An amulet, by definition, is a magical ornament or piece of jewellery thought to ward off evil, danger or disease. Throughout history, countless civilisations have relied on good luck charms – such as the Celtic four-leafed clover or the ancient planetary symbols used in alchemy – in hopes that they will procure positive outcomes.
Drawing inspiration from the rich traditions of astrology, folklore, religion and tarot, a number of haute joaillerie labels have infused their latest collections with magic and mysticism.
De Beers’ Wondrous Sphere is the crowning jewel of the lot. The origins of this three-dimensional sphere date back to the early celestial charts that people used to map the stars. The piece contains nearly 64 carats worth of rough and polished diamonds, with several jewel-encrusted rings orbiting around a green rough diamond.
Chopard’s Good Luck Charms line, meanwhile, features the Hand of Fatima – also called hamsa, meaning “five”, in reference to fingers – a popular symbol found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Depicting an open right hand, the symbol is said to protect against the “evil eye”, a malicious stare believed to cause illness, death and misfortune.
To anyone who took up maths in school, the infinity symbol – as seen in Tiffany’s new range – is an easy one to spot. The sign stems from omega, the last letter in the Greek alphabet, and it’s occasionally reinterpreted as the ouroboros symbol – a serpent eating its own tail.
Whether or not you buy into the magical juju that underpins these collections is neither here nor there. These elegant amulets can instead be viewed as important anthropological symbols, or merely worn for their unique allure. And maybe – just maybe they’ll bring you a bit of luck as a bonus.