Celtic Jewelry

History of Celtic Jewelry
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The distinctive and beautiful style of Celtic jewelry was created by artisans from as long ago as 2000 BC. Ancient Celts are known to have settled in Ireland during this period and the craftsmen of the time created surprisingly sophisticated styles based on designs that they observed in nature itself. The clans of the time included the Huns and the Druids as well as the Celts and they revered nature, paying tribute to it by placing symbols on their clothing, shields, swords, and also their bodies. One of the popular patterns was Celtic knot work and into this they incorporated spirals, animal motifs, triskeles and crosses and wove these designs into bracelets, rings, earrings, torcs, pendants and brooches. 

This early Celtic jewelry was highly prized and was exported around the Mediterranean area because of its quality and beauty. Examples of these remarkable items of early jewelry can be seen on display in the National Museum of Ireland and includes torques, bangles, fibulae, brooches, lunulae and collars, made from gold and silver which were the precious metal used for around fifteen hundred years until 500 BC. Among the symbols used in addition to the knot work were pentacles and a variety of animals and birds.

Claddaugh

Synonymous with Celtic jewelry is the Claddagh, traditionally this is a symbol of love and friendship and has lost its origins with the passage of time. However it is believed to have originated from the Irish fishing village near Galway, named Claddaugh. There is a delightful story about an Irish jeweler called Richard Joyce who was captured by pirates in the sixteenth century and sold as a slave to a Moorish goldsmith who taught him the art of jewelry making. He missed his girlfriend so badly that he designed a ring for her to express his feelings. The design consisted of hands to depict their friendship, a crown to show his loyalty and a heart to express his love. When he finally returned after five years, he was thrilled to discover she had not married anyone else and he gave her the ring. Since then the Claddagh has become a popular wedding ring. Other stories attribute the design to a young man who was taken prisoner by the Saracens, wherever it came from the design is considered symbolic of friendship, love and fidelity. 

Celtic Cross

Irish monks have also played their part in the Celtic jewelry style as the Celtic cross became widely used in designs, but this style of cross is much older than Christianity, symbolizing the four quarters of the earth. When it was adopted by the Christians the shape became more elongated into the style we know today. The ring in the center is a symbol of love, but can also represent the halo of Christ. As an identifiable ethnic group, the Celts no longer exist, but their heritage lives on today in exquisite jewelry designs often copied from the treasured ancient manuscripts of Kells, Lindisfarne and Durrow and created by skilled craftsmen using the same techniques of those long dead Celtic artisans. 

About the Author: Steven Forsyth has studied Celtic Mythology and Irish Folklore, he has worked in the Jewelry industry for over 7 years with Celtic Rings Ltd in Dublin, Ireland.