Jewelry that stands for strength: the lion, the panther, the serpent and crossed arrows

People choose strength jewelry to carry courage, calm or resilience. The four symbols to know are the lion, the panther, the serpent and crossed arrows, and each says something different. Ilene Joy makes all four in solid gold, from $600 in Small, and you can try each on a chain before you order.

Four kinds of strength

Prices are for the 14K yellow gold Small size, as of 19 October 2026. They follow the daily gold rate.

Choose by the moment

• You are starting something. Crossed arrows point forward. The medallion is two pavé-set arrows, with diamonds, a ruby and a yellow sapphire, and a serrated edge.
• You have come through something. The serpent sheds its skin and carries on. It is the symbol people reach for after a hard year. Read the serpent, worn close.
• You are stepping up. The lion stands for courage and a calm kind of authority.
• You are holding your own. The panther is strength that does not need an audience.

The lion and the panther are set side by side in lion and panther charms.

Which one is right for you

Strength is not always loud. If you want a piece that says so across a room, choose a Medium or Large lion or arrows. If you want one that says it only to you, choose a Small serpent or panther close to the neck.

Two points help:

1. Weight of the design. The lion and the panther are sculpted heads, bold and dense. The serpents range from a small oval cameo with a black enamel border to a coiled medallion set with emeralds. Arrows are graphic and open.
2. Where you will wear it. On a necklace the charm sits at the center of the chest. On a bracelet it sits on the wrist. Both work, and a bracelet is the more private place.

Three starting combinations

Chain: Petite, 16 inches, 14K gold. One Small charm. Chain prices do not change with the gold color.

One of our starting designs, called Panthère, puts the Panther Charm on a Petite circle chain in 14K yellow gold. It is $2,976 as shown on Design your own. A different chain changes the look, and which chain is best for charms compares all six.

Wearing strength with other symbols

Strength sits well beside other meanings. A lion with a protective eye, or arrows with a crescent, makes a small arrangement with a reason for each piece. Read protection jewelry: which symbol to choose, what a crescent moon and star charm means, and how many charms to wear.

Build one and see it on

1. Open Design your own and choose Design a necklace or Design a bracelet.
2. Pick a chain, a link weight, a gold and a length or wrist size.
3. Tap a strength charm, drag it into place and change its size.
4. Look at the On model view.

The page calls the preview "a creative visualization, not an exact representation." We confirm every detail with you after you order. Open the necklace builder or the bracelet builder. For the steps, read how to design your own charm necklace. Each piece is made to order at our Los Angeles bench in 2 to 4 weeks.

About Ilene Joy

Ilene Joy has designed jewelry since 1996. Ilene designed jewelry for the last three seasons of Sex and the City, as WWD reported in February 2019. She relaunched the label that year with her daughter, Rae Scheer, and Vogue covered the launch. Zoë Kravitz, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Jennifer Lawrence, Sienna Miller, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Taylor Swift, Emily Blunt, Emily Ratajkowski and Candice Swanepoel have worn Ilene Joy: see who wears Ilene Joy. Every design you build is made to order at our Los Angeles bench in 2 to 4 weeks. More on who Ilene Joy is and the press coverage.