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Celtic wedding rings are often gorgeously decorated with geometrically knot work patterns that have a long history and central place in Celtic art. These patterns are strongly vegetative, suggesting tendrils and vines. In fact, in much of Celtic art, including
famous illuminated Bible, The Book of Kells, these Celtic Knots emerge from or transform into vegetative foliage. The beautiful symmetry of these woven patterns is often not square, rigid, or overly formal, but organic, flowing, and a stylized reflection of
curves and spirals found in nature. Indeed,
Celtic Knots that embellish wedding rings herald
ideas of spring, fertility, and
eternal reawakening of
life force- all of which bode well for a fruitful life partnership.
Wedding rings have most commonly been worn on
third finger of
left hand. Speculation has it that this is because
Romans believed that a vein ran directly from this finger to
heart. An alternate suggestion for this tradition is that each finger on
hand is associated with a planet in
ancient systems of astrology, and
ring finger of
left hand was associated with
Sun. In this way,
wearing of a wedding ring on that finger signifies
public proclamation of
union in
daylight, in other words,
conscious and clearly visible world of human community. This correspondence is perhaps even more strongly emphasized by
general tendency to craft wedding rings out of gold, which is symbolically
metal of
Sun throughout folk history and across cultures.
Wedding rings capture
full range of
ceremonial, symbolic, and communal aspects of marriage, and preserve these many levels of significance as a durable and constant reminder. Ancient yet contemporary, steeped in lore and mystery yet almost universally exchanged, wedding rings combine
art of
jeweler,
reverence of
betrothed, and
beauty of love and partnership in a single, resonant symbol.

Peter Breslin is a musician, astrologer, Tarot reader, teacher and freelance writer for Artisanweddingrings.com and Celticjewelry.com living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has a teacher for over twenty years in Pennsylvania, New York, New Mexico, and California. He is currently at work on a novel. http://www.artisanweddingrings.com Please send email inquiries to: marek@celticjewelry.com