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The best Claddagh rings are made by skilled craftsmen and women right from the most famous original ring which is popularly considered to have been created by one Richard Joyce, a resident of the tiny fishing village of Claddagh, located near Galway on the Irish coastline. With today's modern methods of production for jewelry, some would argue that craftsmanship is no longer necessary in order to sell the rings. In fact, it is because of the craftsmanship in the early rings, coupled with the symbolism that have made Claddagh rings an enduring ring for presentation to a significant person in your life.
Richard Joyce was a young man from the fishing village of Claddagh who sailed off to the West Indies in hopes of earning money so that he would be able to afford a bride. During the ocean voyage, his ship was captured and Joyce eventually was sold as a slave to a goldsmith in Algiers. The Moorish master trained the young man in his specialty as a goldsmith. Joyce evidently impressed the goldsmith greatly, because when the British monarch William III was crowned, one of the new king's first demands was the release of British prisoners. The Moorish jeweler offered Joyce his daughter as a wife and half of his estate, but Joyce returned to Ireland with the Claddagh ring he had designed and fashioned during his captivity. He found his true love waiting for him, and they married.
The Moorish Tie
The jeweler who taught Joyce his craft was from the city of Algiers. It is to be expected that during Joyce's tenure in Algiers he would have picked up and incorporated some very Moorish elements in the design of his Claddagh ring. The design incorporates elements from the mid-east, northern Africa and ties them to the romantic themes of love and faithfulness, even through a long and unplanned separation. Joyce, of course fashioned the Claddagh ring with no certainty he would ever see his true love again. The young lady in question did not know of Joyce's status, yet remained true to him.
Variations
The original Claddagh ring had three major components. It featured a bezel consisting of a pair of hands holding a heart. The whole was surmounted by a detailed crown. At the giving of the ring, the sentiment expressed is "With my hands, I give you my heart, and crown it with my love. Later variations of the Claddagh ring, known as the Fenian ring, eliminated the crown from the design and it was worn to express loyalty to a cause. This version removed the crown, lest people believe that it expressed loyal to British royalty.
Modern Usage
Today, the Claddagh ring is given to express friendship, love and loyalty the same as previously, but may have added meanings as well, such as birthstone Claddagh rings to commemorate the month of birth for the owner of the ring, or sometimes birthstones of children or grandchildren. Other versions of the ring include precious or semiprecious stones to highlight features of the ring.