A Brand for Ireland Lovers
There are people who see travel as a purely selfish endeavor and I occassionally struggle to explain my love of travel as part of a broader love for connecting to the people and places that I encounter. Luckily, there are people who are gifted at tangibly expressing and sharing their love of place with others in a meaningful way. One such person is my friend Erin Ferguson Young, founder and designer of Peat Fire Jewelry.
Peat Fire Jewelry is a company born of travel. Erin, spelled Eireann in Gaelic, had loved Ireland from afar most of her life, but when she actually took her first trip to Ireland she wasn't prepared for the feeling it welled up in her - the feeling of coming home. She was overwhelved by an intense connection and passion for the country of Ireland - it's people, it's culture, it's landscapes, and even it's sheep (she now has a stuffed sheep, Seamus, who sits in her studio). She didn't want to lose that connection when she returned to Texas. Sitting on the grounds of Craggaunowen Castle, embraced by a sprinkling of rain and the smoke from a peat fire, Erin's was inspired to start her business (read her story here). Her love of Ireland and memories of her visit grew into a thriving jewelry business, inspired by…Ireland of course! Incorporating the language, culture, and landscape with gems and stones of the region, Erin has created an immersive collections that brings Ireland to you.
Light dances off the two-toned metal in her Ceili Collection, reminiscent of the folk Irish Ceili dances.
Her Coordinates Necklaces include hand-stamped coordinates of famous locations in Ireland (Blarney Castle and Cliffs of Moher to name a few) and are even customizable if another location means more to you - like the site of an engagement, wedding, or family home.
Sometimes Ireland comes to you quite literally. In the Eireann Earth Collection, Erin uses soil from the land of Eire to make its charms and stones.
And Connemara Marble, mined exclusively from Ireland’s Atlantic Coast, is a recurring motif in Erin’s works.
She even has a line of birthstone jewelry and a line hand-stamped with Gaelic endearments.
Erin’s jewelry is an obvious treasure for anyone with Irish heritage, but also for those who embrace Ireland and Irish culture by choice. As a non-Irish redhead who has traveled to Ireland only once (Erin has now returned numerous times for inspiration), I am continually inspired by Erin’s work. Not because I love Ireland, but because I love the symbology of the pieces and how they express to others that another country, another land, another people can become part of who you are through travel. They demonstrate the connecting power of shared experience, and the enrichment travel can bring to your life. Lucky for me, I don’t have to travel to Ireland every time I want to remember that fact. I can just buy jewelry.
Do you love Ireland? Do Erin’s pieces remind you of a recent trip. Check out her website and see what you discover. Some of my favorite pieces are below.
Minimalist Connemara Marble Bar Necklace in Gold
Irish Earth Sterling Silver Solitary Ring
“Mo chirdhe” (Gaelic for “My heart”) bracelet as seen in the Outlander book and TV series
Rainy Irish Day Earrings
All photos are copyright of Peat Fire Jewelry. Used by Permission.
