Cross Jewelry: What the Varying Pendant Designs Mean

Both beautiful and meaningful, cross jewelry is always a top seller here at our Novi jewelry store. An endless number of designer brands and styles are available for cross pendants. Some of the most popular pendants are diamond-studded crosses, but the design possibilities are endless.

But what do the styles of cross pendants really mean? Why are they different?

Well, here’s a lesser-known fact about cross jewelry: Different designs represent different denominations, cultures, and historical significance.

Cross Designs and Their Cultural Significance

Overall, the cross is a Christian symbol of Jesus’s suffering and resurrection. Historically, it was worn for protection against evil, and it is still worn as a sign of faith and security.

The appearance of cross jewelry may differ by denomination, although most people have no qualms about mixing and matching based on design preferences.

Following are only some of the different types of crosses and what they mean.

Papal Cross: Only used by the Pope, this cross features three horizontal bars, all toward the top of the vertical bar. The top is shortest, and the bottom is the longest.

Pectoral Cross: Typically only worn by bishops, this cross is about six inches wide and sits at the middle of the chest as opposed to near the collarbone.

Latin/Roman Catholic Cross: The cross is simple, but the vertical bar is longer than the horizontal bar.

Celtic Cross: In addition to the vertical and horizontal bars of the cross, the Celtic cross includes a ring around the intersection of the bars. Although its origins are unclear, it is believed to be associated with regions evangelized by Irish missionaries from the 9th through the 12th centuries, as well as with the Celtic Revival of the 19th century.

The Celtic cross features a ring around the intersection where the vertical and horizontal bars meet.

Russian Orthodox Cross: The Russian Orthodox cross features two additional horizontal beams. The first and shortest beam represents the signage on the cross. The middle and widest beam represents the beam where Jesus’s hands were nailed to the cross. The lower beam, which is slanted upward and is found at the bottom half of the vertical bar, represents the footrest.

Crucifix: The crucifix depicts an image of Jesus on the cross and is a symbol of nearly all Christian denominations. It is especially common in the Roman Catholic denomination, but is also used in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, Lutheran, Moravian, and Anglican churches.

A crucifix, as shown here on a man's silver necklace, depicts the image of Jesus on the cross.

A crucifix depicts the image of Jesus on the cross.

 

Greek Cross: The vertical and horizontal bars are of equal length.

Armenian Cross: The Armenian cross has decorative elements at each tip for a total of eight wings.

Canterbury Cross: The vertical and horizontal bars are even in length to create a round appearance similar to a brooch. It serves as an emblem and is associated with the Anglican church.

The Canterbury cross is round, giving it an appearance similar to a brooch.

Greek Orthodox: The Greek Orthodox cross features rings near each of the edges of the vertical and horizontal bars.

While there are many more styles of crosses, including those that do not have religious meaning, these are some of the most common.

A black and white gold cross with diamond accents is shown here.

Never out of style, cross jewelry has been gifted for Christmas, Easter, communions, birthdays, and baptisms for centuries.

 

Cross Jewelry at Diamond Castle Jewelers

Wearing a necklace featuring a cross is a symbol of faith, represents that person’s beliefs, provides comfort, and promotes awareness. For that reason, cross jewelry has been worn for centuries, and it is still popular today.

A collection of cross styles is shown in this image.

If you’re looking for cross jewelry in the Novi area, we offer a wide selection of pendants, including diamond-studded crosses, crosses in white or yellow gold, and crosses featuring gemstones. Pendants and chains make excellent gifts for Christmas, Easter, communions, baptism, and birthdays.

Call us for more information, or visit our jewelry store on Grand River Avenue to browse our beautiful cross pendants, which we can engrave with a message for an even more personalized touch.

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From engagement rings to new settings for heirloom jewels, we can turn your custom jewelry vision into a reality.

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