How Do I Solve a Four-Piece Claddagh Ring?

The Claddagh ring shows a pair of hands holding a crowned heart.

Claddagh four-piece rings incorporate a traditional design into a puzzle ring that can be solved. The Claddagh is an ancient Irish symbol of a pair of hands holding a crowned heart. The village of Claddagh, outside Galway City, Ireland, became a center of ring production in the 17th century, and the rings became popular as engagement and wedding bands.

Instructions

1. Separate the ring into its four bands. There are two outside and two inside bands. The outside bands are rounded on one edge with the hands, and the inside bands have the crowned heart.

2. Pinch the inner bands together with the crowned heart design facing out, with the outside bands clasped between them. The inner bands form the crowned heart, while the two hands dangle between the inner bands.

3. Rotate the pinched inner bands clockwise until the crowned heart is facing downward and the outside bands are clasped between the inner bands.

4. Twist the pinched inner bands to the left and separate them slightly so as to allow the outside bands to pass through them. The crowned heart should be upside down.

5. Rotate one of the outer bands clockwise and fit it securely on the bottom of the ring. The bottom will be the top when the ring is flipped over, but the crowned heart is still upside down.

6. Rotate the second outer band clockwise and fit it on the top of the ring. The ring should now be joined but still upside down.

References

• Claddagh Puzzle Ring Solution Diagram

Resources

• Puzzle Ring: Puzzle Ring Solutions
• Bella Online: The Claddagh Ring's Romantic History