Claddagh Ring Meaning - Symbolism And History Of Beautiful Celtic Rings

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"The hands symbolize the friendship that guards the heart, the very same heart that symbolizes love and affection that wears the crown of loyalty and trust, making the bond grow stronger day by day…till eternity."

The all time famous Irish Claddagh rings are immensely rich in their culture and traditional heritage. They are the perfect combination of all the symbols, the hands, the heart and the crown, which represent love, care, and loyalty…the most important pillars of a relationship. This is the reason why Claddagh rings are so much cherished and preferred over others. These rings not only look great but also symbolize a meaningful unity. Claddagh ring meaning is also responsible for it to have various names. They are also known as Clasped hands ring, Clasped hands and heart ring, hands and heart ring, Irish heart rings based on it's famous and classy design. It also falls under the category of Faith rings because of it's significance in the culture and the belief by which the ring stands by. Now that we know what are Claddagh rings, let's know more about their origin traced from the pages of history.

Claddagh Ring History
Claddagh ring story started more than 300 years ago in a very small and rural place in Ireland known as the Claddagh which was a small fishing village. The name Claddagh is derived from an Irish term 'An Cladach' meaning a 'flat stony shore'. They say that this was the place where the first Claddagh ring was presented as a symbol of love, which later became a legend in the jewelry art created for the love and faith in each other. Let me tell you the story behind the creation of the ring.

As per the Irish folk lore of the 16th century, the Algerian pirates had captured a fishing boat from the Claddagh village and then sold the crew members that were in the boat as slaves. One of them, was a young man named Richard Joyce who was supposed to get married the very next week. Richard was turned into a slave and was sold to a wealthy Moorish goldsmith. Richard then learned the art of trade and adapted the skills to design jewelry. Although he was away, he never forgot his love whom he was supposed to get married to, and in her memory, he designed the very first Claddagh ring with the hands symbolizing friendship, heart that symbolizes love and the crown that shows loyalty. After many many years, Richard somehow managed to get back home, only to find that the girl he loved was still waiting for him. When he found this out, they immediately got married and that was the moment when Richard presented the first Claddagh ring ever made to his beloved wife, which happened to be the same ring he made in her memory when he was a slave. After knowing this story which shows the Irish Claddagh ring meaning and significance, the ring and the design became so popular all around the world.

How to Wear a Claddagh Ring
Not only is the Claddagh ring symbolism extremely meaningful, the way the Claddagh ring is worn also depicts a lot of things. The hand in which you wear the ring, the direction in which you point the crown…all this signifies a lot of things. In case of people who are married or engaged, the Claddagh rings should be worn on the left hand on the wedding ring finger, with the crown of the ring pointing away to the opposite side of the person's heart, that means that the heart should be pointing in which signifies that the love, friendship and the loyalty will stay for eternity. A person who is not committed should wear the ring on the right hand with the crown of the ring pointing towards the person's heart, which means that the heart of the ring pointing out which signifies that the heart is still to be taken. For people who are not engaged or married but have given their heart to someone should wear the ring on the right hand with the heart pointing towards the person's heart and the crown pointing away. So be careful in how to wear a Claddagh ring as people would judge your relationship status based on that!

Claddagh ring meaning and symbolism is so rich and significant, that even people from non Irish descent consider them to be the perfect wedding rings, engagement rings or even the perfect promise rings. But always remember the word of caution, it is said that Claddagh rings should never be purchased for oneself and should always be received as a gift, otherwise it brings bad luck along with it. So if you have found your special someone, why not gift that special person with a ring as special as a Claddagh? Not only is it a beautiful ring, but the meaning behind it makes the ring absolutely priceless…just like your love. Smile

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