Jewish Jewelry

Everything you need to know about Jewish jewelry

Jewish jewelry is one of the most popular and best-selling types of Judaica. There’s a huge market for both modern Jewish jewelry and traditional Jewish jewelry. Precious metals used for Jerusalem jewelry are 925 sterling silver, and 14kt and 18kt white and yellow gold. Some of the finest handmade Jewish jewelry features diamonds from the Israeli diamond exchange in Ramat Gan and Israeli amethysts, lapis, emeralds and other precious stones.

All Jewish jewelry, regardless of the actual style, draws on thousands of years of history and tradition and all the richness of traditional Jewish culture. Jewish jewelry symbols that would have been immediately recognizable to our distant ancestors are still used today in modern Jewish jewelry. Treasured symbols and icons from the past include:

• Star of David or Magen David
• The Chai symbol to celebrate life
• Shema Yisrael Jewelry
• The Hamsa hand sign for luck and protection
• The evil eye symbol for protection
• Eshet Chayil or Woman of Valor
• Mezuzah Jewelry
• Ten Commandments Jewelry

Jewish jewelry symbols celebrate a close personal link to Judaism or to Israel and remind us of the connection whenever we wear our jewelry. Even people who aren’t religious often love to express their cultural heritage and show their pride in belonging to something bigger than themselves. If you prefer discretion, a Star of David or Eshet Chayil necklace can be worn beneath your clothing, but will always be there with you!

 

Jewish Jewelry for Women

If you want to buy Jewish jewelry for the woman in your life, or for a daughter or granddaughter, there’s a great choice of styles. Traditional Jewish jewelry for women is always elegant. The most popular Jewish jewelry symbols for women are the Eshet Chayil, Chai symbol and the Hamsa. A stylish Magen David is also a great Bat Mitzvah gift.

Traditional Jewish jewelry was made from 14kt or 18kt yellow gold or 925 sterling silver. These were the precious metals that were most commonly available in the past. Modern Jewish jewelry uses a much wider variety of materials. Many women choose to buy white gold or platinum, or love the soft warm look of rose gold.

Modern Jerusalem jewelers are experts at using colorful enamel inlays to decorate necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Gleaming 925 sterling silver, white gold and platinum look amazing with bright blue enamel. The color combination exactly matches the traditional blue and white of Judaism, and the modern Israeli flag.

Jewish jewelry for any woman is a special gift that should always be chosen carefully. We recommend that you talk to us about how to personalize your jewelry gift with a name, or initials, or a personal symbol. You can also talk to our English speaking designers about commissioning custom earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets or rings.

 

Jewish Jewelry for Men

Men generally tend to prefer simple and stylish modern Jewish jewelry. The Star of David necklace is a bestseller and one of our all time most popular Bar Mitzvah gifts. Men also love the rampant Lion of Judah necklace and jewelry featuring silhouettes of Jerusalem buildings and cityscapes.

The Chai symbol and Shema Yisrael are also great choices when you buy Jewish jewelry for men. Religious men may also be interested in the unique Ten Commandments pendant, with two finely crafted tablets and an option for black diamonds or rose gold and silver.

Jewish jewelry for men isn’t limited to pendants and rings. Every well dressed Jewish man should own a set of hand made cufflinks or tallit clips from Jerusalem. Even if your preferred style is jeans and a t-shirt, there will be times when you want to dress to impress!

 

Jewish Jewelry from Jerusalem

There are jewelers and jewelry designers around the world who make Jewish jewelry and use Jewish jewelry symbols in their own designs. Some of their work is beautiful, but it can never have the same spiritual quality as a Magen David necklace or Eshet Chayil pendant that was made within walking distance of the Kotel (Wailing Wall). Jerusalem silversmiths and artisans are continuing a Jewish jewelry making tradition that’s thousands of years old. They are a living link to the jewelers of King Solomon and King David and continue to make traditional Jewish jewelry designs that survived two millennia of diaspora.

 

If you buy Jewish jewelry as a special gift for a loved one – especially if it’s a once in a lifetime purchase – it’s worth buying from Jerusalem. Every handmade ring, necklace or bracelet (or even a tie pin or cufflinks) is the product of real love and dedication. The other advantage of buying Jerusalem made jewelry is that all the materials are sourced locally. Diamonds and precious stones and gems are bought on the Israel Diamond Exchange and the original gold and silver bullion comes from the world’s best suppliers.

 

Personalize Your Jewish Jewelry

Jewelry items tend to be quite small which limits the options to personalize your gift. Fortunately, our Jerusalem craftsmen are real experts. They love to engrave rings, or add precision silver stamping with colored enamel inlays. We can usually add a name or initials in Hebrew or English script, or a date. If you’re buying actual name jewelry (a necklace with your name set in colored enamel) we can add an engraving to the reverse, or create a pavé effect with a carpet of tiny diamonds.

If you plan to buy a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah or an anniversary gift, we’ll be happy to add an extra touch to make the gift truly personal. If you’re buying matching ‘his and hers’ jewelry, or a gift for twins, we can also find a way to make the jewelry special.