The Claddagh Symbol In Jewelry

Claddagh Symbol In Jewelry

The Irish Claddagh symbol is made of a heart, hands and crown. It is the most popular of all Irish jewelry short of the three-leaf clover. The symbolism of the Claddagh is rich and applicable to many people. Let’s look at what the three elements represent.

The holding hands represent friendship.  The heart equates to love.  The crown represents loyalty or fidelity.  Putting these symbols together create a theme that applies to weddings, friendship and love.  The most popular type of Claddagh jewelry is the Claddagh ring. Then there are Claddagh necklaces and Claddagh earrings.

Claddagh Ring

With the Irish Claddagh ring it is important to note how to wear it. If you wear it in a romantic way or as a wedding ring, the heart needs to be pointing toward you.  If you wear it for fun or as an icon to celebrate your love for Irish culture then point the heart away so that those who look at the Claddagh ring will know you are available.

From the symbolism of the Claddagh here are a few verses or Irish sayings that go nicely with the Claddagh symbol.

“With my two hands I give you my heart and crown it with my loyalty.”

“In your hands you hold my heart as I crown it with all my love.”

 

 

 

Sterling Silver Irish Jewelry

With the always popular party holiday St. Patrick’s Day coming up it’s a good time to look at sterling silver Irish jewelry, Clover jewelry and Claddagh jewelry.  Clover jewelry and Claddagh jewelry are big sub-genres of sterling silver Irish jewelry and are perfect for Saint Patrick’s Day.

Irish Jewelry

CLOVER JEWELRY

Sterling silver Clover jewelry is made up of Clover and Shamrock earrings, charms, pendants, rings and necklaces.  Silver Clover jewelry in the form of Clover necklaces is one of the most popular type of Irish jewelry

 

Clover Jewelry

CLADDAGH JEWELRY

Sterling silver Claddagh jewelry is a collection of Irish jewelry that centers around the Irish Claddagh sign. Irish Claddagh rings are very popular in the Claddagh jewelry sub-genre.

Claddagh Jewelry

With any of these types of sterling silver Irish jewelry you can use them for St. Patrick’s Day or to celebrate all thing Irish year around.

Irish Jewelry For Friendship

Sterling silver Irish jewelry is a lot of things to a lot of people. The type of Irish jewelry we’re going to look into is Irish friendship jewelry.  The sterling silver Claddagh jewelry is the type of jewelry that the Irish use for friendship.  Of course, the Claddagh symbol is used for a lot of things and here’s why, the symbolism of the Claddagh is so rich it can be used at many levels.

Claddagh Jewelry

Let’s look into the meaning of the Irish Claddagh then you’ll see how all these different types of Claddagh jewelry are used as Irish friendship jewelry.

Claddagh Necklace

The Irish Claddagh symbol consists of a pair of hands holding a heart and the heart is wearing a crown.  The hand stands for friendship, the heart obviously means love and the crown means fidelity and loyalty.

Claddagh Necklace

When you’re celebrating friendship the virtue of loyalty is valuable. No friendship that ever stood the test of time did so without loyalty.  Whether your a gut celebrating a great friend or a girl celebrating a long time friendship can deny the presence of love in that friendship. Guys likely won’t mention it, but love is there.  The hands that mean friendship is very obvious for friendship jewelry.

CLADDAGH JEWELRY

Sterling silver Claddagh jewelry is a sub-genre of Irish jewelry that is made up of Claddagh earrings, Claddagh pendants and Claddagh necklaces to mention a few. We can’t forget about a always popular Claddagh ring.

Irish Claddagh Necklace

When you’re wearing a sterling silver Claddagh necklace you’re wearing a reminder of a special friend. Of course many people wearing the Claddagh symbol in the form of a ring and typical for romantic reasons or as a wedding ring. Wearring a Claddagh ring is a great way to seprate the use of the Claddagh symbol.

Claddagh Pendant

Many Claddagh necklaces are made with silver Claddagh pendants and Claddagh charms.

Claddagh Charm

Like any other pendant, the Claddagh pendant is designed for a Claddagh necklace. A Claddagh charm is designed for Claddagh charm bracelets and Claddagh necklaces both.  All the while, as these Claddagh charms and pendants are reflecting on the wonderful relationship called friendship.

Now you have surveyed some nice Irish Friendship jewelry in the sub-genre of Claddagh jewelry.

Irish Friendship Jewelry

Irish Claddagh Ring

Sterling silver Irish jewelry has a VERY popular symbol that makes Irish jewelry so popular.  Irish jewelry is popular on its own merits but the Irish Claddagh symbol really helps.  The Claddagh symbol means so many thing to so many people from a Claddagh necklace to a Irish Claddagh ring and everything in between. So let’s focus on the Claddagh jewelry sub-genre.

Claddagh Jewelry

Claddagh Jewelry

The Claddagh symbol is comprised of three elements: the crown, the heart and the hands.  The crown means loyalty, the heart means love and the hands means friendship.  Typically, the Claddagh is used a lot in Claddagh rings that makes the Irish Claddagh ring popular with engagement and wedding rings and that symbolism works great for that.  The Claddagh symbol also works great for friendship.

Claddagh Necklace

The fact that is works for friendship also adds to its role in wedding symbolism.  But With the Claddagh symbol a big part of Claddagh jewelry is Claddagh earrings, Claddagh necklaces as well as Irish Claddagh rings.

Claddagh Necklace

The sterling silver Claddagh necklace is also a friendship necklace or in other  words a Irish Claddagh Friendship necklace. It’s great to give to your best friend as a friendship symbol.

Enjoy this little ditty about the Claddagh symbol:

The hands are there for friendship,
The heart is there for love.
For loyalty throughout the year,
The crown is raised above.

Last but not least we need to look at the Irish Claddagh  ring. It can be used as a friendship ring just as well as a wedding band.

Claddagh Earrings

Claddagh Jewelry

Sterling silver Claddagh jewelry is an off-shoot of Irish jewelry. Irish jewelry is a sub-set of the Celtic jewelry genre. So they are all related. Keep an eye open for some examples of Claddagh jewelry where the artisans have blended the Claddagh symbol with some Celtic knots.

Claddagh Necklace

The Irish Claddagh symbol is two hands holding a heart that is wearing a hat. The heart is, of course love. The crown is loyalty and the hand are friendship. Very rich symbolism. Claddagh jewelry consist of pretty much all the usual types of jewelry like Claddagh rings, Claddagh earrings and the Claddagh necklace.

Claddagh Earrings

While the Claddagh necklace is engaging the most popular type of Claddagh jewelry is the Irish Claddagh ring.

Claddagh Pendant

So what is the difference between Claddagh rings and Irish Claddagh rings? It may seem like were splitting hairs but a closer look at some of these Claddagh rings will reveal some slight differences in the irish  Claddagh rings. Some Irish Claddagh rings are all Claddagh with no other Celtic knots of symbols, they are all Irish Claddagh rings.

Claddagh Ring

Then take notice of some of the Claddagh rings with the inclusion of Celtic symbols, it’s still a Claddagh ring but it has both Celtic and Irish elements.

So is there a difference between an Irish Claddagh ring verses an Celtic Claddagh ring. The answer is that since they are all made from sterling silver the only thing to consider is your personal taste.

St Patrick’s Day. A Time To Wear Green?

Is Saint Patrick’s Day Really A Time To Wear Green?

I am one quarter Irish and four quarter Celtic. My Callahan roots are one quarter Irish (even had red hair and freckles as a young boy, but that gave way to auburn and gray) but all my other main lines go back to parts of the UK or England. As any good  Irish person knows, everyone in the UK comes from Celtic origins. This is important later on.

On a sacred day like St Patricks Day, at least in America, everyone wears green. That is good. It is a sacred tradition and very cool to see people celebrating Ireland with green.

While many full blooded  Irish celebrate St. Patricks Day to celebrate St Patrick (Irelands Patron Saint). Most American Irish or American Irish buffs are just celebrating Irish heritage or Ireland. This is especially great because during the potatoe famine when there was a mass immigration to America many so-called Americans were prejudiced to the Irish. Everyone knows the tenacity of the irish. This did not stop the Irish and they went on to make wonderful contributions to America and the world.

As I write this blog I am sitting in my recliner with a heating pad on my sore and damage spine with a bathrobe on. No green yet. But no worries. My bathrobe is a tartan fabric. Most associate tartans with Scotland but that is no completely true. I have a necktie that is a registered Tartan for County Cork, Ireland. While Tartans are not as popular in Ireland like in Scotland they do exist in Ireland.

Sterling Silver Irish Claddagh Rings

When I get dressed I’ll wear by polo shirt which is solid green. Even though I am not a necklace wearer I will wear and Irish clover necklace or a Celtic knot necklace. It may sound a bit cavilier about my commitment to green on Saint Patricks Day but I am of the strong opinion that a real Irishman appreciates the reality of my opinions as they are more true that simply wearing green only.

The jewelry I wear on St Patricks Day comes from HandCraftedCollectibles.com’s Irish jewelry collection or thier Claddagh Jewelry Collection or their Celtic Jewelry collection.

Irish Four Leaf Clover Necklace

Shame on me. I almost forget to say, don’t tell my wife I almost forgot, my wedding ring is a Claddagh ring with the heart pointing towards my heart. So no matter what, I am covered on this blessed Saint Patricks Day. If you’re interested in getting some great keepsake quality Irish jewelry then simply click on Irish jewelry.

I think I’ll share one of my favorite Irish Quotes:

“May joy and peace surround you, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now and bless you evermore!” (Irish Blessing)

Sterling Silver Celtic Jewelry

Want some great Celtic jewelry to wear every day letting people know your Irish heritage or your Irish interest? Click on Silver Celtic jewelry.