Heart-shaped studs, key necklace pendants, or star bracelet charms. We see motives and symbols everywhere in our jewelry. Maybe you get these pieces just because you like how they look – and that’s totally fine. But isn’t it so much cooler if they have an actual meaning? That every time you see the jewelry piece you think about the meaning behind it?
It’s also great to know the meaning behind a beautiful jewelry piece if you want to gift it. Sure, gifting your loved one pretty jewelry is nice, but gifting a piece that has a deep meaning behind is even better.
Today we‘re going through the most common and popular jewelry symbols and their specific meaning. Find out what jewelry piece with symbols is the perfect gift for your loved one’s next birthday and how you show them your feelings in the best way possible!
If you’re interested in more jewelry gift guides, such as tips for wrapping jewelry or finding the best jewelry gift for your next anniversary, check out these other guides.
Moon | Locket |
Star | Key |
Infinity Symbol | Anchor |
Heart | Coin |
Rose | Circle / Ring |
Cowrie Shell | Wishbone Ring |
Butterfly | Trilogy Ring |
Jewelry Symbols Overview |
Moon Jewelry
If you think about the moon you might think of a mystic atmosphere and the night. But the new moon symbol can also have other meanings. After the moon decreases, it gets into its new moon phase. Now the moon comes slowly and slowly visible again.
This moon phase can stand as a symbol of hope and a changing phase of life. There is this hope of harmony and fulfillment that is represented through this symbol. It’s a great symbol to gift someone that you are in a new relationship with, friendship, or romantic relationship.
Combined with a beautiful jewelry piece, the moon symbol shows that you are looking forward to starting this new and joyful relationship with your loved one and that you are hopeful that it’s going to be a harmonious time together.
Next to a perfect jewelry gift symbol, it’s a great symbol that you can connect well to yourself. Maybe you’ve just begun a new phase of your life and are hopeful and excited about this new time. With a moon-inspired jewelry piece, you can capture this feeling of joy and hope for this new part of life and look back at it every time you see your jewelry.
Star Jewelry
The star has become a fashion motif that you see a lot on many pieces, especially in the 2000s. Still, there can be a deep meaning behind this popular symbol.
As Rachel Berry said before, “My gold stars are a metaphor for me being a star”. The star stands for encouragement and motivation, either by or for yourself and to encourage your loved ones. That’s why with this interpretation, a star jewelry piece is a great jewelry gift.
However, there are also other meanings behind the symbol. The star represents wonder and guidance, often connected to the star of Bethlehem in the Bible. But also apart from Christianity, a star is seen as some magical that with help of a guardian angel protects you.
Many people have a deep connection to the star as something wonderful that you can tell your wishes and hopes. If you see yourself in this, the star can be a motivational and soothing jewelry symbol for you.
When talking about the star symbol, we also can’t forget the star of David in Judaism. Read here to find out more about the meaning of the Star of David as well as you can learn here more about the Star of Bethlehem.
Infinity Symbol Jewelry
As you probably can imagine, the infinity symbol represents the eternity the relationship for example means to you. The person or thing you connect the jewelry to should be there forever and never leave.
This can be your partner, a friend, or a family member for example. By gifting jewelry with the infinity symbol you show how much this person means to you and that you never ever want to them. It’s a very emotional and honest confession that can deepen and strengthen your relationship if the other person feels the same.
But this symbol doesn’t always have to be connected to another person. The feeling in a specific moment, a specific event or time in your life, or a manifestation: You can connect basically anything you want with the infinity symbol. What is something that you never want to let go of or that you always want to have at least a little bit in your heart and mind?
Heart Jewelry
The heart is one of the most used jewelry love symbols. It’s the classic way to show love and affection towards your loved ones. Although it might be a cheesy jewelry symbol, gifting a jewelry piece with a heart symbol is something everyone understands.
It’s a classic and great gift for your friend or loved one to say you love or like them a lot.
Rose Jewelry
The rose is a classical symbol of romance and love. You mostly see roses gifted as, well, actual roses. But they can also be made as beautiful jewelry designs that even live longer and won’t die such as real roses. You might say that the romance and love you want to show with the rose won’t die.
Especially red roses represent passion and sexuality, so even more attributes that probably shouldn’t be missing in your relationship.
Cowrie Shell Jewelry
The cowrie shell is definitely a lucky charm. The symbol stands for luck and fortune in the future – so a perfect jewelry gift. But next to other symbols that bring luck, the cowrie shell should bring you luck for two specific things: fertility and sexuality. Yes, you heard me right.
In many cultures, the cowrie shell should give you luck and fortune in your sex life but also can be portrayed as a lucky charm when you want to have kids. So, the cowrie is a good jewelry gift, but be careful to whom you give it to!
Butterfly Jewelry
The butterfly has been a popular symbol a couple of years ago and now is living a revival in the Y2K style.
The butterfly is seen as a typical animal that’s starting the spring season. It’s therefore connected to joy and warmth and possibly overcoming the dark and going into positivity. With this meaning in mind, a jewelry piece with a butterfly is an awesome gift for yourself to feel and connect your look with joy and fun.
The butterfly is one of the prettiest animals in the air with its beautiful wings and bright colors. That’s why the butterfly symbol also represents beauty and elegance, something that can definitely be given through jewelry as well.
Talking about overcoming the dark and going into spring, before the butterfly is actually a butterfly, it is a caterpillar. But the rather ugly caterpillar overcomes its phase and later becomes a beautiful butterfly. The symbol can stand for overcoming tough times and maybe ugly phases and coming to a positive phase of life.
Giving a piece of butterfly jewelry with this meaning and interpretation can be a sweet gesture and sign of support to the suffering person or it can support and help yourself in difficult times.
There is also a special meaning for the symbol of two butterflies. Two butterflies next to or over another can represent young and new love. Therefore, a lovely jewelry gift and a celebration of a new relationship.
Locket Jewelry
The locket is an old and popular Symbol used in jewelry, especially as a necklace pendant. A locket usually has the function to protect something, to keep it closed and away to not get it damaged. Therefore, it often locks up something precious and important.
When gifting this symbol to your loved one, you can tell them how precious and important your relationship is. So much that you want to protect it and keep it safe and secure. The locket symbolizes safety and protects your love and heart.
Key Jewelry
Next to the locket symbol, we can’t forget the key is a popular jewelry symbol, especially as a necklace pendant.
On the one hand, the key can be the classical “key to your heart” and by gifting jewelry with a key symbol, you can show your deep interest in the other person’s life and thoughts. You really want to get to know them and see into their feelings, sort of “unlock their heart”.
Next to the cheesy meaning of the key symbol, there is also another aspect. The key can unlock closed doors and give you new open doors. It stands for new opportunities, maybe new freedom but also success and knowledge.
Maybe your business partner will love your key necklace gift that should tell him how successful you see your new business together with lots of great opportunities and open doors.
But of course, you can connect the meaning behind the key symbol with whatever you like. Maybe you closed a part of your life and now see a new time with freedom and many new chances to learn a lot.
Anchor Jewelry
The anchor belongs to the old and traditional jewelry symbols section. It has been a classic symbol for so long since it has a really good and deep meaning. In times of struggles and storms, the anchor holds you safe and stable.
Give a jewelry piece with an anchor symbol to someone who gives you this safety and stability in times when you struggle. It can mean a lot to receive this special symbol and to be so important and kind of a safe space for your loved one.
This jewelry symbol creates trust. In a windstorm, you have to trust the anchor to hold you tight and safe, and not everyone is this trustworthy. Show your friend or partner how much you trust them.
Coin Jewelry
The coin as a necklace pendant has been a popular jewelry look for centuries of years. It stands for prosperity and wealth while not being too decadent. This jewelry symbol belongs rather to the symbols of power and wealth.
However and next to the cowrie shell, a gold coin can also symbolize luck. It‘s a great jewelry gift if you want to wish someone good luck in the future. In combination with the prosperity symbol, the coin especially can stand for luck in your business area.
Circle / Ring
The circle can be seen as part of jewelry in most cases as a ring. But there are also pretty circle studs, hoops, or circle pendants out there that have the same meaning behind. The circle is round, has no ends, and no rough edges.
This wholesomeness, fulfillment, and perfection is one part of the circle’s meaning. And you can interpret it in whatever way you want to. You can give a ring to someone and show them how they fulfill you or how perfect they are to you.
You can also get a ring or circled jewelry and connect it with maybe a goal that you have completed, or a thing that you perfected.
However, there is also another meaning behind the circle: eternity. The circle has no ends, such as eternity. This brings us back to eternal love and showing and telling your loved ones that you and your love don’t go away. That’s probably one of the reasons why there are engagement rings and wedding rings. They never end.
Wishbone Ring
The wishbone ring is a sort of a pointed tip ring that looks simple but unique simultaneously. This specially formed ring represents positivity and the avoidance of negative emotions and vibes. It’s a great gift to tell the other person to stay positive and hopeful, especially in tough times.
Of course, that’s probably not all it takes, in the end, it’s just a ring, but it’s a sweet gesture. The wishbone ring has the meaning of having dreams and keeping negativity away. It’s a “stay strong” ring that should build you or your loved one up.
Trilogy Ring (Three-Stone Ring)
A trilogy ring is a ring with three stones connected. These can either be different stones or of the same sort, and they’re diamonds or gemstones. With these three stones, the ring might seem kind of massive sometimes – but that’s also the meaning behind it.
The three-stone ring represents the past, the present, and the future. This can have any meaning or connection to what you want. Maybe you connect a place, a specific thing, or a person with your past, your present moments, and also with a part of your future.
But, the trilogy ring is also a great gift for someone. Giving this ring to a person that has been there for you in the past, whom you want in your current life and in your future can be a very special and deep gift.
And of course, you can gift the trilogy ring the other way around: You want to ensure that you are going to be there for the person, such as you have been in the past and in the present.
Clarify The Jewelry Symbol Meanings
If you made the decision and got your boyfriend or girlfriend a jewelry gift and put a lot of effort into finding a piece that really expresses your feelings, let them know! Most people don’t know all the meanings behind each jewelry symbol, and that’s totally alright. But now that you do, your partner should know too, at least the meaning behind the piece you give them.
It might seem weird or difficult in the beginning, but I’m sure your partner wants to know all your thoughts about your pretty gift. You can use some of my interpretations if you want, or just tell your partner what your interpretation of the piece and your relationship is.
Jewelry Symbols Overview
To help you have a general look at all the jewelry symbols I showed you today, here’s a quick overview of the symbols and their meanings. Maybe you think now twice when wearing your key necklace or the star earrings your mum gifted to you. Jewelry can have a big impact on your relationship with us and I hope I could help you see that.
Moon | New relationship, hope for harmony |
Star | Hope, wonder, guidance, encouragement, Star of Bethlehem, Star of David |
Infinity Symbol | Forever, eternity |
Heart | Love, affection |
Rose | Love, romance, passion, sexuality |
Cowrie Shell | Luck, fortune, fertility, sexuality |
Butterfly | Beauty and elegance, joy and warmth, two butterflies: young and new love |
Locket | Protection, safety, security |
Key | Unlock the heart, knowledge, success, freedom, open doors |
Anchor | Hope, trust, safety, stability |
Coin | Prosperity, fortune, luck |
Circle/Ring | Eternity, life, wholesomeness, perfection |
Wishbone Ring | Positivity, avoiding negative vibes, hope, dreams |
Trilogy Ring | Past, present, and future |