Cross Pendants in Gold and Diamonds

All four come in yellow and white gold, and the cross pendants and the rosary chain with cross charm also come in rose. The gemstone cross uses colored crystals, not diamonds, and its listing says so.

A diamond cross is usually solid gold with diamonds pavé-set across the face, sometimes with larger stones at the center or the ends of each arm. Three choices set the look and price:

• Size: measured top to bottom including the bail.
• Coverage: a single row down each arm, or a fully iced face.
• Stone origin: lab-grown or natural. Both are real diamonds; lab-grown costs less per carat.

Through the custom process you bring the idea, get a design and an exact price before anything is made, and then the cross is made and delivered, insured. See custom religious pendants.

Size the chain to the cross. A small gold cross under an inch looks right on a 1 to 1.5 mm chain. A medium cross of one to two inches suits 2 to 4 mm. A large iced cross wants a 4 mm or wider Cuban, Franco or rope so the chain looks strong enough to carry it. Length depends on how the cross should sit: 18 to 20 inches keeps a small cross near the collarbone, while most men wear a large cross at 22 to 24 inches so it lands mid chest.

The bail is the loop at the top of the cross. On a custom piece it is sized to your chain during design, so bring your chain or its width and clasp size. On a stock pendant, measure the bail opening first: if the chain or clasp is wider, it will not pass through.

On a pavé cross, color matching matters most. One warm stone in a white field stands out at the center of your chest. The house standard on graded diamond pieces is E color and VS1 clarity, which GIA's scale places near the top in color and clean to the naked eye in clarity. GIA notes that VS and VVS stones usually look alike without magnification, so VS1 is where you stop paying for differences you cannot see. More in what VVS diamonds are.

Many buyers start with a solid gold cross for daily wear and add a diamond cross later for occasions. Both can share the same chain if the bail sizes line up, so plan the chain first.

Clean gold crosses with warm water and mild soap. On a diamond cross, brush behind the stones with a soft toothbrush and check the setting every few months. Rosary chains have many small links; dry them flat. Every order ships insured. See finished iced pieces at iced out pendants and diamond pendants, or visit the showroom at 7900 NW 27th Ave, Unit 506, Miami FL 33147 to talk through a custom cross. The right chain for a heavy cross is in the diamond Cuban guide. More at pendants and iced out jewelry.