Countless people throughout the world find the signs and meanings of Celtic jewelry designs beguiling and love to have a collection of gold or Celtic knot silver jewelry. There are numerous beautiful pieces of jewelry depicting Celtic knots and other Celtic designs and it can be fascinating collecting jewelry with either a specific type of shape, for instance trinity knots, or a collection including all styles and designs. It can impart more value to your collection if you know something about the history and legends of the Celtic population who used these designs in their daily life on their jewelry and everyday items. While meanings of Celtic knot designs are, in general, missing to us, nevertheless a great deal is acknowledged with reference to the history of the Celtic people.

The period of Celtic history that dates from about 600 AD. in Great Britain after the Roman Era, known as the Insular Art period, saw an upsurge of jewelry crafting and design. Skilled workers used precious metals to construct many elaborately designed pieces decorated with the well recognised Celtic knots but also spirals and animal designs. Besides ornaments, illustrated manuscripts were created, the most celebrated of which is the Book of Kells. Stone crosses were carved with Celtic knot designs and are seen all through the British Isles, in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

The original meanings of many of the designs are unknown and various meanings have been invented by contemporary people, so finding out the earliest meaning of many of the designs is tricky and in many cases not possible. Then again historians can agree on a few things about the celtic knot designs. The elaborate knots represent how all things are linked and also represents God’s ceaseless love. The Book of Kells is ornately illustrated in bright colors with Celtic knots. The Celtic knot is conceivably, the most well known and most commonly cherished Celtic symbol and is a characteristic of many pieces of superior Celtic jewelry including bracelets, silver Celtic crosses, pendants and wedding bands.

Trinity knots, or triquetra, are repeatedly seen in objects from the Insular Art period above all in illustrated texts, for example the book of Kells, and in metal work. It was regularly used in combination with additional knots and was often used as a space filler rather than a stand alone design. In modern times the triquetra has turned into a symbol of the Christian church that represents the Holy Trinity or as a symbol of special threefold things such as mother, daughter and granddaughter.

Designers of Celtic Knot jewelry nowadays are stimulated by the jewelry that was created all through this period, taking their ideas from the illustrated manuscripts, stone crosses and relics still seen all over the land in our day. Irish craftsmen are skilled in making first-rate jewelry in gold and silver, bearing the complex designs so treasured by the Celts once upon a time. They decorate their work with the elaborate knotwork seen in these early relics.

Want to make your own Celtic knot pattern? Check out the video below!