Whether you are just entering or have already scanned our site, we would like to welcome you to one of the premier companies in the U.S. for promoting young Celtic craftspeople who specialize in pre-seventh century Celtic and Pictish designs on various mediums. This point has been key to our success since the inception of our company over 10 years ago in County Cork under the banner Asylum. As Asylum we found the largest interest in our Celtic designs and culture originated from Celtic descendants visiting from America. As a result, the company relocated to the U.S. 10 years ago and formed The Celtic Exchange in Lewisburg, PA. Since our relocation, The Celtic Exchange has built strength in retailing, wholesaling, and as a vendor at various festivals throughout the entire U.S. We have been able to do this by not only displaying the beautiful Celtic jewelry and crafts contained here, but by more importantly promoting the culture of the Celts through these timeless designs. For those of you who would like to scan our catalog now, please feel free and enjoy. For others who would like to know a little more about the history of the Celts and Celtic Artwork we have provided a brief synopsis for your reading pleasure: The Celts were a large group of people who resided in the heart of Europe from the Bronze Age to approximately 450 A.D. As they were forced west by the Romans, they carried on their traditions and their artistic expressions of the Celtic belief in human kind's true place in nature. These expressions in art were a recognition that we are only guardians of a nature-based world, not its master. Early expressions of Celtic Art and Craftwork still survive in the stone crosses of Ireland, Wales, Brittany, and Cornwall. It can also be found in the Pictish stone carvings of Northeast Scotland along with amazing works in the Books of Ke lls, Durrow, and Lindisfarne. All of these and treasures such as the Tara Brooch, Ardagh Chalice, And Battersea Shield serve as a primary source of continuous inspiration to Celtic craftworkers yet today. To truly appreciate Celtic Arts and Crafts one must first grasp some of the elementary meanings involved in the basic symbols in the Art. As you continue through our web site you will undoubtedly notice many of the following. Knotwork and Interlaced Designs These represent the continuation of life, death, and rebirth, which point to a line without beginning or end. Knotwork is also the symbol of love and  friendship and representative of the timeless connection between all of Creation. Spirals The Celtic symbol for forces of energy, such as the cycle of life and death, the seasons, and the inner and outer evolutions. The Tree of Life An ancient symbol of life's unity in which each species of tree offers a special significance to the Celts; such as shelter, food, warmth, or a spiritual or physiological cure. The Celtic Cross Symbolizes a bridge to higher powers much as the sacred trees and ancient Stone Temples. The cross itself represents the connections between the (vertical) Celestial world and the (horizontal) Earthly world. These are encircled with a representation of the wheel of life and the sun. Though the mystery of Celtic art has unraveled through the years, there are still some, such as the origins of the astounding Stonehenge, Newgrange, the Uffington Horse and many other Ancient sites throughout Europe that remain a mystery. These sites, although unexplained to us, appears not to have lost their significance among many of the early Celts. It is our hope that this brief explanation has helped you to understand a bit about not only our designs, but the desire of The Celtic Exchange to continue to support the traditions and culture developed by the Celts.