FactoryDirectJewelry.com Sees Sales of Claddagh Rings Soar After Royal Wedding

LOS ANGELES, May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 22 million Americans watched the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton last week, an event full of pomp, circumstance, and history. The last of which may have driven many Americans to purchase claddagh rings, says FactoryDirectJewelry.com, a leading online jewelry manufacturing company.

"Although the wedding was British, we believe hearing about all the history of the royal family may have led many Americans to delve into their own pasts and discover some Irish roots," said a FactoryDirectJewelry.com representative. "We have seen sales of our claddagh rings sky rocket, possibly because their design is based on so much history and tradition."

The most widely accepted legend surrounding how the first Celtic jewelry design of claddagh rings came to be is a love story between Richard Joyce and his true love. A fisherman from Galway, Richard was kidnapped by pirates and sold as a slave to a Moorish goldsmith. During his imprisonment, Joyce learned how to make jewelry and crafted a beautiful gold claddagh ring.

After the accession of William III to the throne all British prisoners were set free and Richard was reunited with his beloved to whom he gave the ring. In the design of the ring, a heart topped by a crown that is clasped by two hands, the clasping hands symbolize friendship, the heart represents love and the crown denotes loyalty.

In addition to the symbolism of the heart, hands, and crown, claddagh rings often denote the relationship status of the wearer. For example, with the crown facing inward, the wearer signifies that he or she is not spoken for. If the person wearing a Claddagh ring is in a relationship, however, he or she wears it with the crown facing outward.

FactoryDirectJewelry.com offers a wide selection of claddagh rings to choose from. All their online jewelry pieces are handcrafted to perfection in their state-of-the-art Los Angeles factory and are of utmost quality, caliber, and design.

For additional information, visit www.FactoryDirectJewelry.com.

Full release available here: http://www.factorydirectjewelry.com/pages/factorydirectjewelry.com-sees-sales-of-claddagh-rings-soar-after-royal-wedding.html.

About FactoryDirectJewelry.com

FactoryDirectJewelry.com is a third-generation family-owned jewelry manufacturing company with more than 100 years of experience in the jewelry business. They have manufactured quality jewelry on three continents around the world, most recently expanding to Los Angeles in 1977.

SOURCE FactoryDirectJewelry.com