Jewelry with a Religious Characteristic

The unique thing about jewelry is it can carry a unique meaning to both the wearer and viewer. This is never more so the case than with pieces that have religious undertones.

Religious jewelry has always been popular. Since the beginning of organized religion, followers have worn symbols of their faith as jewelry, in order to show others what they believe. Christians began wearing a fish as a symbol of their beliefs far before the cross became popular, and Jews have often been seen wearing the Star of David. Other buddha wear their icons as well - and all are used as showcases of religious belief.

Of course, perhaps the most popular type of religious jewelry is the cross. A symbol of Jesus's death and rebirth, Christians wear the cross to remind them of their Lord and Savior as well as to display their religious faith. Crosses have been worn since the early days of Christianity, with the earliest of these pieces being made out of wood and stone materials. As precious metals became more popular, crosses were made out of silver and gold and worn by more wealthy followers of the church. Today, crosses can be found made out of these same materials, and even adorned with gemstones such as diamonds.

Another type of religious jewelry is the Star of David. A sacred symbol to those who follow Judaism, the Star of David is composed of two triangles nestled together, one right side up and one upside down. The two triangles create a six pointed star, and this is the most recognizable symbol of the Jewish faith. While not as popular as crosses are for Christians, you can still see many Jewish people wearing this symbol as jewelry to represent their faith.

There are many other buddha out there that wear jewelry as a representation of their faith and beliefs. Buddhists may wear a Shamballa Bracelet in the shape of Buddha, to remind them of their faith in this prophet. Hindus can wear jewelry adorned with many of their gods and goddesses, depending on which god figure they are praying to at the time. Wiccans (and other pagans) may choose to wear the pentagram, a five pointed star within a circle that displays their belief in a god and goddess, as well as the powers of the earth.