Gold Claddagh ring made by Richard Joyce dating to c. 1700 A.D. The ring, which is well worn, is stamped on the inside with ‘RI’ for ‘Richard Joyce’ and with the initials ‘LcM’ and ‘MrC’, suggesting the ring was used to commemorate a marriage. Synonymous with the Claddagh area of Galway, the ring is a love token, with two hands clasping a crowned heart.
Joyce is credited with some of the earliest Claddagh rings. According to the Hearth Roll Money roll for Galway in 1724, he resided in Shop Street, Galway. Makers marks on various pieces he produced, indicate that he was manufacturing silverware from 1691 until at least 1737 (Mulveen 1994, 51).
Reference:
Mulveen, J. 1994 Galway Goldsmiths, Their Marks and Ware in Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, Vol. 46.
