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There are a number of Irish Wedding Rings that include Spirals, Triskeles, and Triquetas, Shield Knots and Sun Symbols. The most popular ring by far is the Irish Claddagh and it is surrounded by a romantic legend.

The Claddagh is as was said, the most popular in Ireland. The ring symbolizes love, friendship , and loyalty. The ring is named for an Irish fishing village. The design of the Claddagh is constructed of two hands holding a heart with a crown on top of it. The hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty.

Various traditions give different meanings to the ring depending on how it is worn. As a wedding ring it is worn on the left hand with the heart pointing inward to the wrist. As an engagement ring it is on the right hand with the heart pointing inward toward the wrist. For friendship it is worn on the right hand turned outward.

The legend of the Claddagh begins when a fisherman Richard Joyce and other crew members were captured by pirates shortly before Joyce was to be married. He was sold into slavery in Algiers and made the property of a goldsmith who taught him the craft of goldsmith. Joyce became the master of the craft. With is beloved back in Claddagh on his mind he fashioned the first Claddagh ring. The hands were to represent friendship, the heart was love, and the crown represented loyalty and fidelity.

In 1698 King Georges III agreed to free all of his subjects. Richard Joyce was once again free. His slave master offered Joyce his daughter in marriage and half of his wealth if he would stay in Algiers. Joyce refused the offer and instead returned home to Claddagh where he found his love waiting for him. Neither of them had married. Upon discovering this, Joyce gave his love the ring and they were married shortly thereafter.

The ring was dubbed The Claddagh because of the village Joyce and his Bride were from. There were others who made the ring much later and added jewels and an intricate crown design. The basic hands holding a crowned heart has never changed. Joyce wanted something that would his love for his Beloved.

The Claddagh today is as popular as it ever was. The basic design of the ring has not changed but now there is more intricacies in the crown, gemstones or jewels can be used to fashion the heart, and the hands are simply hands. The ring can be made of silver, gold or basically any metal.

The design is the clasped hands of the ‘fede’ or faith rings. These rings date from Roman times and were popular in the Middle Ages. The ring is worn now by many to speak to their Irish heritage. The Claddagh tells the story of two lovers who are separated and yet their love and commitment withstood the passage of time. It’s simple design and my heritage influenced my decision to purchase a Claddagh.

About The Author

Martin Smith is a freelance writer providing advice and information on a variety of products. His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource. Drop by the site for more information if you have time ! http://www.1st-4-jewelry.com

Written by: Martin Smith

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Wedding Ring Ceremony Article

As an alternative to the traditional channel set wedding and engagement rings, rings created with a process called tension setting have started to become popular in recent years. Tension set wedding rings and engagement rings have a stone (typically a diamond, although tension setting can be used with any precious gem) that is set in an opening in the ring itself and held by tension of the open ends of the ring pressing against the stone. Jewelers agree that there are both positive and negative aspects to choosing tension set rings.

The Benefits

Tension set rings are beautiful. Because the design is so unique, your tension set wedding or engagement ring will definitely draw people’s attention. The rings are available in all the typical styles one would expect, including rings of gold, platinum, titanium, and white gold, but the tension setting gives them a stylized and modernistic look that channel set rings are simply not capable of. People will examine the ring up close and, if they’ve never seen a tension setting before, will wonder how in the world that stone stays in place. You’ll find that your tension set wedding ring will be a topic of conversation at many a social gathering.

Makers of tension set wedding rings insist that the stone is immoveable and will never be lost. Whether this is actually true is the topic of some debate, but it is a claim that can not be made for channel set rings as we know that channel set stones can sometimes work their way loose and be lost.

The Drawbacks

It is difficult for a jeweler to effectively resize a tension set ring of any kind. The process of resizing a ring actually alters the shape and thickness of the metal and this will cause a change in the amount of tension holding the stone in place. This is particularly troubling for someone with a tension set wedding ring, since the ring is meant to be worn forever. As a person ages, their body changes so, even someone who doesn’t gain or lose weight over the years (and that’s a scant few of us) will still likely have a different ring size when he or she reaches the age of fifty than he or she did at age twenty five.

While proponents of tension settings do make the aforementioned claim that the stone is immoveable, opponents of the process say quite the opposite. Several jewelers claim that they have been approached by people looking for advice on how to replace a lost stone from a tension set wedding ring. The jury is still out, therefore, on whether tension settings really are more effective than the more traditional channel settings.

The final drawback is for the jewelers themselves. Jeweler Keith Farley states on the InForm web site that it is very easy for a person to intentionally remove the stone from a tension set ring. This, obviously, makes it that much easier for a dishonest customer to remove the stone and then come back to the jeweler seeking a replacement under the terms of a warranty, claiming that the setting was lost.


About the Author: Kirsten Hawkins is an event planner from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.wedding411.net/ for more event planning tips, strategies, and resources.

Source: www.isnare.com

Written by: Kirsten Hawkins

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