking for similarity to what they considered gods or divine entities, taking them as a symbol of good luck and protection from latent environmental dangers.
In this way, the amulets were lasting in time, in the customs and culture of many civilizations, until shaped them in the form of real jewels turned into amulets, to the point that first amulets in that style appeared almost 5,000 years ago with the pharaohs of Egypt, who were the most faithful users of these garments.
In this sense, the legends tell that these amulets not only brought good luck and protected those who carried them, but also identified their bearers after their death, with the purpose of the gods guiding them on their way to the afterlife, which gave it a spiritual and superstitious connotation, that stands even today.
On the other hand, not only the Egyptians believed in the amulets, but also the Greeks and Romans who placed all their faith in them, in order to have good luck in all aspects of their lives, to the point that every god of the roman pantheon was associated with a precious stone, from which pendants or figurines were made that transmitted the powers of the corresponding god to its bearer and brought good luck.
Another custom maintained by the Romans was to hang on their necks a small box with sacred texts, with the purpose that their bodies could internalize its contents and messages since it was located next to the heart, a belief that was maintained for hundreds of years.
Thus, amulets represent deep beliefs, so many people through history have considered them as part of themselves, treasuring them for a long time, perhaps throughout their lives, and carrying them as a symbol of protection or good luck, which gives the amulets a spiritual connotation, with a high degree of superstition, which makes the individual believe in their power, far beyond what science, reason, and religion (whichever they profess) dictates.
Likewise, the early Christians gave much value to this type of object or jewellery, so they had a habit of wearing them under their clothes as lucky charm with the shape of a fish, which they called “Ichthys”. They did this in order to seek divine protection, in the same way that the Jews carried a gold pendant containing fragments of the Torah, which according to their beliefs gave them good luck and protection from evil, subsequently, the Arabs did the same, but with fragments of the Koran.
After some time, the middle age arrives and the men of many cultures continue using amulets with different symbols and for different objectives. At that time, knights carried amulets with enchantments and spells, which were supposed to protect them in battles.
In the nineteenth century, lucky charms began to be used for an aesthetic purpose, as well as they remain as an object in which people with various motives put their faith and hopes in, according to the symbol that they carried, with this the designs began to be more creative and elaborate, such as those worn by Queen Victoria, who had great faith and wore them in the form of valuable jewels, made of gold or silver, as well as precious stones with high price.
Although the first amulets were made using stones, shells, wood or glass, nowadays the jewellery market offers a large range of models designed to display the most wanted symbols of those who love these objects, which can be found on brooches, chains, bracelets, rings, earrings, etc., associated with providing protection and good luck in love, in chance, at work, in friendships, and with family.
Among the symbols that have been used throughout the ages as amulets and then turned into jewels for luck, the most common are the following: the lucky clover, the Turkish eye or the Nazar, the Star of David, the hamsa, the horseshoes, the beetles, the tree of life and the yin yang, which will be described below.
Let’s start with the lucky clover, on which a belief has been spread that when finding a four-leaf clover, the person who found it will receive good fortune, and so each leaf has a meaning, faith, hope, love and luck. But, in the Irish tradition this clover symbolizes the holy trinity, that is, the father, the son, the holy spirit and God.
In relation to the Nazar, we must point out that it is a stone also known as the Turkish eye or the Greek eye; it has been considered as protection of the so-called “evil eye”, the crucifixes, the symbol of Christianity, reminds us that God always accompanies us, it represents the victory of Christ over death and sin.
Its popularity spread around the world, through tourists who began to take them as souvenirs of their trips, to give them as a present, since they were highly promoted they quickly became famous.
The Hamsa on the other hand, is a traditional symbol of the Sephardic Jewish and Muslim cultures, known since antiquity, approximately from the year 244 after Christ, considered as “God’s hand”, because it represents the divine hand that protects from evil, with the action of stopping with the palm of the hand. This amulet is said to attract good luck and prevent diseases.
Horseshoes have a particular history, embodied in the legend of St. Dunstan, a blacksmith who became Archbishop of Canterbury, the story tells that the devil entered Dunstan’s shop and asked him to put a horseshoe on his horse, but Dunstan placed it on the foot of the devil instead of the animal, and later removed it, making the devil promise that he would never enter a home with a horseshoe nailed to the door, because of this it symbolizes protection from evil.
The beetles are symbols widely used as amulets since ancient times, which has been proven by their appearance in hieroglyphs, statues and sculptures since the time of Ancient Egypt, they were associated with God Ra, considered the creator of the Universe. It is worth mentioning that beetles are considered a protection against diseases and death, and even if death were to arrive, they were placed on mummies as a symbol of resurrection.
For its part, the famous “Star of David”, also known as the “Seal of Solomon”, is considered a great amulet that not only protects but increases intuition and prosperity in those who wear it, in addition to representing balance and wisdom.
Another widely used amulet is the tree of life, considered as a symbol or source of knowledge that represents both the vital breath, as the basic food for living, as well as the existing connection between the afterlife and the current one.
In its symbolism the different parts of the tree of life represent different things, for example, the roots are the connection with mother earth, the trunk the strength to feel and stay alive, the branches represent the desire to grow and achieve goals every time higher, while the leaves are associated with the need to find sustenance and the fruits symbolize commitment to others.
Finally, the famous symbol of “ying and yang”, which represent the positive and the negative, the day and the night, hence its drawing is half black, half white, but also reflects that apparently opposite forces can be complementary, leaning on each other to form a perfect unit like a circle.
In this way, people wear this symbol as an amulet in some jewels, in the entrances of their homes, hung on mobiles, in pictures, and all kinds of decorative objects, in order to understand that there is no night without day, evil without good, it helps to develop patience in difficult situations to lead the way with fluency and achieving goals. In this case, ying and yang symbolize equilibrium, opposite and complementary poles.
Hence, millions of people around the world love amulets, and wear them as precious jewels, even celebrities like the actress Cameron Diaz, who was given a pedant from a friend to protect her from aging. In the same way, Paulina Rubio and Madonna share a taste for Kabbalah bracelets, which attract abundance, good fortune and protection from the evil eye; while Queen Sofía usually wears garments with Turkish eyes.
Therefore, pieces of jewellery with special symbols that are used as amulets came to our lives to stay, through them people have tried to express ideas, feelings, tastes and beliefs to gain benefits in love, health, work, economic resources, mental and spiritual balance; and what better way that wearing them in jewellery such as brooches, bracelets, pendants, rings, and earrings, through which a nice look can be achieved while making use of their favourite symbol, as well as feeling their protection.
ALFA