One attribute that differentiates humans from other animals is our ability to understand symbolism. Symbols have been an important aspect of jewelry virtually since the first proto-human put a string and a shell together, and symbols remain an important motif in today’s ornamental wear. One symbol often used in rings, earrings and pendants is the Claddagh — two hands holding a crowned heart between them. This Irish symbol has come to represent a range of affiliations, from friendship to marriage. Jim Morrison, legendary singer of the 60’s band The Doors, helped popularize the design as a wedding band. The elements are said to represent love, friendship and loyalty. While the design originated in the 1600’s, it is no doubt an extrapolation of earlier motifs. The name comes from the Irish village of the same name. 
Another popular design is the Celtic knot, either as a raised pattern on a sold background or as intertwined gold threads without backing. The design can be traced back at least as far as monk’s illuminated texts such as the Book of Kells dating back to the 8th century.As you might expect, the knot motif has always been associated with attachment and devotion, and therefore is often used in wedding bands. Artisans continue to enjoy pushing the boundaries of intricacy with the knot design. A favorite extrapolation of the knot theme is the ribbon and bow, a festive design that is particularly appropriate for holiday wear.
Continuing on the Irish theme, another design often given in friendship is the clover, or shamrock. The three-lobed design hearkens back to St. Patrick’s conversion of the Irish in the 400’s, when it is said he adopted the shamrock to represent the Holy Trinity.
A design that transcends any single country is the heart, familiar to us all as the ultimate symbol of love, as well as a container for fine chocolates. The heart as the foundation of human qualities, both good and not-so-good, can be traced back to the earliest passages of the Bible, and plays an equally important role in other ancient religions. The fact that our heart symbol does not really resemble the human heart has led some to propose that it represents Eros, the love bound with fertility. A less complex interpretation suggests it derives from the outline of a kissing couple.
Religious symbols have always been popular in jewelry. In the west, the cross has been cast and forged into innumerable variations. Other symbols such as the yin-and-yang of Zen Buddhism, representing the harmony of the male and female principles, are also common themes for rings, pendants, bracelets and earrings.
Finally, we see a number of designs based on nature. Flower rings, with the delicate petals of roses often reproduced in pink gold, are particularly attractive. Interwoven vines or wheat berry designs are the perfect ornamentation on running designs such as bands or bracelets.
The joy of symbol jewelry comes from the understanding that the giver intends the recipient to understand that his regard, devotion, friendship and/or love is as immutable as gold. Quite a message from such a small but pretty gift!
Symbolism in Jewelry
Colored Gold
Gold is gold, right? A rich yellow, the color of a field of sunflowers or a bottle of Chateau d’Yquem sauterne.
But have ever compared the color of you wedding band against 24-carat gold artifacts from ancient civilizations? Then you many not be surprised that the world gold encompasses a wealth of hues, from green to rose and even purple.
Of course, pure, 24-carat gold is always the same color but we rarely encounter 24-carat gold jewelry. Pure gold is a very soft metal, capable of being stretched into amazingly thin foil sheets, even to the point that it becomes translucent. In a ring, it would very quickly lose its shape.
Therefore, most gold jewelry is made from gold alloyed with other, more durable (and usually less expensive) metals. Since gold is the only yellow metal, any alloy will change the color of gold.
The most common form of gold, 14k yellow, is a paler shade of yellow due to the addition of silver and a bit of copper. The same metals are added in lesser amounts for 18k gold, more common in European jewelry, and 10k, often found in men’s bands when heavy wear can be expected.
The most common alternate color for gold is white gold, an alloy that became popular first in the 1920’s when a shortage of platinum coincided with art deco’s enthusiasm for white jewelry. White gold can be made with several different recipes. The most prevalent has been copper/ nickel/zinc, which yields an adequately white gold that is relatively easy for jewelers to work with.
However, some people have an allergic reaction to the nickel in white gold, so other alternatives have been developed. The most popular of the non-nickel alloys for white gold is a palladium/silver/copper/zinc mix, which makes a fine white gold, albeit harder to work with and more expensive, since palladium is even costlier than gold.
Goldsmiths have found ways to extend the color range beyond these two, however. Red/pink/rose gold, produced by bumping up the copper content in the gold alloy, while not truly red, has a distinct cast in that range.
By deleting copper and using only silver as the alloying metal, gold takes on a striking pale green hue. The combination of yellow, green and rose gold is often used in tricolor chains and rings that intertwine the three gold hues.
Other unusual forms of gold include purple or amethyst gold (gold and aluminum), blue gold (gold and iron), and black gold (gold and a variety of additives). However, each of these has shortcomings in durability and workability, so I wouldn’t recommend them for use in rings or chains.
If you have a taste for the unusual, why stick with yellow when there is a rainbow of gold waiting for your display?
