Claddagh Gemstone Earrings for St. Patrick's Day

- Amethyst & Unakite, Celtic Fede Gift of Love -

These lovely Claddagh earrings feature silver "crowned heart in hands" love charms, purple amethyst gemstones, green unakite, and Swarovski clear cystals. The charms are from TierraCast (made in the USA) and are silver-on-pewter hoops with the Irish hands and heart symbol forming the bottom center of the hoops. These are nicely detailed charms and eye-catching.

To ornament these charms, I drew on my experiences visiting Ireland, remembering time spent exploring the Irish countryside amid the purple heather and rich green of late summer. To represent the first, I used faceted amethyst beads; for the greenery, I decided on unakite, which has variegated green coloring along with salmon touches and mineral nodules. The meaning of this gemstone—unity—influenced my choice.

Also included with these Ireland-inspired earrings are Swarovski clear crystals (made in Austria), sterling silver rondelles (made in Italy), rhodium-on-pewter spacers (made in USA), silver plate pins, and sterling silver ear hooks. The length here is about 2 inches with the hooks.

These pretty and meaningful Celtic love earrings would make a perfect gift for someone special—a mother and grandmother as well as a wife or girlfriend. Anyone who loves Ireland would also find them meaningful. They were handmade by me with great care, thought, and best wishes for their destined wearer. They come on a PrettyGonzo earring card and in a nice organza bag, wrapped and ready for gifting to that someone special—or to yourself!

ABOUT THE CLADDAGH
This Irish symbol originated in the Claddagh area of Galway, at one time a separate village from the city. The symbol was traditionally used in Ireland to embellish "fede" rings, which date back to ancient Rome and were common in Europe after the Dark Ages. Fede rings typically include the image of joined hands, a symbol of love's pledge and loyalty. Like most rings of this kind, the Claddagh served as an engagement ring or a wedding band—and still does. Today the symbol is also used in various kinds of jewelry and may express friendship or maternal love as well as romantic love. As for the symbolic image, the Claddagh consists of two hands holding a regally crowned heart; the hands represent friendship, with the crown standing for loyalty atop a loving heart. Among the sentiments connected with the Claddagh is the saying "Let love and friendship reign."

ABOUT UNAKITE & AMETHYST
Unakite is traditionally considered a healing gem of positive connection and energy. It is also seen as a stone of connection and unity, which dovetails with the meaning of the Claddagh charms. The term "epidote" comes from the Greek "epidosis," which means "growing together." It is associated with the heart chakra.

A member of the quartz family, amethyst is often considered a protective, talismanic stone. It is associated with the crown chakra and is the birthstone for February. Amethysts are crystals and often have inclusions, clouding, and other interesting elements to them, as well as various shadings of their distinctive purple color.

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