Sterling Silver Ear Studs - Claddagh Heart The Claddagh Heart is a traditional Celtic token of affection. The legend comes from a story about an Irish fisherman called Richard Joyce who was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery to a Moorish goldsmith from whom he learnt the trade. After many years the goldsmith freed him, in 1670, and he returned to his native village of Claddagh in western Ireland to marry his childhood sweetheart. There he started making Claddagh hearts in rings and pendants. The symbol consists of a heart for love, two hands for friendship and a crown for loyalty. Over the last three centuries Irish people have settled in various countries and the symbol has traveled with them to the far reaches of the world as a representation of true love.