Scottish Jewelry Designs

The thistle is the national flower of Scotland and has become a very well known Scottish symbol. This unusual and rather prickly flower grows wild and free - sometimes quite stubbornly - which makes it a fitting symbol for the spirit of the Scottish people.

The Scots Thistle (or sometimes Scotch Thistle) belongs to the Cotton Thistle genus (Latin name: onopordum).

The Order of the Thistle is a Scottish chivalric order which dates from 1687. With the exception of the British monarch, the members of the order must all be Scottish-born.

A number of Scottish football clubs use the word 'thistle' in their names, for example: Partick Thistle F.C. and Inverness Thistle F.C.

The Celtic people were an early European collection of tribes, who became largely concentrated in the British Isles as the Roman Empire expanded.

With the subsequent arrival of the Romans to England, the Celts were pushed into the more remote parts of Britain: Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Ireland and the Isle of Man. These countries and regions have retained a strong connection to their Celtic past, (along with Brittany in France, which was the final continental stronghold of the Celts).

The Celts originally had their own religion and worshipped a number of gods, but came to accept the religion of Christianity that had been introduced by the Romans. The meeting of the ancient culture and the newer religion can be seen in the distinctive Celtic cross.

Celtic languages today survive in Wales and Ireland as official languages, and as minority languages in Scotland, the Isle of Man, Brittany and Cornwall. Scottish Gaelic is closely related to the Irish language.

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Pewter does not tarnish and does not need to be cleaned too often.

If you have shiny pewter, use a very soft cloth and a metal polish (check that it's suitable for pewter) to keep it gleaming. Non-shiny pewter can be washed gently using warm water and mild soap.

Pewter can acquire a patina over time. Some people like the aged look this gives to their pewter items.

The cleaning and restoration of antique or valuable pewter should be left to the experts. Visit The Pewter Society for further advice.

This much-loved sturdy black terrier is affectionately know as the Scottie or Scotty.

Although this breed originated in the northern parts of Scotland, it can today be found in all parts of the world. Famous owners of Scotties have included the Roosevelts, Humphrey Bogart, Julie Andrews, and Shirley Temple. Queen Victoria also kept Scotties.

Most Scottish terriers are black. They can have a feisty temperament!

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