Tipperary is a bit southeast of Limerick, which is where I studied last semester. http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/ie.htm

My claddagh ring is an object I realize to be quite common—it’s a piece of jewelry that has been manufactured many times to be sold in “traditional Irish shops” across the states and in Ireland. I decided to look into the shop I knew my grandmother purchased the ring from. The shop is called “Tipperary” named after the town and county in Ireland located in Munster province and was founded in 1979. Tipperary is known as the “Celtic Jeweler of Irish imports” and according to their about section on weddingwire.com, “stock the widest and most extensive selection of Irish hallmarked gold, silver and fashion jewelry anywhere including Ireland itself. Really no other Irish shop even comes close”! I’ve been in this shop and I mean, yeah sure it had a lot of Irish-y things but that seems like quite a lofty claim for a shop located in the middle of nowhere, Brunswick New York to be making in my opinion.

So I decided to pop on over to their website and have a look around to see if I could find anything about manufacturers and companies they partner with for their imports. I knew going into it I probably would not be able to find my exact ring because it was purchased nearly ten years ago but I set out to look at the rings that would perhaps most closely match the style of the one I own. I began looking under “Rings” and selecting “Sterling Silver Claddagh” but that proved to be an overwhelming search on the site since there’s just so many option that the store sells. Instead I looked by brand to narrow down my search and came across the company “Facet Jewellers” which is a “luxury diamond jewellery store” that was founded in 1978, located in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

This is what’s called the Sterling Silver Maids Claddagh ring by Facet Jewellers, Co. Dublin http://www.shoptipperary.com/sterling-silver-maids-claddagh-ring

This is Facet Jewellers 14k Yellow Gold Diamond and Emerald Claddagh Ring priced at $1,987.50 (an internet special for the store! Get it while you can!) http://www.shoptipperary.com/14k-yellow-gold-diamond-and-emerald-claddagh-ring

Now, I can’t be sure as of right now that this is the same brand that my claddagh ring came from but in comparing the style of my ring to one I found on the site, they are similarities and differences but it seemed plausible! I suppose the most helpful thing I could do would be to go to the shop itself and have it looked at so maybe I will do that at some point this semester! The ring I found online is a bit more ornate than the one I possess but it is still quite simple in its design compared to others sold on the site. This one is priced at $69.99, which is modest in comparison to rings I saw for hundreds of dollars, some even over $2,000. Depending on the material used to make the ring, the price obviously skyrockets. Some of the rings sold on the site are white gold or yellow gold; some have gemstones embedded into the heart or along the band.

It’s interesting looking at all the different styles because it makes me appreciate the one I have even more. I love how simple my ring is—its something I feel comfortable wearing every day. It’s an unassuming piece of jewelry that still holds a story and carries significance to me. I definitely want to go to the shop and have someone take a look at it but in the meantime I think I should give my grandmother a call and ask her why she chose this as a present for my thirteenth birthday. There’s still lots more to discover about this humble ring!