Jewelry Micro Trend: The Evil Eye

The evil eye is a universal symbol of protection. It’s that simple. The eye itself is supposedly a ‘look’ or a ‘stare’ that is meant to bring bad luck to whom it is directed at. Whilst this all sounds a bit menacing, essentially the evil eye is a talisman that protects you from evil spirits. And this dates back to Greek Classic antiquity. 

So the evil eye’s popularity comes down to two things: its symbolism for protection (we could all do with warding off a bit of bad energy this year) and it’s aesthetically pleasing design. And it originally seeped its way into the fashion and jewelry world in the 1990s, when Greek designer Ileana Makri was the first to use the motif in her work for the mainstream. Fashion search platform Lyst reported a 58% increase in searches for ‘evil eye’ earlier this year, too. So the trend looks to be sticking around for a little while longer.

At Kimai, we like to interpret the evil eye as a symbol of wisdom. As we love that our jewelry tells a story, it goes much further beyond the notion of deflecting bad luck. Really, it can represent whatever the wearer wishes. But we do like to think of our jewelry as wearing armour, so we’ll channel the stereotypical protection symbolism too.

However you like to interpret your evil eye jewelry, here’s a few cues for how to wear it. Stack up daintier pieces alongside, for a subtle way to wear the trend. Alternatively, go for a bold statement piece that is sure to command attention (and ward off any evil spirits in the process).

Our jewelry is full of talismanic power, but it’s also filled with diamonds. Take a look at our evil eye inspired jewelry designs, all handcrafted with our signature 18k recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds.