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Guarantee of Authenticity
Under Irish law dating back to 1637,
in the reign of Charles I, all jewellery of precious metals
continue to be stamped with the official State hallmark - the traditional letter
symbol for the year it was crafted, a fineness mark guaranteeing
the purity of the gold, and the official insignia of the Irish
Assay Office in Dublin Castle, the seat of the Irish Government.
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The Story of the
Claddagh Ring
Legend has it that an Irish young man, Richard Joyce, bound
for the West Indian slave plantations was kidnapped himself
in rough seas by a band of Mediterranean pirates and sold to
a Moorish goldsmith. Then over the many long years of his
exile the Moor trained him to perfect the skills of a master craftsman.
When in 1689 King William III negotiated the return of the
slaves, Joyce returned to Galway - despite, it is said, the
Moor's offer of his daughter's hand with a
princely dowry of half of all his wealth. However, back in Ireland a
young woman still faithfully waited for the return of her
true love. On his return, happily ever after, he presented her with
this now famous Royal Claddagh ring - a symbol of their
enduring love. Two hands to represent their friendship, the
crown to honour King William and to signify their loyalty and lasting fidelity, and the sign of the heart to
symbolise their eternal love for each other.
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 Identity: Claddagh Ring and Irish America
Extract: New
Essay
Perhaps nothing has been so poignant as stories to emerge from the attack on the World Trade Center, New York, in September 2001. Alongside many other ethnic groups and nationalities, the Irish numbered high amongst the dead. That following month, the Foreign Affairs Minister from Ireland was attending a United Nations meeting in the city. As Governor George Pataki tells the story, the Irish Times reports, Minister Brian Cowen had a message to pass on to the chief of the NYPD from the parents of a missing firefighter - was a Claddagh ring found in the wreckage. The officer accompanying him on the day replied that when relatives were asked to note personal items to help in identification; the Claddagh ring was reported over and over.
"Minister," the chief told Cowen, "we have found 200 Claddagh rings". Of firemen and policemen alone, the officer told him, "15 to 20 of the people we lost were wearing Claddagh rings."
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