There's a lot of thinks that I like in Ireland. One of them is a traditional Celtic jewellery. Irish love their history and they have a reason to be pride. It's difficult to get bored by variety of designs and used materials. Everybody will find something interesting. They can be worn separately or few at once. You can be sure that they will draw attention. One of the most popular designs is the Celtic Cross. The Irish legends say that the first Cross was created by St. Patrick himself when he drawn a circle over a Latin cross. He wanted to show the pagan the importance of the cross by linking it with the life-giving sun and draw them to Christianity. It's also believed that the 4 arms of the Cross represent the elements - earth, air, water and fire. The Claddagh ring got its name from the town located outside of Galway. Such ring shows a heart (love) with a crown at the top (loyalty) held by 2 hands (friendship). If you wear this ring on the left hand with the heart turned inward, it symbolizes the marriage or being in the relationship. If outward - engagement. To show that you are not in any relationship but are looking for love - the ring needs to be worn on the right hand with the heart turned outward. The other popular design is the Celtic Knot which is believed to represent eternity, interconnectedness or life cycle. Because you cannot see a beginning or the end of the knot, you are reminded of the timeless nature of your spirit.
We last visited Dublin to see Irish jewellery at the RDS Trade Show; we saw some beautiful quality gold and silver jewellery and thought the designs were amazing. Since then, though, we decided to specialise in Scottish celtic designs - which are similar because of the origins of the designs. Coming across your blog reminded me of the quality and finish of the Irish gold and silversmiths. ... might have to reconsider our decision about stocking the Irish products :)
ReplyDeleteMargaret