In order to escape the effects of the evil eye, people have devised, throughout time, a series of amulets, talismans, phrases and rituals which could be worn and or performed when necessary. Of these, the most attractive nowadays are the talismans and amulets which have been turned into impressive pieces of jewelry. These pieces of jewelry essentially feature the evil eye along with various decorations, in an attempt to ”reflect” the power that the evil look has on one, and thus maybe counteract it. The use of evil eye amulets dates back to Ancient Greece, when it was considered an ”apotropaic” amulet, meaning that its purpose was to reflect harm. However, the basic evil eye amulet originates in the Middle East and depicts the blue and white circles which are known as the ”nazar”.

Another common evil eye amulet which has been turned into a piece of jewelry is the Hamsa, or the Hand of Fatima. This amulet is spread in the regions of the Middle East and Africa and consists of a hand symbol bearing the evil eye on the palm. The same symbol is present in the Jewsih culture as well, under the name of ”Hand of God” or the ”Hand of Miriam”. The popularity achieved by the Kabbalah lately has also made this symbol very appealing and is responsible for its presence on pieces of jewelry and other types of objects.

There are countries where the evil eye is very much present in daily life. For instance, in Turkey, the evil eye is present everywhere: on beads, bracelets, earrings, pendants, key chain holders, cup holders, wall paper. Also, in this country, the symbol is attached to anything considered to be attracting greed, envy or ill-thoughts. Thus, it is common to place it on the neck of new born babies, at the foundation of a house and even hang it on the walls of a house, to prevent anyone from casting the evil eye on its inhabitants.

The evil eye has become very popular among celebrities who are known to have embraced the precepts of the Kabbalah. For instance, Madonna, Britney Spears, the Olsen Twins and Mick Jagger have been photographed while wearing red Kabbalah bracelets, which are another means of ensuring protection against the evil eye. Other actors wearing evil eye jewelry are Cameron Diaz, Kelly Ripa, Brad Pitt, Kim Kardashian, Lauren Conrad and Rhianna, while Lindsay Lohan is known to have worn such jewelry on her court hearing day.

While some of these well-known people have actually embraced the Kabbalah, and thus have adhered to wearing related jewelry, in some cases, they have chosen to wear such jewelry in an attempt to prevent its effects (greed, envy, hate, harm) over their lives and careers. For instance, in the case of Lindsay Lohan fame and fortune have led to her downfall and the wearing of the evil eye necklace might have been an attempt to reverse her fate.

Nevertheless, the evil eye concept remains central as an example of how tradition can still be novel nowadays. While in most cases people use evil eye jewelry on account of its importance within the traditions and values they cherish, in some cases it is used only in an attempt to change one’s fate.