Celtic – Trinity Knot & Shamrocks Oh My!

Celtic jewelry is one of the most popular types of jewelry due to its subtle beauty and great, deep meaning. It’s as lovely and meaningful as a field of daisies on a spring, dewy morning. The icing on the cake is that you definitely do not have to be of Irish descent to don one of these significant pieces of jewelry.

Celtic Cross – Found all throughout Ireland, England, Scotland, and bordering Celtic islands, the Celtic cross is a kind of ornate cross that dates to the periods of the Druids and St. Patrick. The cross itself can come in an array of designs and symbols.

Celtic Spirals – The triple celtic spiral is also known as the triskele, is symbolic of the “Three realms”, land, sea and sky. It is also thought to be symbolic of human pregnancy, each period broken up into three trimesters so it also makes sense it’s symbolic of fertility as well. It’d be a most excellent gift for a recently pregnant woman.

Shamrock – Good luck, that’s what most people think when they hear about a shamrock. However, it’s said that St. Patrick picked up a three-leaf clover to demonstrate the holy trinity while he was preaching. The Shamrock possibly wards off bad spirits.

Celtic Knots – The knots, in essence, are never ending. It stands for “no beginning, no ending” and a binding together of two souls or spirits. Many of these knots have been so popular that Christianity has often adopted it into their manuscripts and artifacts. Knots with a square shape are characterized by shields, symbols of protections.

Trinity knot, a kind of Celtic Knot– A simple, Celtic symbol is the trinity knot. Like the shamrock, the three sided knot was metaphoric for the trinity, father son and holy spirit. It’s also associated with the number three such as the stages of womanhood: maid, mother, crone or elements like earth, fire, and water. The trinity knot has existed long before the Celtic cross.

Tree of life – This symbol is easy to explain, as it’s a common symbol in many cultures. At one point in time, Britain was covered by a lush, mighty forest. With roots that were deep within the earth, and branches that were often interlocked, the tree of life has become a meaningful representation of life, heaven and earth.

Choosing the Right Topaz Earrings

Topaz, the birthstone of November, has evolved in such a way that people would not have expected. Scientists found a way to enhance a true blue topaz into a kaleidoscope of color when the sun hits it. In nature, topaz is common found colorless in nature. Other instances of topaz that occur in nature but are significantly rarer are pink, golden, orange, purple, and red. Most are lab created to obtain that stunning color.

Blue Topaz Earrings – Blue and green are the rarest kind of topaz, an enhanced kind of topaz to achieve that bright unbeatable blue and green color. Sub categories for blue topaz are London Blue and Swiss Blue.Golden Topaz / Imperial Topaz Earrings – Not to be confused with Madeira topaz, is the second most commonly found variety of Topaz.

Mystic Fire Topaz Earrings – This kind of topaz is probably the topaz we are the best well known for. GEMaffair is a leader in the industry of mystic fire topaz. Mystic fire is lab created, first introduced in Hong Kong in 1998. Other types of created topaz are sea mist topaz, and Neptune fire topaz.

Pink Topaz Earrings – Definitely a crowd pleaser when it comes to women, always pretty in pink. The delicate pink color isn’t too bright or obtrusive, and it looks excellent next to any skin colors.

Smoky Topaz / Champagne Topaz Earrings – Smoky topaz is the same as smoky quartz. Originally, experts believe that topaz and quartz were the same stone. However, upon careful inspection with top of the line equipment it was determined that the two container different molecular structures. This type of topaz/quartz is extremely popular due to its lovely fall coloring.White Topaz Earrings Untreated topaz – This is the most natural kind of topaz there is. It’s also one of the reasons it’s so popular. Clear is easy to temper with to create brilliant, lovely colors like that which can be seen in mystic fire topaz.

Blue Topaz Flower Earrings

Mystic Fire Topaz Earrings

Pink Topaz Earrings

Smoky Topaz Earrings

Hoop Earrings – A Never Ending Story

Think Halle Berry, Hilary Duff, Beyonce, Demi Moore. What do they all have in common? They love to wear hoop earrings! Hoop earrings have a very long, meaningful past (and not necessarily always good!). They have surpassed the ages, surpassed all the varied symbolism to become the fashion accessory they are today. They have marked slaves, been symbolic of a well-traveled sailor, payment for a burial at sea, part of religious ceremonies, and much more. Everyone recognizes the draw of hoop earrings, and there are so many different types of earrings to choose from: fancy, diamond cut, classic, endless, square tube, satin, and twisted.

Classic– These are the types of hoops people are the most familiar with. They come in many different sizes and thicknesses.

Diamond Cut – These types of earrings have a neat, unique design to them. The design is cut with a diamond, hence ‘diamond cut’. Designs range from floral, print, and dots.

Endless – Endless hoop earrings are easy to determine. There is no visible clasp; they look like a perfect, never ending circle.

Fancy – Fancy is just a ‘fancy’ term to say hoop earrings that aren’t susceptible to normal hoop earring rules! They don’t need to be perfectly rounded, shiny, squared, they can be anything!

Satin – These earrings are much more shiny than regular earrings, as they come with a satin-looking polished finish.

Square Tube – These earrings are rounded just like all other hoop earrings; however the hoop itself has a square shape.

Twisted – Hoops with a spiral, twisted design, very similar to that of a rope. They most often come in cuffs without a latch/hook like normal hoop earrings.

Diamond Stud Earrings – A Girl’s Best Friend

Every woman should own a pair of diamond stud earrings. Think Breakfast at Tiffany’s Audrey Hepburn kind of classy. Don’t forget Casablanca. Ultimately, diamonds are just ageless beauty yet simple in their sparkle and shimmering properties. They go with absolutely everything you throw at them, from birthday parties for your children or that Christmas party held by your company. That is why they are the ultimate gift. All else aside, many men choose to wear diamonds in their ears as well. Historically speaking, ‘gentlemen of courage’ often wore fashion earrings, not women! Same goes for high heels, and other kinds of jewelry like pendants. Men were there first! What changed, well that’s only something we can ponder, and perhaps Western ideals are to blame. You can find diamond stud earrings in a various amount of cuts and styles, from princess cut to round brilliant in metals silver and gold. There’s a rare, perfect fitting pair of diamond earrings waiting just for you!

For The Love of Christian Jewelry

The Christian faith has been around for ages, Christian jewelry just as ancient as the faith itself. Jewelry of Christian themes tends to reflect the humility of the religion in stunning, unmatched designs. They have always been worn by high priests during special rituals and sometimes with inscriptions. Christians, historically, have been prosecuted for their faith by a number of different groups of people. It’s faith, determination, and dedication that has kept Christianity going strong and proud into the modern day world. Here is a list of the most prominent types of jewelry worn by high authorities as well as Christians worldwide.

Ichthus Fish (ΙΧΘΥC) Jewelry
The fish is one of the most well known symbols of Christianity. The first four disciples of Jesus were originally fishermen. Jesus said he would make a new ‘kind of fisherman’ out of the four, where their sole purpose was to spread the word of god to men and women they ‘caught’.  ΙΧΘΥC, the Greek for the world Ichthys (or Ichthus) means “Jesus Christ, God’s son, savior”, (Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ”, Iēsous Khristos Theou Huios, Sōtēr), their code for their belief in Jesus and their way of avoiding prosecution.

Types of Ichthus Fish Jewelry

Plain Ichthus Fish                  Jesus & Ichthus Fish              Cross & Ichthus Fish

Cross Jewelry
Most devout Christians have some kind of cross jewelry in their jewelry collection, which is why it makes a most excellent symbolic, meaningful gift. Regardless, cross jewelry is just as heavy in Christian symbolism as the Christian fish. The Christian cross is the representation of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It sometimes contains a three-dimensional representation of Jesus’ body. The cross is marked by two lines crossing at angles, like in the shape of the letter ‘t’. It’s a piece of Christian art that is both aesthetically appealing and widely worn.

Types of Cross Jewelry

Crucifix Crosses

Celtic Crosses

Fleur De Lis Crosses

Ornate Crosses

Orthodox Crosses

Latin / Western Crosses

Angel Jewelry
Angel, comes from the Greek word aggelos (ἄγγελος) which means “messenger” so jewelry having to do with angels typically conveys an important message of faith. Typically, angels encompass the range of spirits that God has created in both good and evil aspects such as seraphim, cherubim, and the arch angel.

Praying Angels

Guardian Angels

Thinking / Pondering Angels

Prayer Pendant Jewelry
Though lockets themselves are not uncommon nor a new trend, prayer pendants are a relatively new phenomenon. They are also called ‘wish boxes’ or ‘hope pendants’. Their sole purpose is to be worn over the heart with a special wish, hope, or prayer hidden away on a small piece of paper. Sometimes, the wearers will seal the prayer pendant closed especially if they choose a message they want to be applied to the entirety of their life.

Variations of Prayer Pendants

Saint Jewelry
Besides being there to watch over you and keep you safe, saints are also representative of those young Christians who have chosen their saint and have finally been confirmed. Therefore, it’s the kind of gift that has a plethora of meanings. From Saint John Paul to the Virgin Mary, there are so many saints to choose from and each having their own special message.

St. Helen: Saint Helen of the city of Colchester, England was the birthplace of this saint. She made a famous pilgrimage to Jerusalem with the strong desire of discovering the crucifix cross that Jesus suffered to carry. She is the patron of archaeologists.

St. Michael: The archangel, “who is like God” is the interpreted symbol of humility before God. In the New Testament Saint Michael leads the army of God against Satan’s in the Book of Revelation.