Celtic Pewter Jewelry

Perhaps you've heard platinum referred to as the Metal of Kings. Platinum received this impressive title because it was often used in the body armor and swords of Royals. With its white luminosity, highly-shined platinum was both strong and blinding in its brilliance.

Tin, of course, does not shine so brightly. Tin was never referred to as the Metal of Kings, like platinum - but it was known as the King of Metals. Incredible in its strength and abilities of destruction, a scratch from a Tin sword could ultimately destroy armor made from "fancier" metals. Even today, one can test this theory. Take a piece of pewter and just lightly scratch a piece of sterling silver (though not a piece you genuinely care for). Within a few hours, that scratch will have become a gash. Within a few more, the gash becomes a veritable gorge. Tin doesn't just trump other metals, it consumes them.

What does all this have to do with pewter jewelry? Well, pewter is over 90 percent tin, combined with other allows. Ancient pewter contained lead, but modern pewter contains none. However, though pewter is safe enough now to use as cookware, and easily beautiful enough to wear as jewelry, lovers of Celtic pewter jewelry need to take certain steps to make sure that their pieces made from this King of Metals doesn't wage a full scale war on their other precious pieces.

Keep all your Celtic pewter jewelry together, and always in a different drawer in your jewelry box than where you store your gold and silver pieces. Secondly, don't wear pewter jewelry at the same time you wear other pieces. Even glancing contact can damage silver and gold over time.

This "war-like" tendency on the part of pewter, we think, only makes it more appropriate for use in Celtic jewelry. After all, in addition to their amazing artistry, the Celts were notorious for their fierceness on the battlefield. We encourage people to indulge their love for Celtic pewter jewelry. But as with anything that holds great power, you must keep it in a safe place, where it can't do damage to those weaker than themselves.