Eye Jewelry You Won’t Soon Forget The Sight Of

By Brittany Siminitz | June 16, 2021

As we saw a few weeks back with the example of hand jewelry (that is, jewelry fashioned after the appearance of hands, not the kind simply worn on them), designs that celebrate our body parts are big sellers. There are countless other examples of this sort, but a very popular one is that of the eye.

Vram Eye of Chrona ring — *Eye of Chrona ring with brown, black, and white diamonds, price on request; Vram*

Meher-eye-necklace — *Crescent eye necklace in 18k yellow gold with 2.74 cts. t.w. lapis lazuli and 0.35 ct. t.w. champagne diamonds, $1,400; Meher Jewellery*

Of course this is nothing revolutionary—jewelry in the shape of an eye has been around in some form for far longer than you and I. But in 2020, when talismans and amulets became all the more powerful as antidotes to fearful and turbulent times, the eye stood out as a top-selling icon.

Almasika eye earrings — *Medallion motif huggie earrings in 18k yellow gold with diamonds, $2,850; Almasika*

Kelty Pelechytik eye ring — *Erin eye ring in 18k yellow gold with 0.4 ct. t.w. kite and brilliant diamonds, 6,880 Canadian dollars ($5,652); Kelty Pelechytik*

This sales trend (I could never call it a fashion trend—it’s been around far too long and is much too sticky for such a term) continues to hold, as new arrivals to the eye scene keep coming.

Eden Presley Protect Yourself earrings — *Protect Yourself earrings in 14k yellow gold with 3 cts. t.w. pearls, 1.3 cts. t.w. turquoise, and 0.06 ct. t.w. diamonds, $1,460; Eden Presley*

Amulet by D Grape Jelly necklace — *Grape Jelly necklace in sterling silver and brass with mother-of-pearl and African amethyst, $225; Amulet by D*

Tsura evil eye earirngs — *Evil eye earrings in 18k yellow gold with ruby in zoisite, garnet, rhodolite garnet, and amethyst, $2,200; Tsura Jewellery*

A Google search for eye jewelry brings up what could be considered evil eye jewelry; although this kind of jewelry can have a very specific look, the term can also be used fairly loosely to encompass a range of styles.

Oromma Jewelry Starry Eye pendant — *Starry Eye pendant in 18k yellow gold, €950 ($1,151); Oromma Jewelry*

Lydia Courteille eye ring — *Eye ring in 18k yellow gold with agate and diamonds, price on request; Lydia Courteille*

Or I should say, evil eye jewelry used to have only one look. Typically designed in blue (or less often green), evil eye jewelry used to consist of the Greek souvenir style that hangs near my doorway, a round orb in deep blue with a white sclera at its center. (Side note: After a visit to Greece, I became so intrigued by the presence of the evil eye amulet that I dove into its history and meaning—you can read the article, which is more than several years old at this point!—and even got a tattoo of one).

Lika Behar evil eye pendant — *Evil eye pendant in 22k yellow gold and 18k white gold with 9.06 ct. sapphire and 0.18 ct. t.w. diamonds, $1,940; Lika Behar*

Anzu eye ring — *Lover’s Eye signet ring in sterling silver and plastic, $230; Anzu*

But designers today have devised all kinds of interesting takes on the magnificent sensory orb, and it’s enough to have anyone starting collections just to admire and wear such a variety. While not all eye jewelry is inspired by the popular talisman, every piece is equally magical, and even those pieces not designed with protective properties in mind still make us feel like we’re being watched over. I especially love the pieces that incorporate art or lifelike imagery of the eye itself—they’re hauntingly gorgeous and definitely make for conversation pieces.