If you are in the market for a piece of nice jewelry or specifically a nice piece of Irish jewelry, an Irish cross pendant is something you should consider.  Irish crosses are increasingly popular and they make a stunning yet simple piece of jewelry that many people love to wear. They are especially nice for the heartfelt Irish Christian.

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A Celtic or Irish cross is one that has the ring around the top, connecting all four arms of a traditional cross.  They can be seen all over Ireland, from graveyard tombstones to shop signs, and the inspiration they bring has led many jewelers to offer unique and beautiful Irish cross pendants.  It is like the Irish or Celtic cross and Ireland herself go hand in hand.

The meaning of the Celtic cross is unclear.  Much of the time it is used as a symbol of Celtic heritage and not necessarily a religious symbol only.  The exact meaning of the circle at the top of the cross is not certain.  Some will tell you it stands for eternity, whereas others will say it is a symbol for the halo around Christ’s head.  Pagans will claim the cross stands for the four elements and the circle the connectivity between them.  Other pagans will say the circle stands for the sun and Christians stole the idea.  One of the most told legends states that St. Patrick had seen a moon emblem on a stone carved by pagans and to transform that into Christianity he drew a cross through it.  There is little supporting evidence of any of the tales.

Whatever the true meaning of the Irish cross, its popularity as a pendant is undeniable.  You can get an Irish cross pendant in all sized from tiny up to 3 inches.  They can be made of stone, marble, sterling silver, gold or some basic metal.  Some people hang them from a gold or silver chain and others use a thin leather rope.  Some of the pendants are smooth and plain and others might be carved with Irish knot work.

Not all Irish cross pendants are of the traditional type with the circle at the top.  Some are more modernized and carved with fancy Celtic knots.  The knots make it look Irish even though the cross itself might not have the top circle.  Some crosses may also contain jewels like rubies, sapphires, diamonds or emeralds

The Celtic cross offers endless pendant design possibilities.  It would certainly have a place in any jewelry box and worn frequently.  Shopping online probably offers the greatest choice of unique Irish cross pendants, all from the comfort of the chair in front of your computer.  Another possibility is to attend a Celtic festival and check out new designs by local artists.   You could even develop an excellent collection of Irish cross pendants so that you have a variety to wear for different occasions.

Go Into The Irish Store

Would you like to browse more high quality unique Irish gifts? There are a lot more to be found in our Unique and Huge Irish store.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 at 12:28 am and is filed under Irish gifts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.