Jewelry That’s Not Just A (Moon) Phase

By Brittany Siminitz | June 22, 2022

Stars, the moon, the sun—these celestial icons have dominated the jewelry market for the last several years—the last several centuries, even.

They’ve been around so long, it seems, that it’s almost surprising that brands can offer anything new. But of course they can, and it’s that varied perspective from a rich pool of thoughtful designers that brings us such amazing treasures. It really keeps jewelry exciting.

Search for moon jewelry and you’re bound to land on countless styles, but there’s one theme that feels on the cusp of superstardom (er, super satellite-dom?): the phases of the moon.

Logan Holowell Waning Gibbous moon phase ring — *Waning Gibbous moon phase coin ring in 14k rose gold with diamonds, $3,200; Logan Hollowell*

Samantha Tea Cosmic bangle — *Cosmic bangle in 10k rose gold, £1,075 ($1,360); Samantha Tea*

The moon is never static, and its phases are so symbolic, to illustrate them makes for ideal jewelry.

Depending on the position of the moon in its orbit, the sunlit portion shows us a different phase of the moon: at the new moon, 0% is lit by the sun, and at 100%, you’re seeing a full moon. The nitty-gritty details of how this all occurs and when is fascinating—and it’s a phenomenon many enjoy.

Even those who don’t realize it might make note of a moon’s phase. Ever have something particularly strange happen and think, “must be a full moon?” A common superstition is that full moons are either unlucky or sinister in nature, but spiritual meanings might suggest otherwise.

Nakard moon phase ring — *Luna band ring in black rhodium-finished sterling silver with black spinel and Ethiopian opal, $350; Nakard*

Rachel Entwistle Moon Phases bangle — *Moon Phases bangle in sterling silver, £355 ($450); Rachel Entwistle*

The moon has eight phases: new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent. It takes 27 days for the moon to orbit Earth, but 29.5 days for it to complete its cycle of these phases.

Inquire on Google about what the phases of the moon represent, and everyone has an answer, even Oprah. Goop wants to teach you how to align with the four phases of the moon, while others discuss how the moon’s phases impact your personality. You’ll find yogi websites and spiritual gurus alike, all offering varied insight as to what each phase of the moon may mean for you. But the common thread here is that they all mean something, and that holds a lot of weight when it comes to jewelry. Whether a person might look at moon phase jewelry and see a journey, a life, rebirth, second chances, energy, resilience—you name it, the point is that symbolically, it can be meaningful for a number of reasons, making it appealing to an audience.