Connemara marble earrings inspired by Irish bog heather

It's no secret that the colourful and varied landscapes of Ireland have long inspired painters, poets and artisans. Even Irish jewellery artists like me garner ideas from what we see, smell and hear. 

Connemara marble drop earrings, 'Irish  Heather'

The idea for these Connemara marble and purple and black glass earrings came from my trips to the bog lands in Co, Offaly, near where my mother was reared.

Offaly Way. Own photo

Much of the midlands bog areas of Offaly and Laois and the green mountains throughout Ireland are covered in a riot of purple heather.

Ridge of Cappard, Slieve Bloom Mts, Laois, own photo

Irish bog oak, Lough Boora. Own photo

The black seed beads used in the earrings design are there as a nod to Irish bog oak. This is ancient oak that has been preserved and naturally blackened in the peaty earth of the bogs. In the 1800s bog oak was used to make black mourning jewellery. I have yet to find a piece of usable bog oak myself, but if I ever do it will be fashioned into a very special piece. In the meantime, you will just have to make do with this increasingly rare and very beautiful Irish marble.......

Inspired by Irish legend: Children of Lir

Although my Irish jewellery is contemporary in design, much of the inspiration comes from the ancient Celts or traditional folklore.

Lir pendant, Connemara marble with sterling silver swan charm, Handmade by Amo'r

An idea was tucked away at the back of my mind to make a pendant inspired by the Irish legend , 'Clann Lir' or 'The Children of Lir' as it is called in English. I knew it had to involve indigenous, Connemara marble and sterling silver. 

The Children of Lir, Silk batik art by ArtonSilkbyLouise (Etsy)

LEGEND OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR 

True of many an Irish tale passed from generation to generation, there are several variations of this ancient story.

As one version goes, Nobleman Lir and his wife Aobh had 4 beautiful children, a girl named Fionnuala and 3 boys. Aodh, Fiachra and Conn. Tragically, Aobh passed on too soon and the young children were left without a mother. Aobh's father, King Bodb, wanted to keep Lir content so he sent his other daughter, Aoife, to take her sister's place. 

Aoife soon grew jealous of the bond shared by her step children and her new husband. She contrived to have the siblings killed but her servant refused to carry out the ugly task. So instead, Aoife magically turned them into swans, bound together by chains of silver and doomed to swim the lakes and seas of Ireland for 9 centuries. She gave them one gift, singing voices more beautiful and enchanting than that of the lark. The spell would only be broken if the silver chains broke at the toll of a sacred bell

Eons passed and the child swans survived many adventures, battling the waves of the ocean and beating the cold of the deep lakes. They became famed for their charming singing. Eventually the four found solace at a peaceful monastery. However Deoch, wife of the King of Leinster, wanted to take possession of these beautiful swans so they could sing to her and her alone. She demanded her husband capture them.

During the melee to grab the birds, the monastery bell tolled. At that very moment, the sharp blade of a sword accidentally severed the silver chain that bound them. In an instant, the spell was broken but the children were shocked to discover they had lost their youth and were almost 1000 years old and very withered. No time passed before they moved on to the next world. There however, they were happily reunited with their beloved parents.

hand formed silver spiral

Swan Spiral Charm

Recently I stole a quiet half hour to form a few Celtic spirals from solid sterling silver wire. It occurred to me that the shape can turnout swan-like, if the loose end is left long and graceful. To remain true to a Celtic spiral shape, the charm does need to remain fairly rounded, however.

hammered silver, spiral swan charm

A few strategic taps with a chasing hammer on an anvil perfected the shape while hardening the metal. I then used the round end of the hammer head to add bevelled texture, which catches more light.

A swan is born! I wire wrapped the charm onto this gorgeous, one of a kind, slab of Connemara marble, cut by a Galway mason. Occasionally I hang my pendants on velvet or crochet chains. In keeping with the legend, Lir pendant could only be hung upon a silver chain.

***

Click here to read the story of the Irish Claddagh symbol

 Click here to learn how to make a Celtic spiral charm

Sundown in Spring, Caught My Eye 34

Caught My Eye  is a series of blog posts showing scenes I found interesting, odd, curious or beautiful. I am artistic and therefore an observer but I am not a photographer by any description. So if you expect top quality photography I'm afraid you will be disappointed.  But please do enjoy a snap shot glimpse of the world through my creative eyes. 

Sunset in Spring

This fiery shot of a sunset just after Easter happened almost by accident. The orange sky is not a result of photo editing but partly down to experimentation and mostly fluke - it's how it came out on my ordinary point and shoot camera. 

Capturing a washed out sky versus a colourful one

During daylight, the sky in my scenic photos often turns out completely white. A friend who knows something about photography gave me a tip to make the sky blue. First you point the camera up at the bluest part of the sky, then depress the button half way, while keeping the focus on the blue. Then move your view back down to what you actually want to capture, without letting go of the button. When you are steadily focused on the target, click the button the rest of the way.  Above are great examples. These are 2 castles I shot while visiting Jersey last year. No need to guess which photo is the result of this little trick.

Sunset in Offaly, April 2015

I just thought I'd try something similar with a beautiful sunset while on an Easter break in county Offaly. Above is a wider shot.

The following evening the sunset was a bit pinker. Employing this little photo trick, this is how it turned out. This purple colour is not the result of editing after the fact.

Above is a different shot, where the trick didn't fully work, but it still turned out interesting. The actual sky was dusky with a purple tinge to it, but this is what the camera captured. The only editing after the fact was to darken the photo a little so the trees were fully black.

The Irish Claddagh Symbol

This week I listed an OOAK Connemara marble pendant featuring a vintage, sterling silver Claddagh charm.

The Claddagh heart is a well-known and internationally popular Irish design.  The Claddagh ring was the original format, and has been about for 300 years or so, but charms, pins and engravings based on the design are also found. This particular charm that I used is a sold silver pendant from the 1980s.

This famous design features a crowned heart clasped by two hands, which are clothed in gauntlet gloves. The hands symbolise friendship, the heart, love and the crown stands for loyalty. There are many modern variations in the design, including those with two hearts instead of one.

There also exists a variation without a crown, called the Fenian Claddagh. Historically it was adopted by Irish rebels who refused to recognise British rule.

ORIGINS

 

This class of ring belongs to a wide group of rings called Fede rings, which involve clasped hands in the design. Fede, (or Faith) finger rings date back to the Romans. However, it is not known when exactly the first Claddagh ring incorporating a heart was made, though it is believed to be a 17th Century development. It wouldn't be Irish without a few stories and legends surrounding its origin...

Claddagh was a small village outside Galway city, but is now part of the city itself. The oldest surviving Claddagh rings date back to the 1600s. Some of those bear the signature of Galway artisan, Bartholemew Fallon. 

There is a popular belief however, that the artist who first made the ring was a contemporary of Fallon's, fellow Galway man, Richard Joyce. He was kidnapped by pirates and sold to a Moorish goldsmith as a slave. He meticulously learned his master's craft and gained the respect of the goldsmith. When he was eventually released, he returned to Ireland where he put his smithing skills to use and created the famous ring. His branding and initials are also believed to be on some of the oldest surviving of these rings. 

However, Irish stories nearly always involve things happening thrice, so not surprisingly, there is a third goldsmith from the era also accredited with designing the ring, Thomas Meade of Kinsale. 

Who is to say which, if any, of these three jewellers was actually the first to design this famous emblem?

Those who prefer a more mythical view will tell you that the first Claddagh ring was dropped by an eagle into the lap of one Margaret Joyce, widow to a Spanish merchant named Domingo De Rona. Allegedly the majestic bird gave it to her as a reward for her charitable works.

Connemara marble Claddagh pendant

Today the  Claddagh ring is popular, particularly with the Irish diaspora, as a wedding or engagement ring.

The pendant and other variations are more often given as a gift of friendship. Whatever shape or form it comes in, the Claddagh motif is a powerful symbol of pride in Irish heritage.  I thought it very fitting to team the Claddagh charm with a gorgeous slab of indigenous Connemara marble, another intrinsically Irish treasure.

More from this blog:
Celtic Influences in my Designs
A little about Connemara marble 

Treasury Time

My blog has been sadly neglected over the winter as I commenced a part time course in December. Ironically, it's a diploma in journalism.  This pretty treasury landed in my Etsy shop inbox last night and kick started me into blogging again.

Treasuries are showcase lists of Etsy goodies put together by fellow members. They are an art form in themselves. This week I am thankful to be included in a stunning list of handmade and vintage goods in joyful, Spring shades curated by Elena of Four Seasons Creations.

Thanks to Elena for including my Irish sea glass pendant in dark forest green in this beautiful collection titled 'Joy.' Here is the pendant up close:

Ocean Moon sea glass pendant

To learn a little more about varieties of green sea glass click HERE

Romancing the Stone for an Irish Valentine

With less than a month to Valentine's Day, it's time to romance it up a bit. If you're looking for something from Ireland to win her heart, what could be better than a pendant, handmade with genuine Irish marble? 

Connemara marble heart pendant 'Loyalty'

Cork Red marble heart pendant 'Roisin'

Kilkenny marble heart pendant 'Dubh Linn'

All these heart pendants are handmade with love in Ireland. Please allow 5 to 10 working days for parcels to reach the US, Canada and Australia!.

Read more about Irish marble here:

Connemara marble

Cork Red marble

Kilkenny marble

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