Arrow Necklace Meaning for Men: What the Arrow Stands For

An arrow does one thing, and it doesn't do it halfway. Once it leaves the bow, there's no turning round, no second thoughts, no drifting off to see what else is out there. It goes where it was sent.

That's most of the reason men wear one. This guide covers what an arrow necklace means, where the symbol comes from, how it differs from the compass, and how to wear an arrow pendant or earring.

Built to go one way: forward. Featured: Arrow (Gold).

Jump to:

• What an arrow necklace means
• Where arrow symbolism comes from
• The arrow and the compass
• Our Arrow pendant
• The Arrow Earring
• How to wear an arrow necklace
• Giving an arrow as a gift
• FAQs

What Does an Arrow Necklace Mean?

An arrow necklace stands for forward motion with a purpose. Not wandering, not waiting: picking a target and committing to it. Within that, men tend to wear one for four reasons:

• Momentum: an arrow can't fly backwards. It's a reminder to keep moving, even slowly.
• Aim: an arrow without a target is just a stick. Wearing one says you know what you're going after.
• The draw: an arrow only flies after it's been pulled back. Plenty of men wear one to remind themselves that a setback is often the build-up, not the end.
• Readiness: for most of history, an arrow in the quiver meant you were prepared for whatever came next.

Small enough to layer, sharp enough to stand out. Featured: Arrow (Gold).

Where Does Arrow Symbolism Come From?

The arrow is one of the oldest things people have made. Likely arrowheads found at Sibudu Cave in South Africa date from roughly 72,000 to 60,000 years ago, which makes the arrow far older than writing, farming or the wheel. A symbol that old picks up a lot of meanings along the way.

Strength in numbers

An old fable tells of a father who hands his quarrelling sons a bundle and asks them to break it. None of them can. He unties it, and each piece snaps easily. In some tellings the bundle is sticks; in others, spears or arrows. Either way the lesson is the same: together, you can't be broken. The idea is still on the Great Seal of the United States, adopted in 1782, where the eagle holds an olive branch in one talon and thirteen arrows in the other, one for each of the original states. Its designers said the branch and arrows stood for the power of peace and war.

The broad arrow

In Britain, the arrow has a more official history. A simple arrowhead known as the broad arrow was being used to mark the King's property as early as 1330, and it went on to appear on naval stores, timber, rifles, bayonets and canteens. It became the mark of the Board of Ordnance, and Britain's Ministry of Defence only phased it out in the 1980s. For centuries, an arrow on something meant it belonged to the Crown.

The binding nods to the way arrowheads were lashed to the shaft. Featured: Arrow (Gold).

Love and the stars

Then there's the softer side. Cupid's arrow has stood for falling in love since classical times, and the archer of Sagittarius makes the arrow a natural choice for anyone born under that sign. Neither reading cancels out the others. The arrow has always been flexible like that, which is part of why it still feels personal.

Arrow or Compass: What's the Difference?

The two symbols get mixed up because both are about direction, but they mean different things. A compass is about knowing where you're going. An arrow is about already being on your way.

They also work together: one for direction, one for drive. Our guide to the compass necklace covers the other half of that pairing.

Our Arrow Pendant

Our Arrow is a sculpted arrowhead, 25mm by 10mm, with a binding wrapped around its neck in a contrasting metal, the way arrowheads were once lashed to the shaft. It hangs from a 3mm rope chain, 51cm long, whose twist picks up the texture of that binding. If you want to know more about the chain itself, our guide to the rope chain explains how it's made and why it's so strong.

Silver with a gold binding, so it works with either metal. Featured: Arrow (Silver).

Gold or silver?

Both are two-tone, which makes this one of the easier choices you'll make. The gold Arrow has a gold head with a silver binding; the silver Arrow reverses it, with a gold binding on a silver head. Either one sits comfortably beside both metals, so pick the one that matches what you wear most and the other metal still has a place. A two-tone piece is also the easiest way into wearing both metals at once, and our guide to mixing silver and gold shows how to carry that through the rest of what you wear.

The two-tone binding up close. Featured: Arrow (Silver).

Gold against leather. Featured: Arrow (Gold).

The Arrow Earring

The Arrow Earring takes the same symbol to the ear: a sculpted arrowhead hanging from a smooth, polished hoop. It comes in 18K gold or silver, and you can buy it as a single or a pair. A single is the subtler option; a pair makes the arrow a bigger part of the look.

The same symbol, scaled for the ear. Featured: Arrow Earring (Gold).

Worn as a single, it's a quiet detail. Featured: Arrow Earring (Gold).

If you're new to earrings, our guide to types of earrings for men explains how hoops and drops compare, and how to clean earrings covers the upkeep.

The silver hoop and arrowhead drop. Featured: Arrow Earring (Silver).

How Should You Wear an Arrow Necklace?

At 25mm long, the Arrow is a pendant that works with almost anything. A few ways to wear it:

• On its own: on the rope chain it comes with, over a plain T-shirt or under an open collar. It's slim enough to sit flat.
• Layered: add a heavier plain chain, worn a little shorter, so the arrow becomes the lower point of the stack.
• With the compass: the compass at one length, the arrow at another, for direction and drive together.
• With the earring: match the metal of the earring to the head of the pendant and the look ties together without being too much.

Our men's chain length guide shows where each length sits if you're layering.

A heavier chain above, the arrow below. Featured: Arrow (Silver).

Silver keeps it understated with darker clothes. Featured: Arrow (Silver).

Is an Arrow Necklace a Good Gift?

It's one of the best for a fresh start. An arrow suits the moments when someone is about to be launched into something new: a graduation, a first job, a move abroad, the day a business opens. It says I believe you're going somewhere, without anyone having to make a speech.

It works between father and son, too. The Book of Psalms compares children to arrows in the hand of a mighty man, and plenty of fathers have given their sons an arrow at exactly the moment they let them go.

Looking After Your Arrow

The Arrow pendant is built on a solid 316L stainless steel core, triple-coated in 18K gold or, for silver, rhodium. The Arrow Earring is 316L stainless steel, finished in real 18K gold or rhodium.

• Showers and rain: fine. The steel core and finish are made for daily wear.
• Pools, hot tubs and the sea: take it off. Chlorine and salt are hard on any finish. Our guide on whether gold-plated jewellery can get wet explains why.
• Sensitive skin: stainless steel releases very little nickel, which is why it suits most people for everyday wear.
• Cleaning: a soft cloth with warm, soapy water gets into the binding. Dry it fully before you put it back on.

Arrow Necklace FAQs

What does an arrow necklace mean?

Mostly forward motion: progress, focus on a goal and the drive to keep going. Many men also read it as a reminder that being pulled back is how an arrow gets its power.

What does a bundle of arrows symbolise?

Strength in unity. One arrow snaps easily, a bundle doesn't, which is the moral of an old fable and the reason the eagle on the Great Seal of the United States holds thirteen arrows, one for each original state.

What is the broad arrow mark?

A simple arrowhead used to mark English and later British Crown property, recorded as early as 1330. It went on everything from naval stores to rifles, and the Ministry of Defence only phased it out in the 1980s.

Is an arrow necklace the same as a compass necklace?

No. A compass shows you which way to go; an arrow is already on its way. Many men wear the compass for direction and the arrow for drive, and the two layer well together.

What does it mean when someone gives you an arrow necklace?

Usually that they believe you're heading somewhere. It's a common gift for a graduation, a new job, a move or the start of a business: a way of saying go for it.

Can men wear arrow earrings?

Yes. Our Arrow Earring hangs a sculpted arrowhead from a polished hoop and comes as a single or a pair, in 18K gold or silver, so it works on its own or matched with the pendant.

Can you shower with an arrow necklace?

Ours, yes. The Arrow pendant has a 316L stainless steel core, so showers and rain are fine. Take it off for pools, hot tubs and the sea, where chlorine and salt are hard on any finish.

What chain does the Arrow pendant come on?

A 3mm rope chain, 51cm long, which puts the arrowhead around the middle of the chest. The rope's twist picks up the binding on the pendant.

Pick a Target

The arrow has outlasted almost everything people have made, because the idea behind it never gets old: choose where you're going, then go. Wearing one is a small, daily reminder to keep moving.

See the Arrow pendant in gold and silver, the Arrow Earring, or explore our full range of men's pendants and earrings.