Wearing your jewelry should all be about confidence. Claddagh rings have multiple meanings and let’s face it, if you don’t know what your claddagh stands for, you won’t have much confidence when wearing yours.
So, to ask the question, what does the claddagh really mean? I first encountered a claddagh ring when a woman I had known since middle school handed one over to me and gave it me. I didn’t know what it was, but she said whenever I needed a hug it would be there on my finger and I could look down and appreciate that she gave it to me as a reminder. That ring brought me much comfort in that fact and was a source of friendship from afar.
And again, although I didn’t know it at the time that ring had a little crown on it along with a heart and two hands. I also didn’t know what they represented. A few months later another person I barely knew saw the ring and gasped,”oohhh, these are really expensive!” I was suddenly overwhelmed, because I had not cared about the cost. I had cared mostly about the sentiment and the gesture behind the ring. The ring could have been ten dollars, but it was what it represented that mattered the most to me.
I think that is what is at the heart of most meaningful purchases and rings. That is to say what the ring means to the purchaser and to the person with whom they are purchasing the ring for. Is it for a friend who you have loved since birth or is it for your soulmate? Is it for yourself so you can honor your heritage or is for someone you just really like, but you are in the first stages of dating? It is important that we express these things in certain terms with those we care about because as we say, the claddagh has multiple interpretations and we don’t want to give a misguided one to ourselves or to someone else. Here is a helpful link on how to wear the claddagh and how you might want to go about presenting your gift to someone and tell them how they may want to wear it so they’ll understand how the gift is to be accepted.
I know my childhood friend made it poignantly clear that her intent was to be a support from a distant place knowing I was going through several difficulties at the time that she handed it over. So I think when you present this ring to someone, let them know how you feel about them and the ring. Write them a card or tell them. A claddagh is a beautiful gift and one that you want to wear proudly so you can tell others what it means to you and who gave it to you.
A perfect choice for this representation would be the claddagh ring featured in this article above, the emerald and diamond ring made entirely in fourteen karat gold. On the left of the heart are three emeralds and two diamonds. It is a beautiful statement ring to present to someone you care for or to purchase for yourself.
