How to Find Irish Jewelry

Irish jewelry has a grand history in addition to being beautiful. What the world considers "Irish" jewelry is really Celtic jewelry and comes from the tradition of the ancient Celts who first inhabited the island of Ireland. The Celts used lines to make knot-like designs and patterns as well as symbols like the crown, heart and hands. The most famous type of Celtic jewelry is the Claddagh ring, which uses a heart to symbolize love, a crown to symbolize loyalty and hands to symbolize friendship. Claddagh rings are used by many of Irish descent as wedding and/or engagement rings.

Instructions

Find Irish Jewelery

1

Start by looking at an online Irish jewelry store. There are Web sites that are geared toward those looking for Irish jewelry, such as All Claddagh and the site for James Murtaugh Jewellers of Ireland, Celtic-Jewellery.com.

2

Visit a site that specializes in Irish gifts. Online Irish gift stores invariably sell some Irish jewelry. Try the Irish Shop site.

3

Go to the mall. National chains like Zales and Kay have small selections of Irish jewelry.

4

Talk to the experts. If you live near a city with an Irish Heritage Center (such as Chicago or New York), visit it and research the best places to find Irish jewelry. You can also contact your local Irish heritage group to ask for recommendations.

5

Visit one of the many Irish or Celtic festivals held throughout the U.S. during the summer. For example, the city of St. Paul, Minn., has been hosting an Irish Fair every August since 2001. It includes all things Irish, including jewelry.