What does the Evil Eye Mean?

The history of the evil eye with humans is plentiful and rich. Used in an abundance of different cultures, the nazar symbol is likely one of the most recognised spiritual protection symbols of all time.

Evil eye jewellery has been growing in popularity. Many people wear this symbol because it's cute and trendy, but many also wear it because of it's spiritual significance.

What does the evil eye actually mean? Is the evil eye culturally appropriated? Can anyone wear the evil eye?

What is the Nazar Evil Eye Symbol?

Throughout history, you will find beliefs from numerous cultures that circle around the evil eye. These beliefs basically claim that someone can put a curse on another simply by staring at them with evil forces. The evil eye is often directed towards an unsuspecting party and in many cases, believed to be the cause of the misfortune, injury, or bad luck experienced by the recipient. It is said that the evil eye curse can even cause physical and mental illness.

It is believed that if you wear evil eye amulets or evil eye talismans then you are safe from bad energy and the evil eye curse. As such, evil eye jewellery such as evil eye bracelets, rings, necklaces that have the ancient evil eye symbol will help protect the unknowing recipient from evil eye stares and evil energy.

The history of the evil eye is not well recorded but it's believed to have originated from the middle east in Mesopotamia where the ancient symbol has been recorded as far back as 5,000 years ago. This symbol and belief are found in almost every culture including Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, and Christian societies.

Decorations and charms that have an eye-like symbol referred to as "Nazars" have appeared throughout history, and even in the Old Testament. These evil eye amulets are common in Greece, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Morocco, Iran, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Italy.

Why should I wear the evil eye in jewellery?

Evil eye jewellery was originally designed to protect the wearer from evil and ward off the evil that has been directed at them. Wearing any piece of jewellery with the evil eye symbol on it provides the wearer with both power and protection against evil spirits or bad luck.

The evil eye charm is therefore a positive force. In many cultures, it's also believed that an evil eye charm is a form of teaching and wisdom which teaches the wearer not to be envious of others' success.

This is because it is believed that when someone looks at another person with an envious eye, that look fills the surrounding area or atmosphere with evil or negative energy. That energy is then transmitted into the recipient of the evil eye causing them misfortune.

However, if the intended recipient has an evil eye amulet or jewellery, the glass beads in that jewellery reflect that negative energy back onto the sender instead.  By wearing an evil eye ring, evil eye necklace, or other jewellery, you can resist bad energy and receive good fortune.

What does it mean if evil eye jewellery breaks or gets lost?

Often people will find that they've lost their evil eye jewellery, or it has fallen off or broken. Legend has it that broken evil eye jewellery means that your talisman has protected you from a significant amount of negative energy, so much so that it's protective energy has been used up.

If your nazar jewellery or talisman breaks, it broke because it protected you. It is recommended to get a new one if you can.

Can everyone wear evil eyes?

Every continent shares the belief in the evil eye — in fact, people in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Central America all fear this symbol. According to Islamic culture, the Prophet Muhammad warned people of the evil eye in Book 26 of the Shahi Muslims, where it’s said that a bath must be taken to protect us from the influences of evil forces. 

The evil eye also carries a powerful superstition in India, where Hinduism preaches that our eyes are the most powerful part of the body. Because of this, there is a strong fear of the “evil” look from the eye and many believe that it holds a huge amount of power. This fear is so strong that Hindus believe that even an “admirable” eye can bring bad luck, which may result in a scarcity of milk supply in cows. This comes back to the original belief of undue praise, first found in the beliefs of ancient Greeks and Romans. To counteract the effects of the evil eye, Hindus would offer the “admiring” glancer a bowl of milk. 

Ashkenazi Jews, just like the Romans and Greeks, believe that excessive praise can be seen as a weakness in the eyes of evil. To prevent the effects of the evil eye, they will repeat the phrase “Keyn aynhoreh!” in Yiddish, which means “no evil eyes”. 

In Brazil, there is a similar superstition as the evil eye that locals call the “fat eye”. It is believed that sincere compliments aren’t going to cause the evil eye, but insincere compliments may give one a string of bad luck. 

In Europe, the myth of the evil eye originated with the idea that bad luck will befall those who are given a malicious or envious look. It is believed that witches were the biggest source of the evil eye, but those with rare eye colors were also seen as powerful beings that possessed the evil eye. An example of this superstition is how Germans feared those with red eyes, while in Ireland, an individual would be thought of as an evil eye sorcerer for having squinty eyes.  

While the fear of the evil eye didn’t pass on to America, it exists as a form of a metaphor. Furthermore, the evil eye is seen as impolite and serves as a warning that the person giving out the evil eye may be planning something bad. 

Are there different types of evil eyes?

Whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist, or have no religious affiliations whatsoever, the belief in the evil that pervades this world is alive and well in almost every human being. In cultures where this kind of thing is taken very seriously, it's believed that there are three types of evil eyes.

Unconscious evil eyes: These types of evil eyes cause harm to people and things without necessarily intending to do so.

Conscious evil eyes: These intend to cause harm and bad luck.

Unseen evil eyes: These happen to be the most dangerous as they represent hidden evil.

Do different coloured evil eyes mean different things?

Evil eye jewellery design comes in different colours, but this isn't about style. Those who strongly believe in the meaning of evil eye jewellery, know the colours have spiritual purpose and beliefs associated with them. Here are the meanings behind different evil eye colours:

Blue: Perhaps the most common color when it comes to evil eye amulets. A blue eye is the color of good luck or good karma. This color projects positive energies such as creativity, motivation, commitment as well as protection against evil eye.

Light Blue: This is the color of the sky and it symbolises the broadening of horizons as well as truth.

Gold or Yellow: This is the color of the sun and it symbolises strength, energy, and power to overcome any health issues as well as helping the wearer to concentrate or focus.

Red: This is the color of fire and it symbolises increased energy, courage, and strength. A red evil eye gives the wearer the courage and strength to face whatever life might throw at them.

Orange: This color symbolises increased creativity and happiness and it helps the wearer to connect with their playful side.

Pink: This is a calm color that encourages contentment, relaxation and protects friendships.

Green: The "Earth" color encourages the pursuit of new ideas, balance, and gratitude.

White: Considered pure, white is associated with goodness, light, purity and encourages the wearer to pursue new life experiences and adventures.

Purple: This is the color of divinity that not only guides the wearer but also encourages them to examine their own life by removing obstacles while creating balance.

It's perfectly okay to own several pieces of evil eye jewellery of different colours that resonate with who you are and what you want in your life. Ultimately, the idea is to protect you from evil and bring you good luck instead.