Crosses are an interesting subject. They’re historic objects and have been a part of our civilizations for dozen centuries. These days their meaning is forgotten in some cultures but we luckily still know enough. The interesting part is that more than anything else crosses are carried around as jewelry. A beautiful gold cross can be seen on many people all over the world around their necks. But, as we said, many people will not know the true meaning behind it beyond the aesthetic appeal. That’s fine, not everyone is a historian. Nonetheless, we’re going to approach this subject from that angle.
As we said, crosses are present in various cultures and civilizations. You’ll find them in Denmark, and Brazil, in China and Mexico alike. In many countries, they’re seen as religious items, but they can be so much more. In this article, we’re going to talk about different types of gold crosses. Yes, they can be made out of any material, both noble such as silver or iron, and even from wood and plastic. But, the gold ones have the biggest appeal. The reason is simple, gold is a precious material, and if you’re going to carry a cross around your neck or a wrist you better make it gold.
Deleted: We’re not going to go into reasons you’re going to wear one. This is a free world. It could be due to your allegiance with Christianity and Jesus Christ, or as a fashion statement. The one thing we care about is that you get your goods from the best manufacturers and suppliers. If it was up to us to buy one we would start from the great offer you have at applesofgold.com, and see where you can go from there. Now after this brief introduction let’s see what types of crosses are out there. As our time and words are limited we’re going to stick solely to the primary types you’ll encounter on this path.
1. Ankh
Source: istockphoto.com
We’re starting with this one as we see it as the most interesting one. It has a vast background as it originates from ancient Egypt. Now that’s a civilization worth of your admiration. Back in the old age, it was used as a part of their texts and it is a revered symbol throughout the world. If you pay attention to Egyptian drawings you’ll see this cross often depicted next to their gods and pharaohs. These days it is mostly used by Christian Egyptians better known as Copts. But as you can see it has a much deeper meaning than what it’s associated with today so you’re free to sport one made of gold of course.
2. Jerusalem Cross
Source: etsy.com
Almost three centuries ago this cross was a coat of arms in Jerusalem. As you can see it’s unique so it’s understandable why would someone wear it as a piece of jewelry? It goes by many names and the one you’ll encounter the most is the Five-Fold Cross. It consists of one major cross and five smaller ones. It’s quite symbolic as it represents the number of times Christ was wounded. While it rose to prominence in the 1800s its first appearance dates back to the eleventh century. It was first seen as a part of Crusade back when Godfrey de Bouillon was in charge of it. In Israel, it is still used today which is only a sign of its significance.
3. Orthodox Cross
Source: uhrcenter.de
This one holds the title for one of the most popular crosses out there as it is widely used in one of the world’s biggest countries. The Orthodox Cross originates from Russia and it can be seen on every church and monastery built in that country. It’s also represented in other countries that belong to the eastern Christianity block such as Serbia. It is not too different from the Latin cross which shows the closeness of the two religions. The big difference is the line which is slated from top left to bottom right to pay tribute to the two other people who died next to Christ. Due to its unique shape, you’ll see people wearing this cross even if they don’t belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. But, if you step your foot on the ground of Mother Russia you will see it everywhere on churches around people’s necks and widely as tattoos.
4. Latin Cross
Source: myjerusalemstore.com
We don’t want to go ahead of ourselves with this statement but this must be the most famous of all crosses. The Catholic church is present on every continent in almost every country in the world. With the long history and tradition behind it, it’s no wonder that its primary symbol is widely recognized. Since the inception of Christianity, this symbol was used and today is present in every sphere of our culture. It can be depicted as a plain cross or with a statue of Jesus Christ on it. In many instances, it comes with the inscription INRI which is a common theme in Christianity. It stands for Iensus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum which is technically the crime for which Jesus was put on trial by Pontius Pilate for being the alleged King of Jews. Today you can see the cross and the inscription as a common theme in mainstream culture. Many people wear this cross due to its religious meaning and due to its plain simplicity, it has. Angelina Jolie has a tattoo of this cross while Vin Diesel sports a necklace with a Latin cross in every Fast & Furious film.
5. Celtic Cross
Source: 6ixice.com
This is yet another popular cross. It’s no surprise that Celtic Cross has reached all shores of this world considering that Irish people migrated to all sides of the globe including America and Australia. This symbol is associated with both the Catholic religion and the country of Ireland. If you ever visit this beautiful country you’ll see his sign all over the place. It has a unique design which often misleads people to see it as not a religious sign. In fact, it is and is seen as an attempt to incorporate the Celtic culture with the Christian one. The ring you can see on this one represents a halo or a celestial circle.
