Find Out The History Of The Claddagh Ring, Symbolic, Romantic, Celtic Love Sign

Find Out The History Of The Claddagh Ring, Symbolic, Romantic, Celtic Love Sign

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The Claddagh Ring, by tradition, is given in Ireland, either as a love token, or as a celtic wedding ring. The way in which the ring is worn can indicate whether the wearer is married, engaged, or single. The three elements in the ring represent love, friendship, and loyalty. This article gives a short description of the history of the Claddagh ring.

The traditional story is that Claddagh rings originate in the small fishing village of Claddagh, near Galway, on the western coast of Ireland.

It is said that the way the ring is worn indicates the relationship status of the wearer. Worn on the right hand, and with the heart oriented away from the wearer, it indicates that the person is not romantically attached. If the person then finds love, they reverse the ring so that the heart faces towards them. This is supposed to mean that their heart has now been captured.

Wearing it on the left hand shows that the person is already married or engaged. The heart faces away from the person for engaged, towards the person for married.

It is probable that this romantic usage of the ring dates from the Victorian era, when the rings became widely popular throughout the British Isles, rather than being an accurate description of the rings' original usage in Ireland.

The Claddagh is an Irish variation of the fede ring, which is known in various other European countries. The clasping hands for friendship, the heart for love, and the crown for loyalty, are motifs which are used in other rings.

The earliest extant examples of the ring from Ireland's west coast are hallmarked for Richard Joyce, a silversmith from Galway, and Thomas Meade, a goldsmith. These rings date back to about 1700. At one time it was believed that Richard Joyce was the first person to make claddagh rings, but this now seems unlikely.

In 1843 there was a description published in a travel book about Ireland, and their association with the village of that name. This description suggested that the rings were quite valuable and made of gold, passed down as family heirlooms, from mother to daughter, in the small fishing community. More modern research however shows that solid gold rings dating from that time were intended to be worn by males, and that poor fishing folk could not have afforded them anyway.

During the reign of Queen Victoria they became popular throughout the British Isles, and even across the Atlantic. One ring was presented to the queen in 1849, which tends to suggest that the design was already quite well known outside Ireland at that date.

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Looking for more information on the history of ireland Jewelry? Get the ultimate low down now in our complete exquisite celtic wedding rings guide.



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