The cross is one of the earliest and most widely recognized Christian symbols. The use of the cross as a Christian symbol starts with Christ Himself. Since, through His death, Christ sanctified the very implement of His torture, the cross has come to signify His victory over death and sin.
The beginnings of religious cross jewelry:
Though the cross has always been an important symbol of Christianity, religious cross jewelry was not widely used by early Christians. Since early Christians were often persecuted for their faith, it was not safe to openly display religious cross jewelry. Early Christians instead wore other forms of
Christian jewelry, such as the Ichthys and the anchor. The Ichthys, two intersecting arcs resembling the profile of a fish, was probably used in Christian jewelry as a reference to Christ as “the fisher of men”. The anchor, or mariners cross, was used in early Christian jewelry as a symbol of hope based in the faith in Christ. By using these forms of Christian jewelry early Christians were able to avoid persecution.
Religious cross jewelry did not become openly used until around the 3rd century A.D., when the emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of Rome. Since then the cross has become the most significant of Christian symbols, and has been widely used in art and jewelry.
Different types of religious cross jewelry:
Nowadays many different variations of the cross are used in religious cross jewelry. Here are a few examples:
Latin cross: The Latin cross is the most commonly used form of the cross. The Latin cross is a cross with a long vertical bar intersected slightly above center by a shorter horizontal bar. The Latin cross with the body of Christ, better known as a crucifix, is used by the Catholic and Orthodox churches as a representation of Christ’s sacrifice, while the Latin cross left blank is used by the Protestants as a representation of Christ’s resurrection.
Greek cross: The Greek cross, a cross with equilateral arms, is the most ancient form of the Christian cross, and is used to represent the union of the divine and the human worlds.
Celtic cross: The Celtic cross is a cross with a circle around the cross bar. The circle is believed to originally have represented the sun, or possibly the moon, both of which were worshiped by the Irish prior to their conversion to Christianity. Nowadays the circle has come to represent to many the endless love of God as shown through Christ’s sacrifice.
Russian Orthodox cross: The Russian Orthodox cross has three cross bars with the lowest bar slanted. The top bar represents the “INRI” sign placed over the head of Jesus, while the slanted lower bar is believed to represent the St. Andrews cross, which resembles an X.
St. Andrews cross: The St. Andrews cross is a cross in the shape of an X. This is the form of the cross upon which St. Andrew was martyred.
St. Anthony cross: The St. Anthony cross, or Tau cross, is a cross in the shape of the letter T. Some believe that this is the actual shape of the crosses the Romans used for crucifixions.
Calvary cross: The Calvary cross has three graded steps leading up to it. It is believed that the steps represent the hill of Calvary, also known as Golgotha, the place where Jesus was crucified.
Papal cross: The papal cross is a cross with three cross bars. The papal cross is the official symbol of the papacy, and may only be used by the Pope. The three bars are believed to represent the three realms of the Pope’s authority: the Church, the world, and heaven.
St. Peter cross: The St. Peter cross is a Latin cross turned upside down. This is the cross upon which St. Peter was crucified.
These are just a few of the variations used in religious cross jewelry. Here is a good page to view religious cross jewelry.
Where is the best place to purchase religious cross jewelry:
To get an idea of the different styles and prices that are available in religious cross jewelry it is more convenient to view them online before shopping around at local jewelry stores.
Retail jewelers will sometimes carry a small selection of religious cross jewelry, but you are more apt to find a greater selection online. Just type "religious cross jewelry" into an Internet search engine like Google or Yahoo and you will find several reliable websites that specialize in religious cross jewelry.
The cost of religious cross jewelry is dependant upon many variables. In solid 14K yellow or white gold, crosses should cost about $50 to $300 depending on size.
The power of faith:
Religious cross jewelry has a long and rich history, developing from simple anchors into a myriad of different forms and representations, each with its own story. But the powerful meaning of religious cross jewelry has always stayed the same; faith in Christ as Savior and Redeemer.
by Casey Buell
