Irish Bridal Jewelry.
Do you really want a design that turns up on condoms, toilet paper
and door mats in your wedding? I think not!
Learn the folkloric stories though before you prance around with the
design. I would hate to be embarassed with it!
First of all, I think you're mixing me up with someone else. I don't
have a ring with the claddagh on it. Nor do I have a single piece of
claddagh jewelry, or any tourist items with the claddagh on it. I
personally think it's been overused. But that doesn't make it any the
less special to those who use it, so that's not a problem for me either
way.
My version, as you put it, has the benefit of being historically
possible. Perhaps you are unclear on what my "version" of the history
of the claddagh ring is: that it was created by a goldsmith from Galway
named Richard Joyce in the late 1600's. That is was probably partly
based on a similar design he saw while he was being held captive by the
Moors and partly based on a design of clasped hands rings from earlier
(possibly Roman times) called "fede" or faith rings. That it was widely
distributed in and around that area. Period. Those are the facts of
the creation of the claddagh. If you look it up in reputable sources,
all of them agree that this is the probable earliest source of the ring
as relates to Irish history.
Now - the historically impossible, highly improbable sailor story that
you are espousing is a MYTH or a piece of FOLKLORE based around the
ring. That means that it might be based in a bit of reality - after
all, Claddagh was and is a fishing town - but over time the myth has
become so warped and embellished by those who pass it on that it is
now an historical impossibility. Who knows why the ring is turned one
way or the other - it's a tradition that developed somewhere and then
someone decided that they needed to make up a story to explain it.
That's how lots of "traditions" are established. Take the whole bridal
veil tradition: there are 10 diferent stories to explain why we use a
veil, too, but just because they're all widely published doesn't make
them accurate, does it?