I am proudly of Irish descent and wear a Claddagh ring every day that was passed down to me even more proudly. There is actual history behind the rings and the symbol itself. There is also a proper way to wear them. These rings have been around and worn for over 300 years so how could there not be a lot of history attached to them? The Claddagh is composed of two hands holding a heart with a crown on top of the heart. The hands are meant to represent friendship while the heart represents love and the crown loyalty.

There are two major stories of how the Claddagh came to be, but none are completely confirmed.

The first of the stories is about an Irish woman named Margaret Joyce who married a Spanish merchant, Domingo de Rona, who was trading in Galway, Ireland. When Domingo died, Margaret inherited a huge amount of money from him and went on to marry the mayor of Galway at the time. She used her inherited wealth to build bridges in Connacht and help out the towns. It is said that an eagle swooped down and dropped the Claddagh ring on her lap as a reward for her charity.

The second story is about a man named Richard Joyce from Galway, Ireland as well. He was was captured by Algerians and sold into slavery to a Moorish goldsmith. When William III of England commanded for all of the British subjects to be released, Richard Joyce was released from slavery as well. The goldsmith he was sold to wanted him to stay, though, and offered him a large sum of money and his daughter’s hand in marriage. He is said to have declined the offer to return to his home village and one true love with the Claddagh ring as a gift for her.

I love my heritage take a lot of pride in it, so when I see someone wearing a Claddagh the wrong way it hurts a little piece of my soul. The four different ways to wear your Claddagh ring are to represent if you are single, in a relationship, engaged and married.

When you wear the ring on your right hand with the heart pointing outward, it means you are single and open to finding love. When it is worn on the right hand with the heart pointing inward, toward you, it means that you are in a relationship or that your heart is reserved or taken by somebody. When worn on the left hand with the heart pointing out, this shows that you are engaged and that you are completely committed to your partner, but not exactly to the ultimate commitment yet. Finally, when the ring is worn on the left hand and the heart is pointing toward you, you are married and completely off the market.

Next time you see or wear a Claddagh ring, remember that it is much more than a pretty piece of jewelry. Remember that it is a beautiful symbol of heritage, but that it is also meant to say more about you personally, too and I hope you wear it even prouder knowing that.