Celtic Jewellery
Celtic Jewellery is revered and appreciated as with any form of adornment. This type of jewellery is easily identified by the intricate designs of Celtic Knot Work found integrated into their trinkets. These beautifully weaving knots design stands for a lot of symbolism that holds true even today. Celtic Jewellery is mostly popular as wedding bands and friendship rings. They are considered to be as precious as gemstones.
The Celtic People
The Celts are a people that lived all over Europe long before the invasion of the Roman Empire. There is not much record of their culture because the Celts handed down their traditions verbally. The term ‘Celtic’ was coined by the Romans and originally referred to them as a group. The original term is said to be translated into the term ‘Barbarians’, which is of course inaccurate because the Celts were civilized people. The Celts are described to be strongly built, fair skinned, blue eyed individuals that had reddish to fair blonde hair. They were depicted as brave warriors often choosing to shed armor when going into battle and instead charge naked, often with only a warrior’s torque around their necks.
Celtic Art and Celtic Life
The Celtic people believed that everything in the world is connected and this was translated in their designs especially with their Knot Work. This art form adorned their bodies and stone carvings as well as in their jewellery. The Celtic society was pretty much balanced with men and women sharing equal status. They were a people that cared for their outward appearance and both men and women chose to wear jewellery. They were also very clean people and they were said to have started using soap long before the Romans did.
Celtic Knot Work
Celtic Knot work is an intricate piece of art. It is often an illustration depicting a single strand that goes around in knots forming beautiful patterns. This is said to be a symbol of infinity and connectivity; their belief that everything is associated.
It is said that Celtic Knot Work when worn as jewellery is a protection against enemies or the evil eye whose aim is to harm the wearer.
Celtic Knot Work on Jewellery
The Celtic Knot Work naturally found its way into jewellery and is still present today. The Knot Work is applied to rings, cuffs and bangles, as well as pendants and necklaces. It is highly appreciated because of its unique style. A visit to big time jewellery online stores will reveal a showcase of jewellery dedicated to Celtic knots only. By looking at the designs you will find yourself treading in the history and tradition of the Celts.
Celtic Knot Work Symbolism
The ancient Celtic cultures have managed to create items that have been preserved to this day. Celtic artist were known for their intricate knot work that symbolizes one thing or another. Numerous designs have been passed down and all of them are intricate with each one undoubtedly has a meaning of its own. The only problem is that, the Celtic artists did not leave a manuscript that detailed the meaning of each Knot Work. As a result, the meaning of the designs changed from era to era and is now a continuing debate among scholars.
Some ideologists on Celtic art and jewellery suggest that the meaning of each intricate knot work will be discovered by the artist or by the person wearing the jewellery. Celtic Knot Work Jewellery is sought after by those who know about Celtic culture mainly because of the meaning that are generally attached to them. Some jewelers provide a list of rings that have various designs with corresponding meanings. These rings can be given as gifts or worn as wedding bands the way the Claddagh is.
The Celtic cross
The Celtic cross existed even before Christianity reached the Celtic Culture. It is originally an equally armed cross with a circle in the middle. The four arms are said to represent the four elements (fire, earth, wind and water) or the four points of the earth (North, South, East and West). The exact meaning of the Celtic cross is still under debate by most scholars. It was a polytheistic symbol for the Celts.
It is believed that the revered St. Patrick or Ireland was the first individual to incorporate the Celtic cross and the Christian cross together. Celtic crosses are found abundant all over Ireland and Scotland. They may be made in the original form of the equal arms, but they are often mounted to make the base arm look more elongated than the rest.
Like all Celtic Jewellery and Art, the influence of the Celtic Knot Work can be observed adorning the middle circle as well as the arms of the Celtic cross. In Celtic tradition, it is revered both as a symbol of Christianity and also a symbol of the Celtic History.
Celtic cross Jewellery
Celtic crosses are also one of the more famous jewellery designs in Celtic traditions that have survived and are still used in modern jewellery making. Most Celtic cross jewellery is in the form of pendants for necklaces or charms on bracelets. The Celtic cross is easily identifiable in jewellery because of its unique design wherein a circle lies at the middle part of the cross. Distinctive to Celtic Jewellery also are the intricate interwoven designs that they put on their art pieces and jewellery.
The Claddagh
The Claddagh is a piece of Celtic Jewellery that has been transformed into a wedding band. However the Claddagh can be worn by unmarried individuals as long as it is worn in the right way and on the proper finger. Its name is taken from a small town of which it was said to have originated from. The history of this piece of Celtic Jewellery is a romantic one and leaves few people surprised that it is used as symbol of marriage. There are a lot of different stories that supposedly tell of the origin of the Claddagh, but one thing connects them all and that is that a story of love.
One story tells of a young jeweler from Ireland who was taken away by pirates out to sea. While with his captors, he could not stop thinking of the girl that he left behind and it was while thinking of her that he started to design the Claddagh. The rings had three basic symbols: a hearth that symbolized his love for the girl, a crown that stood for his loyalty and hands that symbolized friendship. When the young jeweler returned to Ireland some 5 years later, he was happy to find that the girl he loved was still unmarried. He presented her with the Claddagh, professed his love and asked for her hand in marriage and the lady complied.
To this day, the Claddagh is still often used in marriage. It is worn on the left hand with the heart facing inward to indicate that you are married or spoken for. It is worn on the right hand with the heart facing outward to indicate that you are available.
Evolution of Celtic Jewellery
Celtic Jewellery has greatly evolved from the old styles into modern translations. A good example of this is the Celtic Warriors Torque. The Celtic Torque started out as being worn around the neck of Celt warriors. A neck torque is composed of a specific number of cables that are twined to together to create a big one.
A usual example is a torque that is made up of 7 intertwining cables that forms the basic body of one large cable. The smaller 7 cables are also made up of 7 strands in order to perpetuate symmetry. It is an open choker form of jewellery with ends whose style depended on the jeweler. Torques are often made of one single metal and sometimes a combination of many.
The Celtic torque is more than just jewellery for the people who wear it. It is believed to be a form of protection for the warrior going into battle. The design of it is also specific to invoke a form of good luck and protection only for the wearer.
The Warrior’s neck torque then evolved into the bangle torques that is present today. They are often made up of a simple twisting cable with designs on the ends. But you can also see them being reflected by fashion designers in their jewellery creations. Oftentimes the torque ends carry their logo or some high carat diamond stud.
Modern Appeal of Celtic Jewellery
Modern patrons of Celtic art and Celtic jewellery are drawn to it because of the beautiful intricacy of the designs. The exact symbolisms of the designs may still be subject for debate, but often, the wearer is left to decipher what the design has come to mean for him or her. Another reason why people strive to own a Celtic Jewellery piece is that it is a connection to the past, much like gemstones as they were formed years ago. Celtic jewellery also gives its owners a piece of history because the design is indicative of past era.
Technorati Tags: celtic jewellery, celtic, celtic jewelry