Collection: Hamsa Jewelry

What the hamsa means

The hamsa is an open right hand, usually symmetrical, often with an eye set in the palm. It's called the Hand of Fatima in Islamic tradition, the Hand of Miriam in Jewish tradition, and it predates both — the symbol turns up in Carthage and Mesopotamia long before either faith existed. What it has always meant is roughly the same thing: protection, and a hand held up between you and harm.

The number five matters here. Hamsa comes from the Semitic root for five — five fingers, five senses, five pillars, five books. It's a symbol built around the idea that you are equipped.

Palm up or palm down

Both directions are traditional and neither is wrong.

• Fingers down — the more common orientation. It invites abundance and goodness in, an open hand receiving.
• Fingers up — a stop sign. Protection, warding, a boundary held.

Some people flip theirs depending on the week. That's allowed. Nobody is checking.

The eye in the palm

Many hamsas carry a nazar at the centre. The two symbols pair naturally — the hand blocks, the eye watches — and wearing them together is standard rather than excessive. If you want one piece doing both jobs, an eye-set hamsa is it.

What you're buying

Our hamsa pieces are sterling silver or gold plate over base metal; each listing states which. Stone-set hamsas use genuine gemstone unless the listing says otherwise — where a stone is dyed or treated, we say so on the product page rather than letting you find out in sunlight.

Pendants are the most-worn format here and sit well layered with a shorter chain. Rings put the hand outward. Earrings are the subtlest of the three.

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