Heart Charm

The heart shape as we know it — the symmetrical double-curve culminating in a point — is a medieval European artistic convention that gradually replaced earlier, more anatomically literal depictions of the physical heart. By the fifteenth century, playing cards, illuminated manuscripts, and courtly love tokens all featured the familiar heart shape as a symbol of romantic devotion. When the printing press spread this iconography across Europe, the stylized heart became a global shorthand for love and affection.

As a lucky charm, the heart is carried or worn when seeking love, deepening existing relationships, healing from heartbreak, or simply affirming a commitment to living with an open heart. In folk magic traditions, heart-shaped tokens made of rose quartz, red coral, or gold were tucked under pillows to attract romantic partners, given as betrothal gifts, and buried in gardens to ensure a happy home.

Beyond romance, the heart charm is also used as a symbol of compassion, courage (the word 'courage' derives from the Latin 'cor,' meaning heart), and emotional intelligence. Hospitals, charities, and wellness brands worldwide use the heart symbol because it communicates care and connection instantaneously across language barriers.