Mark St Patrick's Day With Gorgeous Green

St Patrick’s Day, the epitome of Irish culture, this year falls on March 17 and it is traditional to wear something green - take a look at our selection of green beauties, like the stunning Colombian 5-stone ring in our main picture, that will help you set the tone for this age-old tradition.

Beautifully crafted from yellow gold, this unique ring is all handmade. It dates to approximately the 1880s and highlights five exceptional Colombian emeralds with a total weight of 2.30ct - stock no. 60-88-621.

St Patrick’s Day remembers St Patrick and we have a selection of pieces that reflect the tradition, for example, these beautiful emerald earrings below.

Emerald and diamond cluster earrings - stock no. 63-87-189

St Patrick is said to have died on March 17 in or around the year 493 and is rumoured to be buried under Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, Ireland. He grew up in Roman Britain, but was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave when he was a young adult. After some years he returned to his family and entered the church, like his father and grandfather before him. He later went back to Ireland as a missionary and worked in the north and west of the country.

The most common St Patrick's Day symbol is the shamrock - as green as our vintage zircon trilogy ring below.

Vintage 18ct gold 1930’s verdant green zircon and
diamonds - stock no. 60-87-817

Other St Patrick Day symbols include snakes and serpents, as well as the Celtic cross. This vintage piece below features a cross of sorts in the centre - and an emerald.

Edwardian emerald and diamond brooch/pendant - stock no. 16-87-665

Some say that Saint Patrick added the Sun, a powerful Irish symbol, on to the Christian cross to create the Celtic cross and the vintage piece below is certainly suggestive of the sun.

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Victorian brooch with seed pearls set in15 carat yellow gold - stock no. 66-87-229

And, while our vintage emerald ring below isn't exactly a cross, it has Celtic echoes.

1965 cluster ring with emerald and diamonds - stock no. 60-87-836

Other Irish-related symbols seen on St Patrick’s Day include the harp, which was used in Ireland for centuries, as well as the leprechaun - and a pot of gold that the leprechaun keeps hidden.

Ogden doesn't claim this delightful vintage gold ring below fashioned as a belt ever belonged to leprechauns, but it might fit one.

1917 rose gold belt and buckle ring - stock no. 16-87-757

legend has it that St Patrick rid Ireland of snakes. However, it is now thought that there have been no snakes in Ireland since the last Ice Age. The "snakes" that St Patrick is said to have banished from Ireland may instead refer to the druids or pagan worshippers of snake or serpent gods.

Whatever the reality, St Patrick's Day is a great occasion and the perfect excuse to wear something stunning - and green - like this gorgeous emerald Halo ring below.

Platinum emerald and diamond Halo ring - stock no. 60-32-014

For more gorgeous Ogden of Harrogate jewellery, click here: https://www.ogdenharrogate.co.uk/pages/jewellery