Fleur de lis jewelry: a top logo used in Sterling silver gothic jewelry
Fleur De Lis

The fleur-de-lis is one of CactusSilver's most sought after designs. This is due to many reasons: historical, cultural, religious and nationalistic. Plus, of course, because it looks really cool as a sterling silver gothic jewelry piece. Numerous designers of gothic silver jewelry, such as Chrome Hearts jewelry, Room 101 jewelry, Nagual jewelry, SoulFetish jewelry, Double Cross jewelry, Little King NY jewelry, King Baby jewelry, Imperial Rose collections jewelry, Tony Creed jewelry, One Too Many jewelry, Heavy Magic Jewelry, ‘Til Death .925 jewelry and Crazy Pig Jewelry & other designers have incorporated the fleur-de-lis into their wide range of gothic silver jewelry designs.

About the fleur-de-lis

The fleur-de-lis (or fleur-de-lys; plural: fleurs-de-lis; French pronunciation: [flœÊ� dÉ™ lis]) is a stylized lily (in French, fleur stands for flower, & lis means lily) or iris. After many centuries of use on emblems & insignia of government, monarchies, society, art and culture, the fleur de lis has come to possess political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic& cultural significance. In French, fleur de lis translated directly means "lily flower". It is widely thought to be a stylized version of the Iris pseudacorus species. Decorative statues and ornaments similar to the fleur-de-lis have featured in artwork since the dawn of human civilization.

Historical Contexts of the fleur de lis

The fleur-de-lis is most particularly associated with French royalty. It the fleur-de-lis) remains an enduring symbol of France that appears on French postage stamps, although the fleur-de-lis has never actually been adopted officially by any of the French republics. The fleur-de-lis also appears often in French literature. Some famous examples in English translation include the fleur-de-lis character in The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo, and the reference in The Three Musketeers to the old custom of branding a criminal with the sign of the fleur de lis. Ironically, the fleur de lis brand also appears as the symbol of command on the fleur de lis baton, the baton conferred upon the French field marshal. It was a symbol of command held by the musketeer D'artagnan during his death on the battlefield for the United Provinces. In addition, the symbol has also featured in modern fiction on historical & mystical themes, such as in the bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code & other fictional novels discussing the Priory of Sion.

In the post-cold war state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the flag of Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1992 to 1998 contained six fleurs-de-lis & was used as a national symbol of Bosniaks. In Britain, a fleur-de-lis has featured in the official arms of the Norroy King of Arms for hundreds of years.

The fleurs-de-lis appears on military coats of arms and the logos of many organizations, the most famous being that of the infamous Israeli Intelligence Corps, the First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force, the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and the Louisiana State University Cadet Corps.

Throughout the 20th century, the symbol was adopted by numeous Scouting organizations worldwide for their badges. It is also frequently employed by Architects & designers as a repeated motif in a wide range of contexts, from ironwork to bookbinding, in particular where a French context is implied. As a religious symbol, it may represent the Trinity, or be an iconographic attribute of the archangel Gabriel, in particular in representations of the Annunciation. In such contexts, the fleur-de-lis is associated with the Virgin Mary.

Significance of the Fleur de lis Petals

During the time of King Louis IX (St. Louis) the three flower petals were said to represent faith, wisdom and chivalry, & to be a sign of divine blessing bestowed on France. During the next century, the 14th, the tradition of Trinity symbolism was established in France, & then spread throughout the French empire.

Symbolism in religion & art

During the Middle Ages, the symbols of lily & fleur-de-lis (lis is French for "lily") overlapped considerably in religious art. Historian Michel Pastoureau states that until about 1300 they were found in paintings of Jesus, but gradually they took on Marian symbolism and were associated with the Song of Solomon's "lily among thorns" (lilium inter spinas), understood as a reference to the Virgin Mary. Other scripture and religious literature in which the lily symbolizes purity and chastity also helped establish the flower as an iconographic attribute of the Virgin. The three petals of the fleur de lis reflect a widespread association with the Holy Trinity, with the band on the bottom symbolizing Mary. The tradition says that without Mary you cannot understand the Trinity since it was she who bore The Son.

CactusSilver fleur de lis sterling silver jewelry pieces

At CactusSilver, we make Chrome Hearts inspired fleur de lis designs in all shapes & sizes, & incorporate them into all types of jewelry. We design and manufacture gothic sterling silver fleur-de-lis rings, gothic sterling silver fleur-de-lis earrings, gothic sterling silver fleur-de-lis bracelets, gothic sterling silver fleur-de-lis dog tags, gothic sterling silver fleur-de-lis pendants, gothic sterling silver fleur-de-lis whistles, gothic sterling silver fleur-de-lis crosses, gothic sterling silver fleur-de-lis chains, gothic sterling silver fleur-de-lis lighters & a whole range of other fleur-de-lis products.