Jewelry making is an art and it encompasses an entire range of the jewelry designs. One of them is the Claddagh. It is very beautiful and charming design used for making an entire range of rings. Its name comes from a small fish found in the Galway, Ireland. The people of this village have been using this design for 400 years which makes these rings quite special.

The exact origin of this design is still unknown and has been a question for many years. Several stories are famous about it and that is the reason it contains a great charm in it. However Richard Joyce’s tale is most conventional of all these. Once he was going to West Indies, he was imprisoned by a privateer of Algiers who made him slave and put him up for sale. He came into the possession of a rich Moorish jeweler. He started working with him. After a decade or more, it was requested by the William III to let all the British slaves go. And Richard Joyce was liberated. But the jeweler wanted him to stay with him. He put forward half of his belongings and proposed him to marry his daughter so that he would stay with him. But Richard Joyce decided to go back. After reaching Galway, he went to his beloved, who waited for him so long. It is said that he presented a ring when he proposed her to marry. That was the first Claddagh ring.

The ring is special because it is considered a mark of love, trustworthiness but friendship as well. The design of this ring is very special as well. It contains a heart formed by the grasp of two hands. There is a crown put on this heart. The hands signify the relation of friendship, the heart stands for love and the crown symbolizes the trust. Current adaptation of this design is also available which has eliminated the crown. But it is not as widely accepted because it does not adhere to the traditions. Two sayings are famous which are connected with this ring. One is “with my hands I give you my heart crown it with my love” and the other says “let the love and friendship reign”. There is no skepticism regarding the connection of the ring with the relations. So it is upon your personal choice which saying you like to accept.

There is a widely conventional custom regarding the design of this ring among people. It is regarding the use of it. If the ring is being worn on the right hand with the crown headed inside, it is a symbol of being single and searching for your partner. If the crown is headed outwards, it signifies that you are committed. If you wear it on your left hand and head the crown inside, it stands for your engagement. After marriage it is a custom to head the crown outwards. All this means that when you are committed the heart is closed for others.