Celtic Cross Online: Traditional Celtic Cross jewelry handmade in Ireland
Celtic Cross Online: Traditional Celtic Cross jewelry handmade in Ireland
For more than four thousand years ago, Irish metal smiths have been creating Celtic jewelry in gold and silver and other precious metals. Decorative Celtic cross jewelry examples date from the Bronze Age, some four thousand years ago. Many of these jewelry pieces were functional in nature and formed decorative features to everyday items such as clothes brooches and fasteners, weapons and eating and cooking utensils. Celtic cross metalwork formed the basis of much of the artwork from this period. Prized by men and women alike, Celtic cross jewelry is a treasure among possessions because of its uniqueness in beauty and symbolism.
Silver and gold were used by Celtic craftsmen between 2000 BC to around 550 AD silver to make outstanding Celtic jewelry. Celtic symbols were inevitably the subject of the Celtic cross jewelry craft, and evident in the final products as evident in modern-day examples. Ornate, symbolic, and enchanting, Celtic cross jewelry was (and still is) highly coveted. In fact, Celtic jewelry such as rings, bracelets, pendants, and brooches were so sought after for their beauty and style that the trade of Celtic jewelry across the Mediterranean was quite successful.
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Celtic cross: When one thinks of Celtic jewelry, the Celtic crosses may come to mind first. The Celtic cross had its start in the British Isles, appearing primarily in Ireland. This Celtic symbol has long represented the bridge or passage between heaven and earth. The four arms may also be connotative of the four elements; fire, earth, air, water.
The ring in the center of the Celtic crossis a Celtic symbol of infinite love, specifically, the endlessness of God's love. The center ring may also represent a halo emanating from the Christ. Given the power represented in this Celtic symbol, it's easy to see why Celtic jewelry makers were so dedicated to the pristine perfection in crafting the Celtic cross. This symbol represents the very highest ideals and aspirations of the Celts, and this piece of Celtic jewelry is one of the most timeless.
The Claddagh: Another timeless piece of Celtic jewelry is the Claddagh ring. Claddagh (pronounced klada) is an ancient village just outside Galway City in Ireland. Although the Celtic Tiger has left its ugly mark on the village it still retains much of its original charm.
The Claddagh ring gets its origin from Richard Joyce. Captured and taken from his homeland, Joyce was held as a slave in the West Indies. Eventually, he was sold to a Moorish goldsmith, where Joyce learned the art of jewelry making. Joyce eventually gained his freedom, and upon doing so, returned to Ireland and settled in the fishing village of Claddagh. Here he continued his goldsmith practice by making Celtic jewelry. He produced the Claddagh ring to celebrate his return home and to have a symbol for his love of kin and country. As seen today, the Claddagh has become quite popular as a sign of betrothal as well as friendship and love.
Get the Celtic Cross Jewelry and Irish Jewelry from Celtic Cross Online
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Celtic Irish Cross Pewter Pendant Necklace
Highly detailed. This piece is a brand new fine crafted pewter pendant necklace. It is made from the highest quality 100% pewter inside and out. Nickle-free. Comes ready to wear with a jewelry black rope necklace or you could put it on your favorite chain. Just amazing!
Price: £9.32
Celtic Knotwork Rings Found Online
Tungsten rings and jewelry made palladium are cutting edge. Unlike traditional gold and silver rings which are relatively soft, tungsten rings are virtually indestructible, and will shine for decades without the need for polishing!
On the other hand, when it comes to wedding rings Celtic jewelry represent an ancient tradition. As a distinct group of people, the Celts were perhaps the first Indo-Aryan speakers to enter Europe, as long ago as 3,000 B.C.E. Although they never coalesced to form an empire in the political sense, their cultural influence spanned the entire continent and beyond, from Galatia in present-day Turkey to islands off the west coast of Ireland. Today, their descendants in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany continue to influence the design of modern jewelry with Celtic knotwork rings in the form of tungsten rings and palladium wedding bands.
About celtic knotwork rings
Ancient Celtic art shares an interesting aspect with art in the Islamic world. Both religious traditions, while having almost nothing in common in terms of theology, have historically shared proscriptions against the depiction of living things, i.e. plants, animals and people. Muslim artists, strongly influenced by mathematics, thus based their works on geometric patterns, while art among the Celtic tribes took the form of interwoven cords known as plaits. These ancient designs are now regularly worked into modern Celtic knotwork rings.
Despite the fact that modern Wiccans sometimes attribute magical properties to Celtic knotwork, there is no historical or archeological evidence to show that Celtic art had any religious or ceremonial significance – and that’s all right. It is enough for wedding rings, Celtic jewelry and other pieces to simply look attractive; elaborate Celtic knot engagement rings can certainly be enjoyed on a strictly aesthetic basis.
The Use of Modern Metals
Tacori rings bring this ancient Celtic tradition into the 21st Century with tungsten carbide wedding rings and palladium wedding bands. These space-age metals are extremely durable and long lasting. Because of their sheer hardness, tungsten rings (made of the same material as the filaments in old-style incandescent light bulbs) do not scratch easily, and since they do not become tarnished, they need very little in the way of maintenance (such as polishing).
Metals such as tungsten and palladium have become more valuable then gold and platinum; not only are palladium wedding bands and tungsten rings uncommonly beautiful, they also make an excellent investment.
Jonathon Blocker specializes in diamond jewelry and watches. He is a consultant for Rokstok.com, a trusted name in the jewelry industry since 1999.

