Celtic Jewelry: A Rich and Mysterious History

Recently, I went on vacation to Ireland.  Since it was my first time visiting the country, I wanted some souvenirs.  I decided that jewelry would be a good choice, because it wouldn’t take up much room in my suitcase.  I checked out the jewelry department of every gift shop I went into, and noticed that Celtic jewelry seemed to be everywhere I looked.  I liked the way it looked, and decided I wanted some.  However, since it was a souvenir, I was also curious about its meaning and link to Ireland.

I discovered that the Celts created the various designs after settling to Ireland and being influenced by Christianity.  The Celts apparently had a strong appreciation of nature, and incorporated this in their artwork.  The combination of Christian religious symbols and Celtic values resulted in the fascinating designs that we see today.

The Celtic cross seemed to be present in every single gift shop I entered.  It looks like a normal cross, except that it has a circle that goes through the centre of it.  The Celtic cross is believed to symbolize Celtic Christianity, and combines elements of both worlds.  According to myth, Saint Patrick designed the Celtic cross while converting pagans to Christianity.  The cross represents Christianity, and the circle is supposed to be the sun, which was highly important to the Celts due to its life-giving quality. 

The Celtic knot was also present in a lot of the jewelry that I saw.  It consists of a circle with an elaborate design in the center of it.  There has been speculation that it, too, might bear spiritual or religious importance, but this has never been proven.  Regardless of its lack of verifiable history, the Celtic knot makes beautifully detailed jewelry, and is extremely pleasing to the eye.

Celtic designs have been borrowed by other groups, such as Wiccans, who have derived their own meaning from them.  It is easy to find Celtic jewelry in places outside of Ireland and Britain – you can even buy it in the United States.  If you would prefer to acquire it straight from Ireland, you might consider ordering it off of the Internet.  However, be careful that you are not overcharged; a few Irish retailers seem to jack up the price just because the jewelry is “authentically Irish.”  Therefore, I advise you to use your own common sense, and only buy something if you feel that the price is fair.

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