Celtic Knot Meanings and History

Countless people throughout the world find the signs and meanings of Celtic jewelry designs beguiling and like to collect gold or Celtic knot silver jewelry. There are numerous lovely pieces of jewelry depicting Celtic knots and other Celtic designs and it can be absorbing collecting jewelry with either a distinct type of motif, for instance the triquetra, or a collection including all designs and styles. It can provide more value to your collection if you appreciate something concerning the history and tradition of the Celtic population who used these designs in their day by day life on their jewelry and everyday items. While meanings of Celtic knot designs are, in general, lost to us, yet a great deal is acknowledged about the history of the Celtic people.

The period of the history of the Celts dating from roughly 600 AD. in Great Britain after the Roman Era, identified as the Insular Art period, saw an upsurge of jewelry design. Artisans used precious metals to produce many intricately designed pieces decorated with the well known Celtic knots but also animals and spiral designs. As well as jewelry, illustrated texts were produced, the most illustrious of these is the Book of Kells. Stone crosses were engraved with Celtic symbols and are seen throughout the British Isles, in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

Designers of Celtic Knot jewelry nowadays are inspired by the objects that were produced in this period, taking their inspiration from the illustrated manuscripts, relics and stone crosses still seen all over the country in our day. Irish artisans are skillful in creating top quality jewelry in gold and silver, bearing the complex designs so cherished by the Celts once upon a time. They decorate their work with the elaborate knots seen in these ancient relics.

The earliest meanings of several of the designs are unknown and many meanings have been invented by contemporary people, so finding out the original meaning of many of the designs is tricky and in a lot of cases unachievable. Then again historians can agree on a few things in relation to the Celtic knot designs. The convoluted knots signify how all things are united and also stand for God’s never-ending love. The Book of Kells is opulently illustrated in bold colours with Celtic knots. The Celtic knot is perhaps, the best known and most generally cherished Celtic emblem and is a characteristic of many pieces of superior Celtic jewelry including necklaces, silver Celtic crosses, pendants and wedding bands.

Trinity knots, or triquetra, are repeatedly seen in metal objects from the Insular Art period specially in illustrated manuscripts, for example the Book of Kells, and in metal work. It was usually used in combination with additional knots and was repeatedly used as a space filler instead of a stand alone design. In contemporary times the triquetra has developed into a Christian symbol representing the Holy Trinity or as a sign of special threefold things such as mother, daughter and granddaughter.