“My people… Before I was changed… They exchanged this as a sign of devotion. It’s a Claddagh ring. The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty… And the heart… Well, you know… Wear it with the heart pointing towards you. It means you belong to somebody. Like this. Put it on.”
With these words, the character of Angel played by David Boreanaz presented a Claddagh ring to Buffy, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the hit TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer. In the plot line, Angel presents Buffy on her 17th birthday with the Claddagh ring as an Irish friendship ring which he got from a retro store. The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty and the heart represents love. Although well-intentioned, the gift wreaked emotional havoc on Buffy as the significance of the Claddagh is revealed.

Although many celebrities, from Mia Farrow to Jennifer Aniston, wear Claddagh rings, the appearance of the Claddagh ring on the show sparked a surge in popularity as fans of the show sought out their own version of the ring to wear.


Credit for the introduction of the Claddagh ring to the show’s plot line goes to to Buffy actor Boreanaz, who off camera wears one given to him by his girlfriend, with the inscription, ‘Without you my love’.

We wonder what Richard Joyce, the creator of the original Claddagh ring some 300 years ago would make of this celebrity endorsement.
You can choose your very own Claddagh ring from our selection of ladies silver rings at our store.
Here is the YouTube clip from the show – Season 2., Episode, The Surprise.