The Celtic Necklace Blog

I know this image is a bit hard to see.  However, I love the Celtic necklace itself so much that I thought I would share it with all of you. 

While doing some research on the Claddagh symbol, I came across the noted Galway jewelry store of Thomas Dillon.  It seems that Thomas Dillon is the only jewelry maker that is permitted to stamp their Claddagh rings as “original”, since they are the original manufacturer of this ring.

In my Thomas Dillon search, I decided to take a look a their necklaces.  What I found was so unique that I just had to pass it on.  Again, sorry for the terrible picture but it was this bad starting out at the Thomas Dillon website!  Use your imagination and you will see…

This Celtic Necklace was created after 9/11.  Created to commemorate the friendship between the Irish and the Americans, it joins the Claddagh symbol with the American Flag.  The American flag extends up through the middle of the ring that has the Claddagh hands and heart at the bottom.  I must say that this is The perfect gift for any Irish American girl!

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Anyone who knows me knows that I love the whole “Life is Good” line of stuff. Anyone who designs clothing based on the way we SHOULD be living our lives has his/her head on straight (and is an awesome marketing genius!).

If I had to pick out one Celtic Symbol that embodies the whole “Life is Good” mentality, I think it would be the Celtic Tree of Life. One of my favorite Celtic necklaces features the tree of life symbol.

The Celtic Tree of life - This symbol, of course, always features a tree. I have seen many variations on the symbol but I have yet to find one that is not obviously a tree! From jewelry pendants to wall hangings, it is one of the more popular symbols.

It is certainly not just a Celt symbol as many cultures have adopted this meaningful symbol of life. It is said to represent spirituality, hope and wisdom. The symbol meant a lot to the Celts who believed the tree of life provided food, shelter and sustenance. If you think of all that a tree provides - seeds to reproduce for eternal life, losing its leaves and then coming back to life in the spring, and reaching from the earth to the sky- you can easily see why many cultures have adopted this life giving symbol.

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Being an Irish American, I thought that my love of all things Irish was due to my ancestry. A recent trip downtown to the Celtic Festival a few weeks ago really opened my eyes. Lot of dark haired, fair skinned people with piercing blue eyes were there of course. But what surprised me was that there were also lots of people who weren’t Irish at all.

And the festival-goers were loving the Irish scene. Among the tents with Irish musicians and food, there were crafts people selling their Irish and Celtic wares. It appears that the Celtic necklaces that I have so loved over the years are popular with LOTS of people – Irish and non-Irish alike!

So I did a bit of digging to see just when this whole Celtic necklace and jewelry thing started.

“There is no doubt at all that the Celt’s did indeed love symbolism. Celtic symbols are usually visual representations of many of the ancient Celtic customs and beliefs that date back to as early as 3000 BC. The ancient Celt’s believed that these symbols had powerful and mystical powers that had the ability to ward off evil spirits. So, they used these symbols in everything, from their clothing and their jewelry to their weapons and their armor, and everything in between as well.”

Excerpt taken from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/celtic-symbols.html

More tomorrow on the symbols we commonly see on Celtic necklaces.

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