Celtic Bracelet Celtic bracelets and Celtic jewellery

20Jan/100

Celtic Wedding Rings and tying the Knot

The origins of the Celts dates back to prehistoric times when they emerged as a group of loosely knit tribes with a common culture and language.

Celtic settlements stretched from Turkey and the Balkans right across Western Europe. But it was the rise of the Roman Empire that would expose the lack of cohesion between the various Celtic tribes and would lead to them being overrun, expelled from their territories and being pushed back to the western fringes of the continent.

Although the ancient Celts flourished across Europe, it is in Ireland where their traditions have been most preserved. One aspect of this culture that still survives today is the artwork and this is most commonly seen in jewellery such as celtic wedding rings.

Their artwork was believed to be very symbolic often being based on nature using images of birds and animals and fish. The Celts believed firmly in the interconnectedness of all life and produced the familiar Celtic Knots, which are interlaced patterns with no beginning and no end.

Although perhaps the true significance of these patterns has been lost over the millennia, Celtic designs remain increasingly popular in our modern world.

The Claddagh is a traditional symbol of love and friendship and is thought to have originated from Claddagh in Galway as far back as the 16th century since when has been worn by many as a wedding ring and as a symbol of love.

The design of the Claddagh consists of a heart as a symbol of love, a crown as a symbol of fidelity or loyalty and the hands depicted friendship. Tradition states that if you are spoken to you should wear the Claddagh on your left hand facing inward but if you are unattached it should be worn facing outward on the right hand.

Celtic crosses, which predate Christianity, can symbolize the four quarters of the earth and or the four elements â€" earth wind and fire. They are equal armed crosses which are enclosed or backed by a circle. Following the introduction of Christianity, it became more common to see Celtic Crosses on top of a matching pedestal, which gave it a more elongated look. Celtic crosses are often worn as jewellery such as rings or on chains around the neck.

Geometric designs have always feature prominently in Celtic artwork with spirals, chevrons, scrolls and knot work. Many of these patterns can be seen decorating stone carvings or ancient manuscripts and religious books.

The Celtic spirals are very symbolic with the single spiral generally thought to signify growth expansion and cosmic energy.

The dual centred spiral found often on stone carvings signifies duality and nature and is associated with motifs from other cultures such as the Ying Yang symbol.Celtic knot work designs remain popular today and can vary from single elegant knot patterns to complex intricate interlaced patterns.

Although the symbolism of celtic designs may have been lost, many of the designs remain popular today and will often be seen used in the design of jewellery and in particular Celtic Wedding rings.

Written by John Lewis of Love2Have who specialise in traditional gold celtic wedding rings handcrafted in the UK.

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11Jan/100

Celtic Wedding Bands: The Best Ways to Express Your Love

If you want your wedding ring to be special and have meaning, then you should get Celtic wedding bands for your big day. Exchanging vows and being married is a big step in any couples' life. They will be spending each moment with each other and will need a constant reminder of the love they share. With these Celtic wedding bands, they will have something that will constantly remind them of their love. and the reciprocation with these gifts would be higher!

There are different types of Celtic Wedding bands that you can get. The great thing about these Celtic rings is that they are not only beautifully crafted but they are also full of meaning. Hence, making them a perfect reminder of the love two people have for each other. Here are some of the more known types of symbols you can find on Celtic wedding bands.

The Celtic Spirals

The Celtic Spirals are great and popular designs that you can find in most Celtic wedding bands. They also make great gifts to your close friends or relatives, especially the gold celtic wedding bands. The Celtic spirals symbolize the progress of life, from beginning, which is birth, to the end, which is death. There are however, variations to the meaning of the symbol depending on where and how the spiral is placed on the design. When the spiral is placed on either side, this spiral design represents a balance of good and evil in life.

The Celtic Knots

Another famous piece of Celtic wedding bands are those designed with the Celtic knots. These are popular pieces because of the great meaning they hold. The knots represent unity and togetherness, which is something couples will have. The Celtic knot designs can also be changed according to the artisan that creates it. This also alters the meaning of the knots. For example, there are certain Celtic knot designs that are made to look like they are never ending. These are in fact called infinity rings and symbolize eternity or forever.

The Claddagh Ring

Among those mentioned above, the Claddagh wedding bands is probably one of the most famous Celtic wedding bands. The reason for this is that the symbols thoroughly describe and represent every stage of the relationship that couples go through and experience. These stages are those of friendship, engagement, and marriage. These are perfectly exemplified in the three symbols, the crown sitting on top of the heart, and the two hands on either side of the heart. This proclaims that love, friendship, and loyalty reign above all things.

Finding the right ring to symbolize your love for you spouse requires time and effort. But with Celtic Wedding bands, it is difficult to go wrong. You can choose to give your spouse something that they will always treasure and will constantly remind them of the many things that you have gone through in your relationship.

So if you want to have Celtic Wedding Bands for you big day, then head on to Irish Indeed! to find just what you need.
Celtic Wedding Bands: the ultimate way of showing the 'You Care' only at http://www.irishindeed.com/

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11Nov/090

Celtic Art and its Influence on Modern Day Mens Jewellery

Jewellery for men is as popular as ever before and none more so than celtic rings. The traditional fascination for all things celtic is still very important for many people and has a deep significant symbolism for marraige Celtic rings are still a popular choice for couples getting married but modern fashions dictate contemporary styling and as gold gets more expensive to buy, alternatives have become an option for many such as titanium which is a brilliant choice when it comes to choosing mens jewellery. Tough, hard wearing and very versatile for design options.

Celtic symbolism was influenced by the many people they came in contact with such as Egyptians and the Vikings. When they encountered the Greeks they were known as the 'Keltoi' and in more familiar terms as the 'Gauls' in ancient Rome. This is how it came that the celts inhabited many parts of Europe from the 8th century to 1 AD.

The occupation of Europe was in two parts. Firstly between 750 and 450 BC in a region called Hallstatt that we know as Austria. They then settled successfully in France, Britain, Spain and Italy. In the years from 450BC to 50AD the second period covered a time of occupying Switzerland.

It was the Greeks and Romans that have taught us most about the Celts in earlier times as they both traded with them and kept books. The Celts themselves did not write anything down. We have however learnt from archaeological digs that they made there own cooking tools, weapons, pottery and also jewellery. Once the celts flourished more time was available in evolving their creative cultures such as art and craft. They became adept in working with gold, silver, bronze and iron. It is from these beginnings that celtic jewellery developed into the intricate designs we are used to  seeing today. There was a high level of skill used to create beautiful items such as armour and jewellery which were used for trading.

Celtic designers used iron compasses to create the varied designs however they were all based on circles intersecting one another. Wax was used to model the design on the object first to create a mold from clay which liquid bronze was poured into and left to set.

The celtic designs were influenced from the animal kingdom and plant. Shapes were crafted to looklike branches and most famously the symbol of the Isle of Man, the three legged symbol.

The celtic culture eventually transpired into christianity and there creative talents were used for religious books, most famously the Book of Kells. The beautiful designs were decorated in pictoral images in order to convey the word of god to those unable to read.

Modern design techniques and engineering skills have allowed us to transcribe these ancient designs into smaller intricate engravings for jewellery. These work none so more than on mens jewellery such as titanium rings. Using computer systems celtic engravings can be copied and digitally adapted in order to cleanly engrave using lasers. The ultimate combination of contemporary styling and ancient celtic design.

Love2Have provide a wide selection of mens jewellery and rings all made in the UK.

Article Source: http://bb-articles.com/celtic-art-and-its-influence-on-modern-day-mens-jewellery

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