The Claddagh design is Ireland’s most enduring symbol of love and has become known as the Jewel of Celtic Jewelry.
The beautiful design dates back to the 17th century, to the Claddagh area of Galway and has been accredited to Richard Joyce of Galway, a namesake and distant cousin of Irish Green Jewelry and one of the famous 14 Tribes of Galway, the Joyce family. Apparently, Richard was captured by pirates, spending many years as a slave in Barbary before being freed through intervention of the British Crown. Richard eventually settled in Galway bringing the design for the Claddagh ring with him from motifs he would have seen abroad.
The Claddagh ring design traditionally shows a pair of hands holding a heart, which carries a crown on top of it which could be described as a type of fidelity ring. The heart means love, the hands mean friendship and the crown represents loyalty. It was and still is popularly used as a marriage ring. The phrase or posey that usually accompanies the ring is: Let Love and Friendship Reign and the design truly captures this essence.
The traditional Claddagh ring design quickly made its way onto necklaces and earrings which are worn all around the world now. Of course, to be truly authentic, they need to be made in Ireland and Hallmarked at Dublin Castle.
At Irish Green Jewelry, we have fashioned this striking Claddagh design onto several best selling pieces of jewelry. Each of our pieces are incredibly unique as they are adorned with a rare piece of Irish Connemara Green Marble, which is taken from our own quarry in Connemara. It is regarded as one of the rarest forms of marble in the world due to its limited supply and age which is over 600 million years old. The marble graces the floors of the majestic Galway Cathedral, and even the walls of the Senate Chamber of the State Building, at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
And now, a little piece of this iconic marble and Claddagh design can be yours too!
One of our most eye catching pieces is the Sterling Silver Claddagh Pendant with six handset pieces of Marcasite and two pieces of Irish Green Connemara marble inset in the heart and in the top curve. Connemara marble is a decorative marble, valued for its beautiful banded and rippled patterns and many shades of green including sea green and pistachio green. This makes every single piece unique and we specially select the best gem quality green colour from our quarry in Connemara for your jewelry.
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We also have a beautiful pair of sterling silver Claddagh drop earrings with Connemara marble. The Claddagh design is shown in a delicate filigree design that hugs the green marble. At the top of the earrings, a very small silver shamrock sets off the design perfectly. And on the back, 4 more shamrocks set the marble in place showing the skilled craftwork of the master silversmiths that make each piece by hand.
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The Claddagh design is also beautifully used in another pair of drop earrings with a wishbone style open silver arm holding the body of the design. The crown and heart are dominant features while the hands elongate into the arms of the drop earrings. There is a timeless, elegant feel to these earrings that could be worn effortlessly during the day or centre stage for evening with an up style.
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Click HERE to browse more of our beautiful Claddagh designs.
Enjoy 10% off at the checkout with code LOVE10
until February 14th! Happy Valentine’s!
This is a perfect gift for a loved one this Valentine's Day
or simply treat yourself.