Star symbols and their meanings | Egret Jewellery

The symbol of a star has always been steeped with awe and wonder, you only have to stare up into a clear night’s sky to experience the total realisation of inner peace and absolute insignificance all at the same time. Stars are majestic and untouchable it’s no wonder they have constantly been an inspiring sight for humanity. How many times have you gazed up into the heavens and made a wish? Or used the term, “Reach for the Stars,” to encourage someone you love?

Stars are absolutely amazing, they are basically enormous balls of gas held together with nothing but the power of their own gravity. In a way, they are the ultimate representation of self-reliance and resourcefulness.

Our fascination with the heavens combined with mathematics & mythology has produced one of the most common symbols to this day. Stars are a large part of our history and current culture. They have become a sacred and spiritual symbol for many religions all over the world.

For centuries stars have had many different meanings and that changes depending on what culture you were born into.

Stars have been symbolic of divine guidance and protection. The star of Bethlehem representing the guidance of god whilst the star of David is a powerful protection symbol.

Example of different star symbols and their meanings.

The 4-pointed star: A four-pointed star is usually styled to resemble a cross and can be used to represent the "star of Bethlehem"

The 5-pointed star: A five-pointed star is a divine symbol of oneness, the top representing human spirit whilst the other 4 signify the elements. It represents the connection bonding human spirit to Mother Nature. It can also symbolise a human body or incarnation of Jesus Christ.

The 6-pointed star: A 6-pointed star is the Star of David, the symbol of the Jewish faith and of divine protection.

The 7-pointed star: A 7 pointed star is associated with the archangel Anael, it is also a symbol of shining bright.

The 8-pointed star: An 8-pointed star is the star of Lakshmi which in Hindu tradition represents eight kinds of wealth: victory, patience, health, knowledge, nourishment, prosperity mobility and riches.

The 9-pointed star: A nine-pointed star can represent the nine Greek muses. It can also symbolise the Fruits of the Spirit listed in the book of Galatians in the Bible: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The 10-pointed star: A ten-pointed star can be associated with the Kabbalistic tree of life or the 10 disciples’ loyal to Jesus.

Stars have come to represent many different things throughout our history but the most recognised image (the picture you see when you close your eyes and imagine a star), that star has over-time become a symbol of excellence.

Over 35 countries use stars on their flags, they are also used on innumerable different commercial logos. Stars have come to represent excellence in many different ways, some examples are 5* dining & hotels, medals, the police and we even give our children stars as a reward for high achievement.

As a culture, we intuitively understand that the star symbol represents excellence but to understand why we need to look far back to early civilisations. The original reason for this is rooted in antiquity. Ancient philosophers, deemed the world was made from the four elements – air, fire, water, and earth. They also believed that when these elements were in harmony a fifth element appeared. These early theorists used a geometric five-point star as an image to symbolise this. To these philosophers the peak represented Quintessence, which literally means “fifth essence” and the other 4 points denoted the elements. Quintessence stood for total perfection, the absolute purest something could be, to surpass all limitations of earth.  This meant the epitome of human imagination, intelligence and attainment.

The meaning of stars in Jewellery.

Protection (Warding off evil and dispelling negativity)

Spiritual Compass (Guiding you along a divine path)

Motivation or Encouragement (Reminding someone to ‘reach for the stars’)

Wishes (A symbol of a shooting star)

Religious Symbols (A representation of faith)

If there is one image that is bursting with symbolism it is the Star. Motivation, Protection, wishes and spirituality, the Star represents all of these. The symbol has so many different meanings it is difficult to incorporate them all into one blog but I will leave you with this: For as long as we have been gazing up into the night skies we have been using the stars for navigation, whether that is spiritually or directional, they have been a constant reminder that there is something bigger than us. Stars are not merely shining bright lights marking our way through life but also a measurement in which we gauge our own unique brilliance.

It's time to embrace the brilliance of stars and let our jewellery illuminate the unique you. Start your journey with Egret Jewellery today! 

Want to read more about symbols? Click Here for our: Understanding Jewellery symbols blog. 

Letitia 

Egret Jewellery