SF720/4. Art Deco Gold Cross Pendant with Diamond and Gemstone

Art Deco 14 carat gold cross pendant adorned with rose-cut diamonds set in silver and a red gemstone

The cross – one of the oldest symbols

The cross is one of humanity's oldest emblems, appearing in various cultures even before the emergence of Christianity. In Christian tradition, however, it acquired a new and defining significance: it became the symbol of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, of faith, redemption, and the hope of eternal life.

For centuries, the cross has also been a personally worn symbol. Cross pendants worn around the neck are known from the early Byzantine period, and later pieces crafted to hold relics, made of gold or silver and decorated with enamel, pearls, and precious stones, were also created.

As jewelry, the cross was not merely ornamentation: it could express the wearer's faith, signify protection, hope, or a personal bond. Its form and decoration evolved through the centuries alongside the styles of jewelry art, while its fundamental meaning remained intact.

Perhaps precisely for this reason, it is a timeless piece of jewelry: simultaneously a personal object, a religious symbol, and a motif of goldsmithing reinterpreted across the centuries.