TikTok’s Broken Jewelry Theory Says There May Be More to a Wrecked Ring

By Karen Dybis | January 31, 2025

If you love a good TikTok trend, have some fun with the “broken jewelry theory”—it’s a way to give meaning to everyday accidents as well as to promote jewelry redesign and repair services.

Well, that second part tying the trend to a revenue-boosting opportunity is my idea, and it may be a bit cynical. The real “theory” focuses on what a fractured earring or a busted bracelet may signify, with TikTok creators making some jewelry wearers wonder what the universe could be telling them.

Writing about the social media trend, online magazine Bustle talked to an astrologer and a psychic about broken jewelry’s deeper lessons. The story highlights several TikTok accounts offering up the notion that jewelry breaking sends a sign to the wearer.

What is that sign? It depends. It could be that your jewelry piece’s stone, especially if it is a protective crystal or hematite, has absorbed too much negative energy. Or maybe when that bracelet from your former love cracked, it was telling you to reexamine your choices.

A botched brooch might mean you need to ponder the relationship you currently have with the person who gave it to you. That wretched watch may be telling you that it’s time for a tough conversation. Or a crushed cufflink might be trying to protect you from a possible accident or bad fortune coming your way.

Many designers agree with the idea that jewelry has meaning. Ali Weiss, for example, has a whole section on her website devoted to spiritual jewelry, featuring such symbols as the Star of David, a cross, the hamsa, and the evil eye.

“As a jewelry designer, I believe the meaning behind a broken piece depends entirely on its significance to the wearer,” Weiss tells JCK. “If it’s a sentimental piece—something gifted by a partner, a parent, or someone deeply important—then yes, I’d see it as a sign, almost like a quiet whisper from the universe that something is shifting.”

Weiss also believes that jewelry carries energy, and when a meaningful piece breaks, it can feel like an omen—a signal to pay attention.

“On the other hand, if it’s just a random piece with no real emotional attachment, I wouldn’t read into it the same way,” Weiss adds. “Some symbols, like an evil eye, hold specific meaning for me, or certain pieces from specific people feel more charged with significance. But if a generic piece breaks, I see it as nothing more than an accident—just metal and stones meeting the realities of wear and tear.”

So what should you do with your damaged charm or wrecked ring? Bustle’s sources say you can try to fix it, cleanse it, or ditch it completely. If you go that last route, the astrologer suggests burying the broken jewelry in the ground to return it to the earth.

Or you could take it to your local jewelry store and see if they can make it into something new. Repair services are readily available, and a savvy redesign could turn that broken jewelry into something majestic. Next month’s TikTok trend might let us know.

Top: Broken jewelry may have a larger message for its wearer, according to TikTok creators. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)