Gold Cross Pendants

Choosing a cross comes down to three things in this order: crucifix or plain cross, the size, and the finish. Everything else follows from those. The first is a question about the wearer's tradition, the second is about how the piece will actually be worn, and the third is taste.

Size is the decision people most often get wrong, and the reason is that a cross reads larger than its stated height. The shape is elongated and open, so the eye takes in its full span in a way it does not with a round pendant of the same measurement. A cross that looks modest as a number on a page can be a substantial piece on a neck. The dimensions on each listing are the reliable guide - held against a ruler, not judged from a photo.

The finish changes the character of a cross more than any other element. A plain polished cross is the most classical and the most universally wearable. An engraved or textured surface catches light along its length and reads as more decorative. A cubic zirconia-set cross adds brightness. A two-tone design, with one gold colour against another, picks out the form itself.

Because a cross is usually worn permanently rather than for occasions, the chain deserves as much thought as the pendant. It has to be proportionate to the weight it carries, and long enough to let the shape hang clear. Each listing states the gold colour, the dimensions and whether the design is engravable or stone-set.

Judging scale on an elongated shape

A cross does not read like a round pendant of the same dimension. Its shape is long and open, so the eye travels the whole height of it and takes the piece as larger than the number suggests. The practical method is to hold a ruler at the stated height and width against your own chest, which takes ten seconds and prevents the most common disappointment. Bear in mind that a wider, heavier cross also reads as more substantial than a slim one of identical height.

Plain, engraved, textured and stone-set

A plain polished cross is the most classical form and the one that suits the widest range of wearers, since nothing about it is specific to a taste or an era. Engraved and textured finishes catch light along the arms and read as more decorative and more traditional. Cubic zirconia settings add brightness and are a distinctly contemporary look; where stones are used, the listing names them. Two-tone designs set one gold colour against another to emphasise the form itself, often with a contrasting corpus or centre.

Choosing a chain for a cross

Two requirements, and they pull in different directions. The chain must be substantial enough to carry the cross without straining at the bail, and fine enough not to compete with it. A heavy cross on a delicate chain concentrates stress exactly where necklaces fail. On length: eighteen inches is the common adult choice and lets a cross hang clear at the collarbone. A larger cross generally wants twenty inches or more so it has room to sit properly; a small one can be worn higher.

Buying a cross for a child

Scale down and prioritise the clasp. A small, light cross on a short chain - typically fourteen to sixteen inches for a child - sits properly and is far less likely to catch on anything. A secure clasp matters more than the design does. Many crosses given at a baptism are kept rather than worn immediately, and given properly at a first communion or confirmation later, which is a good reason to choose a size the child will grow into rather than one that fits now.

Engraving a cross

Some designs here have a plain back or a smooth surface intended for engraving - a name, a date, initials. It is what turns a cross into a record of a specific occasion, and it is why so many baptism and confirmation gifts are engraved. Where a design is engravable, the listing states the area available and any character limit. Engraved pieces are made to the text supplied and are not returnable once personalised, so checking spelling and dates before confirming is worth the extra minute.

Wearing a cross day to day

A cross is usually put on and left on, which means constant contact with skin, and constant low-level rubbing at the bail where the chain passes through. Clean it with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, working into any engraved or textured detail where residue sits. Where stones are set, avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaning. Check the jump ring beside the clasp from time to time - on a necklace worn every day for years, that is the part that eventually opens.