Jewelry designed to ward off the Evil Eye.

I confess to a certain weakness for the Evil Eye superstition. It is often motivated by the fear of harm to oneself or to a prized loved one, such as a new baby. Although I never knew about the Evil Eye until a student told me about it a few years ago, it is popular in vast areas of the Middle East, Europe, and South America. The malevolent social nature of the Evil Eye makes it somewhat different than a simple taboo belief or good luck charm.

Yesterday, I was quoted in Alison Stevenson’s nice piece on the Evil Eye in Vice.