Thread: Evil Eye beads??

Hey everybody,

Does anybody have any good recommendations for evil-eye beads? And has anybody used them in costuming? Or is this a no-no? I want to refurbish some strands of one of those minimally beaded Emans.

Thanks!

I like to wear a big evil eye pendant as my jewelry. I don't see why evil eyes would be bad - the Turks use them to decorate pretty much anything from ashtrays to fridge magnets.

Tulumba is always a good source for Turkish things, they have these beads in many different colors, too.

Originally Posted by steffib

I like to wear a big evil eye pendant as my jewelry. I don't see why evil eyes would be bad - the Turks use them to decorate pretty much anything from ashtrays to fridge magnets.

Tulumba is always a good source for Turkish things, they have these beads in many different colors, too.

Thank you very much. I'll check them out.

Wow, lookit this: EVIL EYE JEWELRY. Greek evil eye bracelet,Turkish evil eye charms,Ojo Turco amulets against evil eye.

But there are others, if you google evil eye beads. I've seen them on hip scarves and other stuff.

LOVE this scarf:)
Nazar Lucky Eye Scarf

Fire Mountain Gems sells them too.

Wow thanks ladies!! I love Bhuz!

Eman Zaki uses them on some of her assuit costumes. :) I'd assume they're safe to use.

Originally Posted by Karnak

Fire Mountain Gems sells them too.

Be sure to check their pre-made jewelry section too--sometimes you can get strung evil eye beads for less than loose ones.

Originally Posted by nadyasidhe

Wow, lookit this: EVIL EYE JEWELRY. Greek evil eye bracelet,Turkish evil eye charms,Ojo Turco amulets against evil eye.

But there are others, if you google evil eye beads. I've seen them on hip scarves and other stuff.

I've bought from them in the past, and they have been great to deal with - great prices and shipping was really fast. My order came from Turkey in 3 days!

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

Eman Zaki uses them on some of her assuit costumes. :) I'd assume they're safe to use.

Ohhh yeah! I forgot about that.

Originally Posted by badriya_al_ahmar

Be sure to check their pre-made jewelry section too--sometimes you can get strung evil eye beads for less than loose ones.

Thanks for the tip!

Originally Posted by phillyraqs

I've bought from them in the past, and they have been great to deal with - great prices and shipping was really fast. My order came from Turkey in 3 days!

Thanks for that tidbit, I wanted to order from somewhere that other people had good experiences with.

So is there anything that is off-limits? Like the Hamsa (hand, sometimes with an eye in it) that should not be used in costuming? And what about those dowry necklaces with the crescent on it? Maybe I should make another thread...

I second evil eye store. They are really nice to work with.. Also evil eye store you are actually keeping this art form alive. I got a CD on how the whole process is done i think they put it on youtube. Its amazing how fast they crank out the beads.

Alrana

Originally Posted by tabitha

So is there anything that is off-limits? Like the Hamsa (hand, sometimes with an eye in it) that should not be used in costuming? And what about those dowry necklaces with the crescent on it? Maybe I should make another thread...

This is a good question about the Hamsa - I really want a costume made with evil eyes all over it, and I have a friend in Cairo who was excited to collaborate with me on designing something. She works for one of the designers, and would do this as a side project between us. When I mentioned hamsas, her mouth dropped open, so I quickly changed the subject and felt like I had made a cultural boo-boo.

Even though the hamsa predates Judaism and Islam, it is now a symbol for both of them - the hand of Miriam and the hand of Fatima, so I think I would be hesitant to have a costume with a Hamsa motif, though I frequently wear a hamsa when dancing.

Search past threads, but those dowry necklaces with the crescent on it are fine to wear - any time, for any style of dance, was the consensus if I recall.

For really stunning and artistic evil eyes, check out the work of my friend Jinx Garza, lampwork bead artist. She has a couple of beads on eBay at the moment: eBay Seller: jinx.garza: Jewelry Watches items on eBay.com. And here's her gallery: Jinx Garza- Art Gallery Page 1. I'm wearing red Jinx evil eye earrings as I type this. ..g.:

The hamsa is a symbol of protection the same way the nazar is...it's worn on jewelry so I cannot imagine that there's any prohibition in wearing it on a costume (I have one tattooed on my foot and is VERY visable!)

Didn't one of Sandra's Bella's had a hamsa as front closure?

Found it: Brown, Orange, and Red Bella

The idea is to wear the evil eye for protection! So wear it to your heart's content! I get Greek supplies from here:
GreekShops.com - Greek Music, Video, Hats, Tshirts, Folk Art, Food, and 5000 other products from Greece. I am 99% sure you can order just beads. They have everything except the saganaki!

The evil eye store is great! And yes I think they are OK to wear in costuming. I have a bracelet of Yellow eye beads that I never ever remove and I also have some loose Blue beads.
Mavi Boncuk = Blue Bead in turkish =)

I have been plotting to make an evil eye costume for some time.... but I have a few projects in the line up in front of it... sigh...