Amulets and Symbols in Jewelry Design

Whether you call them amulets, charms, fetishes, or talismans, virtually every culture had them.  I like to think of them as little works of art, but they are so much more than that.  They were worn on the body to bring luck, heal, enhance fertility, protect against injury (during travel, hunting, or from bites and stings) or ward off evil, depending on the wearers beliefs and intentions.  They came in many forms, made with different materials, and adorned with different symbols. The meaning and significance in the symbolism of a particular image changed from east to west, culture to culture, and even day to day.  Even if you do not believe in their magical powers, it is fun to know the intention of the artists who created them, and the power felt by the person who wore them before you, as many of the pieces are antiques.  Below is a list of amulets and symbols found in many of the pendants and beads in KatieO jewelry.

Celtic Cross:

The Celtic cross is a symbol of Irish Christianity.  It is a link between Celtic and Christian faith.  The image itself is a combination of the Christian cross and the circle, symbol for the sun.  The circle of the sun stands for health, virtue, and security, the cross stands for the presence of the guardian angel.  In Ireland, it is a popular myth that the Celtic Christian cross was introduced by St. Patrick during his time converting the pagan Irish.  It is believed that Saint Patrick combined the symbol of Christianity with the sun cross, to give pagan followers an idea of the importance of the cross by linking it with the idea of the life-giving properties of the sun.  Since the Celtic Revival, the ringed cross became an emblem of Celtic identity, in addition to its more traditional religious symbolism.