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The claddagh ring is today worn in almost every country but, few people are aware of the true
meaning and history of the ring. The first claddagh ring was made by an Irish slave more than
375 years ago. A fisherman named Robert Joyce was captured by pirates and sold to a wealthy
goldsmith. Young Robert kept thinking of his beloved, even the harsh conditions of slavery
could not make him forget her. He dreamt of being a free man one day and being reuinted with
her. While learning the goldsmith trade from his master, Robert Joyce decided to make something
for his beloved. He thought of giving it to her when whe was freed from slavery. He started making
a ring, with features that would reveal his true love for her. Robert was released from slavery
a few years ago and went back to his small village. He was overjoyed to see that his beloved was
waiting for him. He gave her the ring and the couple were soon married, this ring came to be known
as the claddagh ring. Claddagh was the name of the small Irish fishing village in which Robert
and his beloved lived. The touching story of the claddagh ring spread soon and today, the ring is
respected as one of the most meaningful jewelry in history.
Observe the image of the claddagh ring and you will notice a heart shaped center
being held by two hands. There is also a crown on the heart, these features should
be present in every claddagh ring. The gemstone is optional and it is possible to
get plain claddagh rings with no gemstones too. The heart in the claddagh ring
denotes love, the hands show friendship and the crown on the heart signifies loyalty
to the crown. The claddagh ring is also known as the hands and heart ring or the,
hands holding a heart ring. The ring belongs to a group of Irish rings referred
to as 'faith rings'. Claddagh rings are commonly referred to as friendship rings too.
We have provided links to many useful and interesting resources related to the
claddagh ring. They include resources about the claddagh ring story, mens claddagh rings,
claddagh birthstone rings and also claddagh ring blogs.
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