Emerald Rings Guide

The majority of Celtic-style ring designs feature Celtic knotwork, usually in the form of an endless knot. The interlaced patterns seen in knotwork are thought to have been originated by the Romans and over time they spread throughout the world. Knotwork designs were often used in ancient literature and can be seen on some famous Christian manuscripts including the Lindisfarne Gospels and Book of Kells. Before coming under the influence of Christianity around 450AD, Celtic patterns were usually spirals, key shapes or stepped shapes.

When it comes to rings, the knotwork design is often engraved into the band of the ring although there are some rings which have the appearance of a thin band which weaves in and out to form the Celtic knot that itself makes up the ring band. These rings usually have the emerald set in a claw setting, and in fact the ring band with claw setting can often be purchased separately for a loose emerald to be set in it later.

Although the knot design is a traditional one, there are also rings on sale which have bands made from contemporary materials such as tungsten, steel or titanium. Some of these may be decorated with inlaid patterns, often of precious metals. In addition to rings for everyday wear, Celtic designs set with emeralds can also be found in engagement and wedding rings.

Aside from the knotwork, there are other traditional Celtic design motifs seen in these rings, including crosses, dragons, triskeles and herons.