Ancient Celtic Jewelry

Many people find the jewelry (Jewellery) styles of the ancient Celts (also spelled Kelts) and styles influenced by the Celtic people very interesting and appealing. Perhaps this is solely due to its beauty but for many people it is also due to a feeling of kinship. There are many stores offering beautiful rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other types of personal adornment styled in the Celtic tradition for sale. Materials used in this jewelry include pewter, sterling silver, silver, and gold.

The Celtic People

The ancient Celts were fierce warriors who at one point inhabited many European countries. They were a military force to be respected and in ancient times sacked Rome and many other Roman and Greek cities. Today, the term Celtic is used to refer to the people of what are considered the Celtic nations. These people are from countries that include Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. On this page you will find information and facts about the jewelry of the ancient Celt (also spelled Kelts) people.

Ancient Celtic Jewelry (also spelled Jewellery) Types and Designs

In this section we will describe some of the more popular types and styles of Celtic jewelry. These include:

Claddagh Ring

These famous Celtic rings most likely originated in the old fishing village of Claddagh in Ireland. The rings design has two hands holding a heart with a crown on top. It symbolizes friendship, love, and loyalty and is often given as a sign of friendship. It is also used as a wedding ring.

Celtic Triskele

The triple spiral or triskele is one of the main symbols of the Celtic people and is found on numerous jewelry (Jewellery) pieces and in Celt artwork. The use of this symbol goes back thousands of years and it even predates the Celts. However the Celtic people adopted this design for their own culture and it has become one of their most traditional symbols. The design often stands for land, sea, and sky (the three realms). This symbol often stands for the Irish sea god named Manannan.

Celtic Torc

This piece of jewelry is worn as a neck band. They are usually made of silver or gold and often decorated with human and animal figures. Torcs have been worn by ancient people for thousands of years, at least back to the early days of the Roman Empire. There have been numerous discoveries of torcs throughout Europe including many found in Ireland and Britain. Ancient sculptures and other artwork often depict the gods and goddesses of Celtic mythology adorning themselves with torcs.

Celtic Knotwork

Knot designs are also a very common and traditional design on Celtic jewelry and other Celtic artwork. Most of these knots are endless knots which do not have a beginning or end. The endless knot may represent eternity of life, eternity of love, or the eternity of nature. This style was very common in the Celtic Insular art which was a style produced in Britain and Ireland in the post-Roman era.

Celtic Cross

A Celtic cross is a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. The circle symbolizes a nimbus or a type of halo. Celtic crosses are a very traditional form of Celtic jewelry. Some people believe the Celtic Christian cross was created by Saint Patrick or Saint Declan while converting pagans in Ireland.