Jewish Jewelry Symbols & Their Meanings: Star of David, Hamsa, Chai

Go to any bat mitzvah and you'll count a dozen tiny gold stars, a few hamsas and one great-aunt wearing a chai the size of a coaster. The meanings don't always get handed down along with the necklace, so here's the cheat sheet.

Star of David (Magen David) Meaning

Magen David (מגן דוד) means "shield of David" in Hebrew. Today it's the symbol of Jewish identity, the one on the Israeli flag.

Surprise: as a Jewish symbol, it's younger than you'd think. Six-pointed stars show up all over the ancient world, from Mesopotamia to India, and later on medieval churches. In the ancient synagogue at Capernaum, one sits next to a pentagram as plain decoration. And there's no evidence King David ever carried a star-shaped shield. The name got attached to the star through medieval Jewish mystical and magical writing.

It started becoming a Jewish emblem in Prague, where the Jewish community was granted a flag with a six-pointed star in 1354. It spread across Central Europe from there, and in the 1800s it became the go-to symbol of Judaism, much like the cross for Christians. The Zionist movement put it on its flag in 1897. The Nazis forced Jews to wear it as a yellow badge. In 1948 it went on the flag of the new State of Israel.

Today people wear it to say "I'm Jewish" out loud, or tucked under a sweater, which counts just as much. Our Star of David necklaces run from teeny-tiny to full sparkle.

Tiny Jewish Star of David Necklace - Sterling Silver or Gold · $60Teeny Tiny Star of David Necklace - Sterling Silver · $56Love Necklace with a Sparkling Star of David - Silver or Gold Vermeil · $86Butterfly Star of David Necklace - Sterling Silver · $130

Chai Meaning: Why 18 Is the Lucky Number

Chai (חי) is the Hebrew word for "life." (Throaty "ch," not the tea.) It's spelled with two letters, chet and yud. In gematria, where every Hebrew letter has a number, chet is 8 and yud is 10, so chai adds up to 18. That's why Jewish gifts and donations so often come in multiples of 18, and why your grandma's birthday checks were always for $36.

Same root as the toast l'chaim, "to life!" So a chai necklace is a toast you can wear, which makes it a sweet gift for a milestone birthday or for anyone who just made it through a rough year. Shop chai jewelry in gold, silver and enamel.

Tiny Chai Necklace - 14k Gold-Plated · $56Rugged Silver Chai Necklace · $40Enamel Chai Necklace - Light Blue · $90Madame Chai Necklace by Susan Alexandra · $225

Hamsa Meaning

The hamsa is the open hand, often with an eye in the palm. The name comes from the Arabic word for five (in Hebrew you'll also hear hamesh, also "five"). It's a protective amulet, mainly against the evil eye, and it predates Islam: open-hand symbols go back to ancient Mesopotamia and Carthage.

Jews and Muslims across the Middle East and North Africa both used it. It's often called the Hand of Fatima, and many Muslims link it to Fatima, the Prophet Muhammad's daughter. Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews often call it the Hand of Miriam, and many Jews see it as the hand of God. In Israel you'll see it everywhere, on necklaces, keychains and walls.

Fingers up or down? You'll see both. One popular reading says up wards off evil and down brings blessings. Not everyone's a fan, since some people question whether an amulet is a legitimate Jewish symbol. The rest of us figure a little extra protection never hurt. Browse hamsa necklaces.

Hamsa With a Star of David Meaning

Put the two together and you get both messages in one charm: the hamsa's protection plus the star's Jewish identity. Basically, "keep me safe, and yes, I'm Jewish." It's not a modern mashup, either. Jewish silversmiths in North Africa, known for their Berber jewelry, made hand-of-Miriam amulets with a Star of David on them.

Botanical Hamsa Sterling Silver Necklace by Emily Rosenfeld · $48Crystal and Gold Star of David Hamsa Necklace by Michal Golan · $105Blue and Sterling Silver Star of David Hamsa Necklace by Michal Golan · $130Rainbow and Gold Evil Eye Malak Necklace by Susan Alexandra · $64

The Evil Eye in Judaism

The evil eye, ayin hara (עין הרע) in Hebrew, is the belief that someone can harm you just by looking at you, usually out of envy. It's not only a bubbe thing. The Talmud discusses it, and one passage (Berakhot 55b) even gives a line to recite if you're nervous about it when entering a new town. Yiddish speakers boiled it down to kinehora ("no evil eye"), said after a compliment the way other people knock on wood. "What a gorgeous baby, kinehora."

The blue glass eye bead you see everywhere is the nazar, best known from Turkey and Greece, and plenty of Jews wear one right next to a hamsa. Chabad points out the Talmudic idea that the evil eye only gets you if you worry about it. So wear the bracelet, then relax. Shop evil eye jewelry.

A Few More: Tree of Life, Pomegranate and Hebrew Names

Tree of Life (etz chaim, עץ חיים). Proverbs 3:18 calls wisdom "a tree of life to those who hold fast to it," and tradition reads that as the Torah. It's why the wooden poles a Torah scroll is rolled on are called atzei chaim. See our tree of life jewelry.

Pomegranate. Tradition says it has 613 seeds, one for each commandment. (Count yours. It won't cooperate.) More on why we eat pomegranates on Rosh Hashanah.

Hebrew names. No symbolism required. Just have someone who reads Hebrew check the spelling before anything gets engraved, because transliteration is a wild ride.

Can Non-Jews Wear Jewish Symbols? (Plus Gifting Etiquette)

Yes. There's no Jewish religious rule against a non-Jew wearing a Star of David. People will read it as "I'm Jewish" or "I stand with Jewish people," so wear it like you mean it. The one design to skip is a star fused with a cross, which a lot of Jews find offensive. The hamsa and evil eye belong to several cultures, so they're easy crossover gifts. And chai just means life. Everyone's in favor of that.

Gifting notes: if cash is going in the card, make it a multiple of 18. If the person is on the more traditional side, a Star of David or chai is a safer bet than a hamsa. Still deciding? Browse all our Jewish jewelry.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Star of David mean?

Magen David means "shield of David" in Hebrew, and today it's the best-known symbol of Jewish identity. The six-pointed star itself is ancient, but it became a distinctly Jewish emblem only from late-medieval Prague onward. The Zionist movement adopted it in 1897, and it has been on Israel's flag since 1948.

What does a chai necklace mean?

Chai (חי) is Hebrew for "life." Its letters, chet and yud, add up to 18, so a chai necklace is a wish for a long, full life. It's also why many Jews give gifts in multiples of 18.

What does a hamsa mean, and is it Jewish?

The hamsa is an open-hand amulet for protection, especially against the evil eye. It predates Islam and has been used by both Jews and Muslims in the Middle East and North Africa, where many Jews call it the Hand of Miriam.

What does a hamsa with a Star of David mean?

It puts the hamsa's protection and the Star of David's Jewish identity in one charm. Jewish silversmiths in North Africa made hand-of-Miriam amulets with a Star of David on them.

Is the evil eye Jewish?

The belief is. Ayin hara, the idea that an envious look can cause harm, is discussed in the Talmud, and it's where the Yiddish word kinehora comes from. The blue glass eye bead (the nazar) is best known from Turkey and Greece.

Is it OK for non-Jews to wear a Star of David?

Yes. There's no Jewish religious rule against it. People will read it as a sign that you're Jewish or stand with Jewish people. Skip any design that fuses the star with a cross, which many Jews find offensive.