Cimaruta Evil Eye Necklace

Our

Cimaruta Rosary Necklace is inspired by Italian folk magic wards against the evil eye, or malocchio.  The Cimaruta charm is an amulet that has been used in Italy since the Iron Age as a protective amulet against malicious witchcraft, and especially the evil eye. 'Cimaruta' roughly translates to 'sprig of rue' with each stem ending in a hand that is holding an item with protective associations in Italian folk magic and is traditionally made of silver.

Each necklace is 21.5 inches in length, with red coral and blue Nazar eye beads on the chain. The Cimaruta charm includes the following symbols attached as charms to a rue-branch base: heart, flower blossom, fish, key, moon, and dagger. For brief information on these elements, please read further.

For those interested in learning more about the symbolism included in this piece, consider our *Combo Pack* option below. It includes 1 of our Golden Cimaruta necklaces and 1 of our Cimaruta Altar/Reference Cards. It includes a hand-drawn illustration of this necklace, our version of the Cimaruta charm, on the front and a reference guide on the back that details the protective qualities of different wards against il malocchio in Italian folk magic practices. We hope this information helps inform your work with this piece! Please note this option is available ONLY for our Cimaruta necklaces. If you'd like both our Cimaruta Brooch and one of these cards, our Cimaruta Altar/Reference Cards are available in our shop. 

Our version of this charm is a reimagining of the historical version, with several key differences. Our version is in gold, as opposed to silver, to align it with the Sun and its protective energies. The branching base of the charm has three main branches like the original Cimaruta design includes. Hanging from these branches are protective charms against the evil eye historically held in the hands of the rue sprig. Of the traditional symbols, we chose to include the heart, flower blossom, fish, key, moon, and dagger. There is debate about what the plant the flower depicted on the traditional charm represents; of the plants this blossom could potentially be, we chose the lotus. Our version of the fish is the fish's tail to also represent the siren, which is another protective ward. These charms being hung individually from the branches creates a faint ringing sound as they move while worn, much like bells, which are another protective measure in Italian folk magic. 

The chain our handmade Cimaruta charm hangs from is made of additional evil eye wards. This chain is created in the style of a rosary, with different beaded sections separated by lengths of chain. Each bead was wrapped for attachment by hand by one of your local trickster spirits, weaving protective intention into every inch of this ward. There are sections of red coral, another Italian evil eye ward, including three beads, as the number 3 is especially powerful in Italian folk magic. These are separated by sections of figaro chain and a single glass evil eye bead. The necklace closes in the back with a lobster clasp. The entire chain, including clasp, is made from tarnish-resistant gold tone stainless steel; the Cimaruta itself is made from brass and gold-plated materials listed below.

We currently have ONE Cimaruta Brooch available. It is handmade with a vintage brooch depicting coral in gold tones. It currently features charms similar to those available on our Cimaruta necklace, as well as a few other pieces of symbology typical to Italian Malocchio (evil eye) wards such as the Mano Pantea. This brooch features the following symbology in varying silver and gold-tone charms: crescent moon, key, rooster, frog, dagger, snake, and an arrow-struck heart. 

Each amulet has been prayed over and blessed by your local tricksters in the tradition of our Italian ancestors. To do this, we first call in our Italian ancestors, that they may facilitate the working with La Sirena, the Siren, who has been associated with warding off the evil eye throughout history. Each amulet is first put through a kinetic blessing, where the motion of the gesture is used to teach the piece how to guard its wearer. Gestures have historically been an essential part of Italian folk magic, with some calling Italian folk magic practices 'segnature' to honor the signs/gestures used in the practice. During this process, the amulet is prayed over and additional signs are made over it as we ask La Sirena to bless both the ward and its wearer with her protection. Once this has been completed, it is tucked inside our blessing box designed for the consecration of wards against il malocchio. Made with a vintage hand-painted wooden box from Italy, our blessing box is filled with protective herbs, talismans, and charms that all protect against the evil eye. The video above shows our blessing box and the last photo shows this amulet placed inside. Each amulet rests inside the box, guarded and tended by La Sirena, for 3 days. May she guard you and prevent il malocchio from finding you!

There are a variety of metals included in this piece, including: gold-tone stainless steel, lead and nickel free gold-tone alloy, gold plated iron, and gold plated brass. These metals can tarnish with use, though this can be avoided with care. To avoid tarnishing, avoid contact with liquids whenever possible and let any cosmetics, lotions, or perfumes/colognes dry completely before putting on your necklace. Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Keeping your jewelry in a sealed container, such as a jewelry box or plastic bag, can prevent tarnishing by limiting exposure to air, sunlight, heat, and moisture. This is best done if air is pushed out of any plastic bag before sealing and with something included to remove moisture, such as a silica pack or anti-tarnish strip. This is not an exhaustive list of anti-tarnish measures, nor are these measures a guarantee that tarnishing will not occur when worn.

DISCLAIMER: For legal purposes, we must make it clear that this product and the information included is for entertainment and historical education purposes only. No product of The Trickster’s Apothecary is intended to replace legal, professional, or healthcare (physical or psychological) advice or assistance in any way. Please consult appropriate professionals as needed.