Chinese Knot and Tassel Jewelry: The Symbolism, Simply Explained

What does Chinese knot jewelry mean? In Chinese tradition, a knot stands for connection: two things tied together and meant to stay that way. That is why knots appear at weddings, at Lunar New Year and on gifts for people you love. The tassel that often hangs below a knot is mostly about grace and movement. These meanings come from custom and language, not from anything a piece of jewelry does, and knowing them makes a knot design more personal to wear or to give.

The Chinese knot (中国结, zhōngguó jié): a very old idea

Tying knots is one of the oldest things people do with their hands, and in China the knot also has a place in the written record. A line in the commentaries on the Book of Changes (Yijing) says that in high antiquity people kept order with knotted cords, and that later sages replaced the cords with written signs. Whether or not it happened quite like that, it shows how early the knot was tied up with memory and agreement.

Over the centuries, knotting became decorative. Knotted cords hung from fans, belts, hair ornaments and jade pendants, and knotted "frog" buttons (盘扣, pánkòu) still close a qipao today. The large red hanging knots most people picture now are the best-known form, and they're everywhere at Lunar New Year.

What the knot symbolizes

• Connection and unity. The character for knot, 结 (jié), is part of the words for uniting (团结, tuánjié) and for marrying (结婚, jiéhūn). A knot is a promise you can see.
• Love. The "same-heart knot" (同心结, tóngxīn jié) appears in classical Chinese poetry as a token between lovers, and it is still used as a wedding motif.
• Continuity. The endless knot (盘长结, pánzhǎng jié) has no beginning and no end. It is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism and became a familiar motif in Chinese decorative art.
• Good wishes. Jié sounds close to jí (吉), "auspicious", and the pun is often mentioned when knots are given as good wishes.

And the tassel (流苏, liúsū)?

A tassel is the finish on a knot: strands gathered at the top and left loose below. In China, tassels hung from lanterns, fans, pendants and belts, and the way they swayed as someone walked was part of the point. They were valued for grace and refinement rather than for one fixed meaning. In jewelry the idea carries over simply: a tassel is movement, and movement draws the eye.

How to read a knot motif (and what it doesn't mean)

A knot on a necklace is a design, not a charm. The meanings above tell you what the knot has stood for in language, poetry and custom. They aren't a promise about what a piece will do for the person wearing it, and we don't make that kind of claim.

What a knot can do is carry a message. For a wedding, an anniversary, a friend moving away or a family reunion at the new year, it draws on a real and very old idea: we're tied together.

How to wear knot and tassel jewelry so it looks modern

• Keep the knot small and in metal. A traditional knot is tied in silk cord. A small knot in polished silver looks clean and current, and it holds its shape through daily wear in a way cord doesn't.
• Give a tassel room to move. Tassels look best against a plain neckline where they can swing: a crewneck, a slip dress, an open collar.
• Wear one moving piece at a time. Tassel earrings with a tassel necklace compete. Pair tassel earrings with a fine chain, or a knotted lariat with simple studs.
• Soften it with a cultured freshwater pearl. A knot with a pearl drop looks gentle rather than graphic, and it suits both silver and vintage gold.

What we actually carry

To be clear up front: our pieces are knot and tassel designs in solid silver. They are not traditional Chinese knots tied from cord, and they don't reproduce any particular historical knot. They borrow the shape and the idea.

The Fashion Tassel Knot Necklace is a lariat-style fine chain drawn through a sculpted silver knot, with two chain ends that finish in small beads and swing as you move. It comes in solid S925 sterling silver in a silver or vintage gold finish.

For a softer take, the Celestial Knot Necklace and the Knot Pearl Necklace pair a small knotted silver detail with cultured freshwater pearls on an adjustable chain. You'll find all three in our pendant necklaces, alongside the rest of our sterling silver necklaces.

If you'd rather wear the tassel at your ears, the Sterling Silver Tassel Earrings curve a twisted silver ribbon into fine chain strands that fall loose below. They sit with our drop earrings.

Every piece is solid S925 sterling silver: 92.5% pure, stamped, nickel-free and hypoallergenic. The silver runs all the way through; it isn't a thin layer over a cheaper base metal. The vintage gold option is a surface finish over that same solid silver.

FAQ

What does a Chinese knot symbolize?
In Chinese tradition, a knot symbolizes connection, unity and lasting love. The character for knot, 结 (jié), is part of the Chinese words for uniting and for marriage.

What is the endless knot?
The endless knot (盘长结, pánzhǎng jié) is a knot with no beginning and no end. It is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism and a common motif in Chinese decorative art, where it stands for continuity.

What do tassels mean in Chinese jewelry?
Tassels (流苏, liúsū) traditionally hung from knots, lanterns, fans and pendants and were valued for their graceful movement. They are decorative rather than tied to one fixed meaning.

Are Sterling Arc's knot pieces traditional Chinese knots?
No. Sterling Arc's knot and tassel pieces are modern designs in solid S925 sterling silver that borrow the knot shape. They are not tied from cord.

What are Sterling Arc's knot and tassel pieces made of?
Sterling Arc's knot and tassel pieces are solid S925 sterling silver (92.5% pure and stamped), which is nickel-free and hypoallergenic. The knot pearl necklaces are set with cultured freshwater pearls.

Related reads

• From Palace Lanterns to Cinnabar: The Eastern Art Behind Modern Silver Jewelry: the lanterns that tassels traditionally hang from.
• Chinese Red Jewelry: What the Colour Means and How to Wear It: why the classic knot is tied in red.
• Osmanthus, Plum and Peony: Reading Flower Motifs in Eastern Jewelry: the same reading applied to flowers.

If a knot says what you want to say

It's a small range, but the knot is one of the easiest Eastern motifs to wear every day. Browse our pendant necklaces and see which finish suits you.

New here? WELCOME10 takes 15% off your first order, with no minimum. We ship worldwide, free on orders over US$100, with 14-day returns and tracking if it isn't right.

— Peter, founder of Sterling Arc