The evil eye, called nazar in Turkish, is a common symbol that can be seen throughout Turkey. Often made of handmade glass, this amulet is thought to protect against the jealous and evil eyes of others. Shopkeepers hang them in their stores, people hang them over their house doors, and women and men alike wear evil eye bracelets.
I have always been a bit obsessed with evil eye jewelry, but I never knew where to get my hands on any pieces. Fortunately, many markets and shops in Turkey sell all kinds of evil eye jewelry, and no trip to Turkey is complete without a few dainty nazar bracelets.
Luckily for you, you can get your hands on nazar jewels without making the trek to Turkey! Sites like Ettika, Blee Inara and even Etsy have a wide array of evil eye baubles for sale. Search around on the Internet for more pieces, or pick one of the sparkly options below!
1. $55 – boticca.com 2. $26 – maxandchloe.com 3. $24 – metroparkusa.com 4. $80 – maxandchloe.com 5. $75 – scoopnyc.com 6. $60 – shopbop.com 7. $143 – matchesfashion.com 8. $68 – lordandtaylor.com 9. $225 – endless.com
If you are feeling crafty, you can always DIY your own bracelets. Many jewelry supply stores and bead supply websites sell evil eye charms and anything else you’ll need to make yourself an arm party of nazars. I particularly like this simple tutorial.
So whether you’re superstitious or just want to add a bit of blue to your usual jewelry repertoire, grab a couple of evil eye bracelets for yourself and stay fashionable, St. Olaf!
*Collage from Polyvore
*Katie Sieger is currently on Term in the Middle East!