Collection: Evil Eye Jewelry

What the evil eye actually protects against

The nazar — the blue eye — is one of the most widely worn symbols on earth, found in Turkey, Greece, Iran, India, Mexico and most places in between. The idea behind it is simple and very human: that envy carries weight, and that a look given without goodwill can land somewhere. The eye watches back. It doesn't promise anything. It just returns the gaze.

We're not going to tell you it works. We will tell you that people have worn it for roughly five thousand years, which is a long run for anything, and that most of the women who buy it here say the same thing — it makes them feel a little more collected walking into a room.

Choosing your eye colour

Traditional nazar is cobalt blue, and that's still the most common. But the colours carry their own associations and there's no wrong pick:

• Blue — the classic. General protection, calm, clarity.
• Dark blue or navy — protection specifically around karma and fate.
• Green — balance, and a nudge toward personal success.
• Red — courage. The one for when you need to say the hard thing.
• White or clear — a clean slate. Good for beginnings.

Where to wear it

Necklaces sit closest to the sternum and are the most common choice — visible if you want it visible, tucked away if you don't. Rings put the eye outward, facing the world, which some people prefer. Earrings are the quietest option and the one most likely to go unremarked at work.

There's no rule about which. The old guidance was simply that the eye should be able to see, so pieces that face outward rather than against the skin are the traditional pick.

What you're buying

Our evil eye pieces are sterling silver or gold plate over a base metal, with the eye itself in glass, enamel or genuine stone depending on the piece — each listing says which. Glass and enamel eyes hold their colour indefinitely. Gold plating wears with time and skin chemistry; it isn't solid gold and we don't price it as if it were.

If you want the eye paired with a second protective symbol, the hamsa hand often carries an eye at its centre and does double duty.

Mystic Soul Jewelry — Canadian small business, Calgary, Alberta, since 2008.