Rencontre Textile

It is easy to spot and distinguish a piece of Celtic jewelry in a wide range of different pieces of jewelry in your local jewelry shop. Most, if not all, of these pieces of jewelry would often have the same kind of designs. This is not to say that designers of various pieces of Celtic jewelry are extremely limited in their ideas. Rather, the main reason as to why jewelry pieces have been classified as Celtic jewelry is primarily because of the various meanings these design elements have. It is also for this sole reason why certain Celtic jewelry pieces are also only worn and given during certain occasions.

Here are some of the most common Celtic jewelry symbols used and their corresponding meanings.

The Celtic Cross

Because of its religious connotation, the cross has always been considered to resemble faith and Christianity. In the case of the Celtic cross, the four different arms of the Celtic cross stand for the four different elements of the earth. These are earth, wind, fire and water. The cross itself symbolizes the connection and the unity of the four elements. This is further accentuated by the circle that surrounds the Celtic cross. As such, Celtic jewelry pieces that include the Celtic cross as its primary design pay tribute to the various elements of the earth, which according to ancient Celtic tradition, are the very same elements that have resulted to everything on earth to exist.

Celtic Spirals

Next to the Celtic cross, spiral designs are the most popular designs used in a variety of Celtic jewelry pieces. Generally speaking the spiral design symbolizes the development of life from birth until death. Going deeper, the way how the spiral design has been constructed in the different Celtic jewelry pieces provides a twist to this general meaning. For example, a spiral that spins in a clockwise fashion symbolizes life that began during the winter season. This is because the winter sun is depicted by the clockwise turn. If the design of the Celtic jewelry piece shows two spirals circling in opposing directions, this depicts balance in life between good and evil.

Rope Designs

Pieces of Celtic jewelry use the rope design to complement Celtic crosses and spiral symbols to symbolize continuity. It is for this reason that many designers of different pieces of Celtic jewelry would often use the rope design for rings and bangles as opposed to earrings and necklaces.

Knot Patterns

This particular design is a common favorite for many wedding and engagement rings. Usually, knot designs in Celtic jewelry come in either one or two knots. The knot design symbolizes togetherness, loyalty and unison. Oftentimes, these are used alongside with spiral Celtic designs. When designers select to use knot patterns with spiral designs, these are crafted in such a way that the design does not appear to have a beginning and an end. This is to symbolize eternity and infinity, whose symbol coincidentally resembles that of a knot with no beginning and end.

Irish Indeed (http://www.irishindeed.com) sponsored this cultural article about Celtic Jewelry

Traditionally, when men wore jewelry, it was symbolic of status, clanship or bravery. Indeed, ornamentation for men in ancient times was used to enhance the accessories that supported their roles in society, whether it was as a warrior, a blacksmith or a king. Everything from helmets and swords to crest on shields and rings for men raised metal craft to a level beyond what we would call jewelry today.

It is the image of these times, when the metal that has become what we call stainless steel today, was used to forge one of the ultimate symbols of manhood, the sword. The same proud craftsmanship is brought to bear in the stainless steel necklaces for men, the gleam of stainless steel connects to the underlying emotion of courage that men find a natural extension of their essence.

The brilliant sheen of stainless steel is due to its chromium content; it must contain at least 10.5% chromium to remain “stainless.” This is the element that reacts with the oxygen in the air to form an invisible surface layer that prevents corrosion. The higher the amount of chromium, the more resistant the material will be to corrosion.

For those with allergies, the best stainless steel jewelry is made without nickel, making it magnetic in nature. There are many people who have allergies to nickel metal and hence, have turned to stainless steel jewelry. In modern times, it is the hypo allergenic properties of stainless steel that made it the metal of choice for surgical instruments and naturally evolved to be the metal best for jewelry used in body piercing.

But the designs crafted by jewelers today are far from the sterile concept of surgical steel; stainless steel jewelry appeals to a wide variety of men who like the idea of wearing a stainless steel necklace, bracelet or chain because it is definitively masculine, a nearly indestructible alloy.

You will find a wide range of exemplary designs that reflect a keen appreciation of the strength and beauty of working with high quality grade of stainless steel. The line and form of our stainless steel bracelets, necklaces and chains for men are made to suit every man’s style; from bold and brash to cool and understated.

There are many jewelers who produce custom stainless steel necklaces, bracelets and chains for men that are absolutely stunning in design. Our collection of men’s stainless steel jewelry designs are unique; unlike anything you will find in a traditional jewelry store. Complementing the stainless steel necklaces are a wide variety of pendants in popular designs such as Celtic, Gaelic and modern contemporary. Many of the stainless steel necklaces come with matching bracelets as well.

Men’s jewelry manufactured from stainless steel has many other advantages over composite alloy jewelry; it will not tarnish, it is rugged enough to withstand the most rigourous activity and in the unlikely event your stainless steel necklace were to become damaged it can easily be repaired without losing the integrity of the original piece.

As the choice for the man in your life who has a unique sense of style, nothing is more appropriate to enhance his personality than a beautifully designed stainless steel necklace, chain or bracelet. You can purchase this particular item of men’s jewelry with confidence that it can be worn without any adverse reaction that could be caused should he have sensitive skin and without sacrificing style. Jewelry is the perfect gift to commemorate any occasion; birthdays, graduation, marriage or just to let him know how special he is to you. Make your selection for the man in your life from the outstanding collections of distinctive designs and he is sure to be pleased.

Do you remember in the old cowboy movies when the cowboy would “bite” a gold coin to see if it was real or fake? It seems that even back then clever counterfeiters were plying their trade. Nothing has changed since those times and if fact counterfeiters have become better at their craft if nothing else.

The truth of the matter, is that a fake gold coin could easily pass the “bite” test if it was made out of lead, plated with copper, so it could be then plated in nickel, so it could be then plated in 24K gold. Fake jewelry is nothing new but if you buy plated jewelry you want to do it willingly not by being sold something that is being passed off as being 14K or 18K.

Rule number one, is that if you aren’t buying a piece of solid gold jewelry from a legitimate source, assume it is fake until you have had a jeweler look at it. Just because it has a 14K or 18K stamp on it means nothing any more, because there is so much fake gold jewelry floating around now.

The same rule applies for any type of designer jewelry, because virtually any type of designer jewelry is now being counterfeited overseas. If you are approached on city street by someone that has an 18K gold chain that is still in the original jewelry box, virtually100% of the time it will be fake.

In the typical con it will even still have a price tag on it and they will say that a friend of theirs recently stole it. Another common item that is sold as the genuine article is fake Rolex watches. It too may come in a counterfeit box but these are easy to spot. This is because, the second hand on a real Rolex “sweeps” while the second hand on a fake will move with a “tick”.