Irish Jewelry

Combining Celtic and Christian culture: Irish jewelry

Irish jewelry is also another great gift idea. irish jewelry ranges from rings to broaches and come in many designs, especially those with Celtic and Christian roots.

The jewelry of the Celt people traces back to the second millennium BC Celtic jewelry had definitive designs that each had a symbolic meaning. The first is the spiral which symbolized the continuity of life and spiritual growth. The Celts believed in reincarnation until spiritual fulfillment which gave way to such symbolism. The next is the Celtic cross which symbolized a bridge to different worlds. It depicted the meeting of the celestial world (vertical axis) and the earthly world (horizontal axis). The Celtic knot was also a popular design which symbolized an endless cycle of love and harmony. Much of Irish jewelry was based on Celtic customs until the introduction of Christianity in Ireland.

With the introduction of Christianity, Irish jewelry began to shift toward Christian symbols such as the Christian cross which symbolized Christ's sacrifice for man. Another popular Christian symbol used in Irish jewelry is the shamrock which St. Patrick used to explain the Holy Trinity. The shamrock consisted of 3 leaves which existed as one body representing the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in the Holy Trinity.

One last popular design in Irish jewelry was the harp. The Irish were introduced to the harp by the Christian missionaries and soon it had captivated the country. Harp playing flourished and hence became a symbol of Ireland. The harp was also a symbol used in the Irish national flag until 1916, when the tricolor flag was adopted.

Irish jewelry has had many influences from Celtic and Christian culture. But, regardless of the influences, Irish jewelry remains beautiful and popular among all people of the world and thus make great gift ideas. For more information on the history of Irish jewelry, check out the links below.

And also be sure to check out our pages with ideas for Creative Irish Gifts, Irish Rings, Irish Gift Baskets, and Irish Clothing elsewhere on this site.