Heart Shaped Significance
We are all familiar with the traditional representation of the heart: that well-known shape has been used for as long as we can remember and can be found in drawings, paintings, clothing and especially jewelry. So when you wear your adorable heart bracelet or open heart ring, where does the symbolism come from and why is it so popular in jewelry products?
Obviously the pictorial representation that we all know bears little resemblance to the immediately obvious icon. One speculation promoted by many is that the shape originates from nature – specifically, from the seed of the silphium plant, which is now thought to be extinct but which had various medical uses. From what we know today, it was thought to be a cure for a wide variety of ailments such as a sore throat, indigestion, warts and fever. It was also used for birth control in Ancient Egypt, and since the seeds of the plant are similar in shape to the common heart shape, the connection seems to be obvious. Not all authorities agree, however, so some caution is needed before proclaiming this idea too far. Other claims are that it originates from the ivy leaf, or even from it's use in heraldry.
Whatever the origin, in matters of love the heart shape reigns supreme. Around the time of Valentine's Day each year, for example, the appropriate cards and gifts for one lover to buy for another are prominently decorated with red heart-shaped symbols. And jewelry, frequently bought by a man to signify his love for his special lady, is available is a multitude of heart-shaped products. Indeed, by the time you have seen heart earrings, brooches, rings, necklaces and bracelets, it is hard to imagine where the ingenuity of jewelry makers has failed to use this shape. It is developed even further in jewelry pieces such as the Claddagh ring, a jewelry piece originating in Ireland in the 17th Century and one that shows a heart held by two hands and topped with a crown. These three together combine love, friendship and loyalty (the heart, the hands and the crown respectively), thus cementing the link between love and the heart.
Just take a look at a jeweler's offerings if you need more convincing about the importance of the heart shape. After you have the evidence of variations such as double heart rings and open heart necklaces, you may be no nearer to being one hundred per cent certain about where the heart shape initially came from, but you will know that it is here to stay.