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.

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 entire necklace ends in a magnetic heart-shaped clasp, to have an element of the Cimaruta charm on the back as well.

This necklace was created entirely by hand and designed by your local trickster spirits, with every element included chosen for its specific association. Each necklace has been prayed over and blessed by one of your local trickster's Italian ancestors. To do so, we created a blessing box using a vintage wooden box made in Italy, filled with protective herbs and charms. Each Cimaruta charm is placed inside just before sunrise and removed just after sunset to imbue the golden metal with the sun's protective energy that it is associated with. This box rests on our kitchen altar dedicated to our Italian ancestors, who we ask to bless each piece, in addition to us praying over it.

This necklace is 23in in length.

There are a variety of metals included in this piece, including: 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.