New Arrivals: Ornate Celtic Jewelry & Galway Crystal

Spring is in the air at Blarney Woollen Mills with a range of new products available in our online store. The highlights being some elegant pieces of Celtic jewelry such a Celtic cross pendants, Celtic earrings, Celtic knot beads and celtic rings.

Irish gifts to brighten those winter months

Now that Christmas has come and gone, decorations are carefully being taken down and placed back into storage for another twelve months and those special Irish gifts received from friends and family are taking pride of place in your wardrobe, mantelpiece, display cabinet or even around your neck or wrist as we welcome the dawning of a new year.

For many who received traditional Irish gifts such as aran sweaters and classic Irish sweaters will undoubtedly be grateful following the arrival of those chilly Arctic winds and frost covered mornings. The aran sweaters from Blarney make the ideal winter accessory with their complex stitch patterns, soft natural chunky merino wool and traditional look but each with their own contemporary twist.

With an ever growing variety of celtic jewelry to chose from, there were sure to be some ornate and exquisite pieces of celtic artistry received as gifts over the festive period. The Blarney Woollen Mills range is continually updated with the latest styles and other an extensive collection of the finest celtic jewelry including ornate Celtic pendants, Celtic knot jewelry, Irish charm bracelets and Celtic earrings. For those wishing to their illustrate affections for that special other in 2015 then why not choose from the extensive range of Irish wedding rings and Claddagh rings and much more.

Another traditionally popular gift over the festive period is a piece of Irish crystal with many opting to give friends or loved ones an ornate piece of Waterford Crystal whether it's a decorative Waterford Crystal picture frame or decanter. Waterford Crystal is known throughout the world for its exquisite crystal glasses and crystal gifts with its stylish and intricate designs and timeless patterns.

The Tara Brooch - An iconic piece of early Christian Celtic jewelry

Ancient Irish Celtic jewelry and design has always inspired the craftsmen of today with a wealth of discovered artifacts over the years. Probably the most recognizable example of early Christian craftsmanship is the Tara Brooch. The Tara Brooch is an elaborately decorated Celtic brooch, discovered in 1850, which has been dated back to approximately 700 AD and is generally considered to be possibly the foremost example of this era of over 50 elaborate Irish brooches to have been discovered. It was found in 1850 and rapidly recognized as one of the most important works of early Christian Irish Insular art; it is now displayed in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.

This early Christian pseudo-penannular brooch is approximately seven inches in length and is made composed of silver-gilt embellished with ornate decoration. It is suggested that the brooch was made from many pieces which were all put together to form the final masterpiece. It was made in many pieces, with much of the decoration on small "trays" or panels which were then fixed into place. When it was found only one panel of decoration was missing, but several more have now disappeared, apparently before 1872, when it entered the collection of the Royal Irish Academy, who later transferred their collection of antiquities to the new National Museum.

The design, the techniques of workmanship (including filigree and inlaying) and the gold, silver, copper, amber and glass are all of high quality, and exemplify the advanced state of the Irish goldsmith trade during the course of the seventh century. The brooch has a pseudo-penannular form. Like most brooches of the period, it contains neither Christian nor pagan religious motifs, and was made for a wealthy patron, almost certainly male, who wanted a personal expression of status. It is probably the most spectacular, and one of the best preserved, of several dozen high-status brooches found throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, but more commonly in Ireland. Although similar in style, each has a completely individual design in detail. Precious metals are used, but only semiprecious stones.

The name "Tara Brooch" would infer a direct link with the Hill of Tara, which was historically the seat for the High Kings of Ireland, however, the Tara Brooch has no discernible connection with the Hill of Tara or in fact the Hugh Kings of Ireland. The brooch, following its discovering on a beach in County Meath back in 1850, was given the title "Tara Brooch" as a way of creating a link with the majesty of High Kings of Ireland. The exact meaning and history of this Celtic jewelry ornament is still not fully understood. 

The emergence of Celtic revival jewelry in the late 19th century saw the Tara Brooch used as an inspiration to replicas and imitations. During the 1870's, the brooch passed into the possession of the National Museum of Ireland.

The Tara Brooch design and mystic continues to the design of Celtic jewelry to this day, with many modern stylists using this now popular Irish symbol within the designs of Celtic pendants, personalized Celtic jewelry and unique Irish gifts. The brooch became a popular piece of Celtic Jewelry that was worn by both men and women due to the practical purpose they fulfilled in fastening caps, cloaks and other clothing.

The rich cultural history of Celtic Jewelry

It was around 500 B.C. that the Celtic cultural revolution took hold with the Celtic language and culture becoming prominent. The cultural style was very much influenced by La Tène, after an area of Switzerland where artifacts reflecting La Tène style were first found. La Tène artwork is commonly defined by curves and spirals; with geometric or abstract symbols, such as the triple spiral design, being prominent ornamentation.

Due to their intricate craftsmanship, many of these metal Celtic jewelry pieces have been discovered in good condition from that time period. A familiar item that has often been found is the Torc which are believed to be a symbol of status. Since Celtic jewelry is both decorative and made of precious metals, most jewelry discovered in the various archaeological sites throughout Ireland is considered to be decorative rather than practical.

It was also around the same time period that Celtic culture found its way into Ireland, the Irish Iron Age took hold, combining the new Celtic culture with the old Irish culture. While iron was used for tools, jewelry and other pieces were made from the visually exquisite and long-lasting bronze and gold.

Around 600 A.D., Christianity began to surface in Ireland. Religious beliefs mixed with Celtic and Irish art, producing a new style known as Insular art. Insular Art is famous for its illuminated manuscripts, the Book of Kells being the more renowned example. Insular art maintained the geometric, interlaced style that was present in La Tène art.

Many brooches were made during this time period. The Tara Brooch is particularly impressive, made of silver-gilt and decorated with filigree and interlace design. This style is repeated throughout Celtic jewelry. Irish metalworkers also created the Ardagh Chalice around this time, and it remains one of the most impressive Celtic creations, intricately decorated with the interlace typical of Celtic Irish art. While jewelry remained a status symbol, it was often infused with Christian elements, such as the apostles' names on the Ardagh Chalice, giving special prestige and meaning to some pieces.

Another offshoot of the Christian influence was the proliferation of Celtic crosses, which were particularly common around the ninth century. The Cross of Cong is an example of the excellent goldsmithing skills of Celtic artists. The Cross of Cong had high religious value when it was created, as it was initially made to hold a piece of the cross the Irish believed Christ was crucified on.

Celtic influence is still very strong in Irish jewelry today and is often a a great idea for Irish gifts and particularly traditional Irish gifts. The iconic Celtic Cross is a common theme, though historians and researchers can only speculate upon the meaning of the ring at the intersection. Celtic knot jewelry are also a familiar symbol, used today to honour Irish and Celtic jewelry tradition. Through modern Celtic jewelry, the masterful metalworkers of the past live on, in particular, Celtic rings and Celtic wedding bands.

The significance of the Celtic Pendant

Celtic Jewelry can be traced back to a very distant past roughly during the period bwteen 2000 BC and 550 AD when silver and gold was used by Celtic craftsmen to create exceptional pieces of jewelry decorated with a variety of Celtic symbols. Celtic pendants were one of the earliest types of bodily adornment to be crafted by these ancient civilizations.

The word pendant orignates from the French word "pendre" and also the Latin "pendere" which translates as "to hang down". Pendants are a loose-hanging piece of jewelry which tend to be attached to a necklace by a small loop. This piece of Celtic jewelry can also be referred to as a "pendant necklace".

Pendants as pieces of Celtic jewelry can serve a variety of functions, which can also be combined:

• Award ( for example the Order of CúChulainn)
• Identification
• Ornamentation
• Ostentation
• Protection
• Self-affirmation

There are a multitude of specialized variations of pendants in use today including lockets which open and pendilia, which hang from larger objects of metalwork.

There is a wide range of Celtic pendants available from Blarney.com making the perfect Irish gifts and also a great piece of jewelry to accentuate any outfit. These pendants are expertly handcrafted from Sterling Silver or gold or even traditional Irish bog oak.

As ornate pieces of Celtic jewelry, they evoke the rich and varied history of the anicent Celtic world by utlising the various symbols of that period such as Celtic crosses, shamrocks, trinity knots, claddaghs, trinities and such. The Blarney collection is populated with a variety of works by Ireland's finest Celtic jewellers.

Celtic Jewelry: The ancient Ogham alphabet and its origins

Ogham, or referred to in Old Irish as 'Ogam', is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write in the early Irish language between the 4th and 6th centuries and later the Old Irish language between the 6th and 9th centuries. 

It is estimated  that there are roughly 400 surviving orthodox inscriptions on stone monuments throughout Ireland and western Britain. The vast majority of these inscriptions can be found throughout the south of Ireland, in the counties of Kerry, Cork and Waterford. Traces of the Ogham inscriptions have also been discovered in parts of Pembrokeshire in Wales. The vast majority of the inscriptions consist of personal names.

The earliest inscriptions in Ogham date to about the 4th century AD. It has been suggested by scholars that the Ogham language drew inspiration from a number of sources such as the Latin, Elder Futhark, Runic and Greek alphabets.

Theories on how this form of ancient alphabet originated can be categorised into two distinct trains of thought. The first theory is that Ogham was created by ancient Irish scholars or druids as a cryptic alphabet designed purposely so that it would be extremely difficult for those with a knowledge of the Latin alphabet to decipher.

The second theory is that Ogham was devised by the first Christian communities in early Ireland, out of a wish to create a unique alphabet for writing short messages and inscriptions in the Irish language. It is considered that the necessity of such an alphabet was due to the fact that Primitive Irish was regarded an extremely difficult language to transcribe into the Latin alphabet, so the creation of a unique alphabet was addressed.

Legend has it that Ogham was first invented soon after the fall of the Tower of Babel, along with the Gaelic language, by the legendary Scythian king, Fenius Farsa. It is sometimes called the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", based on a high medieval Bríatharogam tradition ascribing names of trees to the individual letters.

This ancient and highly distinctive alphabet adorns many pieces of Celtic jewelry to this day, whether it be Celtic pendants or Celtic earrings. Ogham is often used personalize a piece of Irish jewelry with names usually being translated into the ancient Celtic alphabet.

18 Carat Gold Ogham Pendant