Looking for Irish Claddaugh jewelry? Want to know about the many different Claddaugh jewelry pieces available? Read our guide for more information on choosing the right jewelry for you…
Claddaugh Jewelry Styles
Claddaugh is a unique symbol of love from the Celts that’s made up of two hands that cradle a heart topped with a crown. The heart on Irish Claddaugh jewelry denotes love whereas the hands stand for friendship. The crown represents loyalty in Claddaugh jewelry.
You can find the lovely Claddaugh design on jewelry, most notably rings, in white or yellow gold. The heart would sometimes be encrusted with fine cut emeralds or surrounded in a cluster of diamonds. Occasionally the crown would be topped with a green or red gem.
Claddaugh mothers’ pendants are equally popular and are a row of crowned heart shapes in colored stones that commemorate the birth months of children with the respective color. Irish Claddaugh jewelry is often exquisitely hand crafted in specialized jewelry stores.
How Claddaugh Got Its Name
It’s believed that the term Claddaugh originated from a fishing village in Ireland of the same name. Barbary pirates kidnapped an Irish fisherman named Richard Joyce off the coast of Galway and eventually sold him to a goldsmith.
This resourceful Irishman designed the special Claddaugh symbol as a ring in memory of his long lost love back on the shores of distant Ireland. Upon his release, Joyce returned to Claddaugh to find his true love had rejected all subsequent suitors and waited with a pure heart for him. They were married with the Claddaugh ring that has now come to symbolize love, loyalty and friendship.
How to Wear a Claddaugh Ring
The Claddaugh ring is commonly known as the Faith Ring among jewelers. It’s normally worn on the right hand. Traditionally, when an Irish woman wore the ring with the heart pointing away from her, this signified that she had not yet found the love of her life. When she was firm on her suitor, the heart pointed inwards. And when she married him, she’d shift the Claddaugh jewelry to the ring finger on her left hand. Nowadays it’s come to signify eternal love between husband and wife or mother and child.
You can effectively display your enduring affection for your significant other with a beautiful Claddaugh ring that’s a particularly Irish symbol of love. Irish Claddaugh jewelry is a wonderful addition to your treasure trove of spectacular accessories.
