'Expedition Unknown's Josh Gates Says His Necklace "Gets a Lot of Questions" From Fans

Whether you trust everything that archaeologist and Expedition Unknown host Josh Gates has to say or not, there's no getting around the fact that he is a master in his field. He has multiple Discovery shows to prove it, after all. And longtime fans continue to have questions about who he is outside of television and, more specifically, what Josh Gates's necklace is all about.

He tends to wear what has become his signature necklace that features a circle with a line through it that resembles a compass on a fabric cord more often than not. But what is the significance of his necklace? It's totally possible that it's simply a fashion statement that has stuck with him over the years. But Josh has spoken about his necklace outside of Expedition Unknown before.

In 2010, Josh spoke with BlogTalkRadio about his career as an explorer and TV host. And, at the time, the topic of his necklace came up. He shared that he often "gets a lot of questions" about his necklace, so it's a fair thing to wonder about. And although he also joked that "the necklace is magical," he opened up about why it's so important to him.

"I wish there was a better story about it, but my mom's British and when I was a kid we used to go to England like once a year, and I sort of remember getting it [there]," Josh said. "It looked a little different then, it was on a different kind of chain. It was like a pendant on a different kind of chain. And I was really young, and I wanted it. I saw it in, like, a store. It's such a bad story, because I can't really remember where I got it."

But, Josh added, the mostly unknown origin of his necklace that he still wears on Expedition Unknown helps add to "the mystique of the necklace." He also shared that, over the years, it became his "travel necklace" that he only wears when he travels to do one of his shows. If that's still true today, it makes sense, since viewers see him with it around his neck more often than not.

Over the course of Josh's career, he has traveled all over the world and become the host of multiple Discovery shows, including Destination Truth, Ghost Hunters, and of course, Expedition Unknown. And his necklace has been with him every step of the way.

Because fans of Josh and his shows have followed him closely over the years, they know his necklace as well as they know him. Well, sort of. One fan shared on Reddit that they even recreated Josh's necklace to sell in their Etsy shop. Since it's hard to imagine Josh ever parting with his original necklace, buying a replica may be the next best thing for his most devoted fans.