meaning of jewellery

The most common symbols in Middle Eastern jewellery

Published October 1, 2025

Middle Eastern jewellery is full of symbols: hands, eyes, triangles, scroll boxes, and even sound. These motifs are not random decoration. They are closely related to beliefs about protection, presence, fertility, and beauty. Across centuries, they shaped how people expressed identity and navigated uncertainty.

In this overview — part of my series on amulets and symbols in jewellery — we’ll explore the most common motifs, from the protective khamsa hand to the jingling sound of dangling ornaments, and what they are believed to mean. Each of these symbols is discussed in detail in separate blog posts, and here you’ll find them brought together as a helpful reference.

How symbols in Middle Eastern jewellery work

A symbol in jewellery can take the form of a shape, a gesture, an object or even a sound. Many of these are what scholars call “apotropaic”: they serve to ward off harm, especially from the evil eye. Some are amulets (worn to protect), others talismans (meant to bring benefit). But categories blur. What matters is how these forms function in the lives of the people who wore them.

Let’s look at some of the most recognisable ones!

The khamsa hand symbol in Middle Eastern jewellery

One of the most iconic forms is the hand-shaped pendant, often called the khamsa. The word means ‘five’  in Arabic, referring to the five fingers of the hand. In some regions, it’s also known as the Hand of Fatima or Hand of Miriam, depending on local traditions. This symbol is widespread across North Africa and the Middle East.

The khamsa is believed to offer protection against the evil eye, partly because of its association with the number five—a number often invoked to deflect envy and misfortune.

See a full exploration into the khamsa amulet here!

The eye symbol and Evil Eye protection in jewellery

Eye motifs are found throughout the region. They can be represented as single beads, painted discs, or glass objects like the Khalili eye beads of Hebron. These often consist of concentric circles, with a dark centre meant to resemble a staring eye.

The idea behind the eye motif is a reversal: using an eye to protect against the evil eye. It reflects the gaze back to the sender, neutralising harm. Such beads are often used in jewellery, stitched into clothing, or hung in homes and shops.

Learn more about the various types of eye beads!

Triangles in jewellery

Triangles are a frequent shape in jewellery. In some interpretations, the triangle symbolises femininity, fertility or even the womb, due to its downward-pointing shape.

Others suggest that the triangle’s three points may represent concepts like birth-life-death or body-mind-spirit. However, meanings vary widely, and sometimes geometric shapes may function simply because they are so old, that their original meaning has become blurred.

See the full story of triangular amulets here!

Amulet containers in Middle Eastern jewellery: hirz

Jewellery often serves as a container itself. Amulet containers, such as cylindrical scroll tubes or small boxes known as hirz or taʿwīdh, are designed to hold protective texts. These might be verses from the Qur’an, prayers, names of God, or even folk remedies written on paper.

The act of wearing the word – literally – is central here. These containers are often elaborately worked in silver, with filigree, engraving or colourful accents, and worn on the chest, upper arm, or integrated into necklaces.

Learn where they get their shape from in this article!

Sound and protection: the symbolism in jingling jewellery

Many traditional earrings, headpieces and necklaces feature chains, bells or dangling elements that make sound. And that has its reasons, too! These jingling dangles are not just decorative: their sound is believed to protect, especially young children or brides. The noise serves as a sonic barrier against invisible harm.

Learn more about the symbolism of sound in jewellery!

Frequently Asked Questions about symbolism in Middle Eastern jewellery

What are the most common symbols in Middle Eastern jewellery?
Some of the most widespread motifs include the khamsa hand, the eye against the evil eye, triangular shapes, amulet containers, and jingling sound elements.

Why does jewellery use protective symbols?
Many of these motifs are apotropaic, meaning they were believed to protect the wearer from harm or misfortune. They offered comfort, identity, and a sense of safety.

What does the khamsa hand symbolise?
The khamsa, or hand of Fatima/Miriam, is a five-fingered hand shape that wards off the evil eye and misfortune. It is worn as pendants, earrings, or integrated into amulet sets.

How does the eye motif work in jewellery?
The eye is thought to reflect back the harmful gaze of envy. Beads, pendants, and ornaments shaped like eyes are worn to neutralise the power of the evil eye.

What is the role of sound in jewellery?
Chains, bells, and dangles in earrings and necklaces create jingling sounds that are believed to protect, especially children and brides. 

Reading the symbols in Middle Eastern jewellery

The hand that wards off envy, the eye that stares back, the triangle that shapes protection, the box that holds a prayer, the jingle that keeps harm away: each of these symbols shows how jewellery in the Middle East is more than adornment. It is a protective language, worn on the body and passed down through generations.

This article is part of my series on amulets and symbols in jewellery, where each motif is explored in more detail in its own post. Taken together, they form a reference for anyone curious about how meaning is built into jewellery — a reminder that jewellery is an expression of our deepest hopes and fears, and as such, an expression of what it means to be human.

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