Crosses & Jesus Pieces

Buyer's guide

Cross pendant, crucifix or Jesus piece: how to choose one and its chain

Pick the cross or Jesus piece first, then gold or silver, the chain, the size and stones

Choose the figure first. A plain cross carries none, a crucifix carries Christ on the cross, and a Jesus piece shows him without the cross. Then let the weight pick the chain. A light cross rides a thin chain, and a heavy Jesus head wants a thick Franco or a Cuban. Most pieces come alone, so the chain is yours to choose.

Four picks from this page

.925 Silver Crucifix Set on a Franco ChainBought most here, 339 in the year. The crucifix hangs on a 1.9 mm Franco. 14K Mini Diamond CrossSecond here, 208 in the year. It is 9 mm wide, light enough for a fine chain. .925 Silver Mini Spikes Crown Jesus Head SetThird here, 164 in the year. A Jesus head crowned with spikes, 0.6 inch wide, on a Cuban. .925 Silver Jesus Pendant SetFourth here, 155 in the year. A small Jesus pendant, 0.75 inch wide, sold on its chain.

Cross or Jesus piece: cross pendants, crucifixes, Jesus pieces and saints

Pick by what you want to wear. A plain cross carries no figure. On a crucifix, the figure of Christ hangs on the cross. A Jesus piece shows Christ without the cross, his face or his whole figure, and runs larger and heavier. Some titles say crucifix without naming Jesus, so check the photo. St. Lazarus, the Last Supper and the Virgin Mary have pieces of their own. In gold, buyers chose crosses most. In silver, they chose crucifixes and Jesus pieces, mostly as sets on their chains. The men's cross pendants and men's Jesus pendants guides go further.

Gold or silver: 14K gold cross, 10K gold, .925 silver Jesus piece

Buy 14K if the piece will never come off. Seven listings in ten are 14K. 10K has less gold in it, so its yellow is paler, and a few pieces come in 18K, the deeper yellow. All the silver is .925 sterling. By the piece, silver sold most, nearly half of everything bought, and most of that silver went out as sets. Most gold pieces come in all three colors, yellow, white and rose.

The chain: cross necklace with chain, Jesus piece chain, which chain to wear

Most pieces come alone. About one in eight is a set, sold on its chain, and its listing shows it with set, chain or necklace in the title, or a chain length to pick. A listing with neither is the pendant alone. Most sets let you choose from 18 to 24 inches. Where a light cross set names its chain's width, it is 1 to 2 mm. The silver crucifix sets come on a Franco, a Cuban or a moon cut. The heaviest silver Jesus head comes on a Cuban, the next on a 5 mm Franco. Where a pendant's listing suggests a chain, it is most often a rope or a Franco. No listing gives the bail's opening, so text us your chain's width.

Inches and grams: small cross pendant, large Jesus piece, how heavy each is

Buy by inches and grams, since the size words do not agree from one listing to the next. Most crosses are an inch wide or less. The middle one weighs about 7 grams. The middle Jesus piece is bigger, 1.2 inches wide. It weighs about 31 grams, so give it a strong chain. A piece hangs a little under twice as long as it is wide. Light pieces sell most, and the middle pendant sold weighed under 6 grams.

Diamonds: diamond cross pendant, diamond Jesus piece, lab-grown or natural

The diamonds are real, some grown in a lab and some mined, and most listings leave out which. Where a listing names its origin, go by that line. Where it names none, ask us before you pay. Ask about any black diamond too, since most black diamonds on the market are treated for their color. More than half the titles carry diamonds, and sapphire leads the colored stones.

Read the full guide

By kind: the pieces here, the middle weight, the metal sold most and the share of pieces sold

Kind	Pieces	Middle weight	Sold most in	Share sold
Cross	293	6.8 g	14K gold	42 percent
Crucifix	88	9.6 g	.925 silver	28 percent
Jesus piece	163	30.7 g	.925 silver	24 percent
Saint or scene	22	46.4 g	.925 silver	1 percent
Ring	29	16.7 g	.925 silver	4 percent
Bracelet	11	9.3 g	.925 silver	Under 1 percent
Earrings	9	2 g	14K gold	Under 1 percent

Every count on this card is from the 634 pieces live here on September 28, 2026 and what this page sold in the year to that day; prices are on the listings. The first four rows are pendants and sets, sorted by the words in each title, so check the photo for the figure. A set's weight may count its chain, and most cross earrings are sold one at a time. The chains, the necklaces and a few pieces of other designs sit outside the rows.

Questions we get at the counter

What is the difference between a cross, a crucifix and a Jesus piece?

The figure makes the difference. A plain cross has none. A crucifix has Christ on the cross, and a Jesus piece shows his face or figure without it, larger and heavier. Some crucifix titles name no figure, so check the photo.

Do these cross and Jesus pendants come with a chain?

Most come alone. A set comes on its chain, and you can tell it by set, chain or necklace in the title, or a chain length to pick. A listing with neither is the pendant alone.

What chain should I wear with a cross or a Jesus piece?

Match it to the weight. Where our light cross sets name their chain's width, it is 1 to 2 mm. Our heaviest silver Jesus heads ride a Cuban or a 5 mm Franco. Text us your chain's width to check the bail.

More questions we get

Gold or silver for a cross or a Jesus piece?

Take 14K gold for a piece worn every day. All the silver here is .925 sterling, and silver went out most by the piece, mostly as crucifix and Jesus sets on their chains. 10K holds less gold than 14K.

How big is a cross pendant or a Jesus piece?

A cross here is usually an inch wide or less. A typical Jesus piece is bigger, 1.2 inches across. Size words differ from listing to listing, so read the inches and the grams on each piece.

Are the diamonds real, natural or lab-grown?

They are real diamonds, and both natural and lab-grown stones are here. A listing that names its origin gives the answer. Most diamond pieces name none, so ask us before you pay, and ask how any black diamond got its color.

Are these crosses and Jesus pieces for men or for women?

Both. Nearly all are men's styles, and about three in ten are women's styles too. Those are mostly small crosses, about 0.8 inch wide, and our women's cross pendants page is the place to start.

Can I return a cross or a Jesus piece?

Yes, unworn and unaltered, before fourteen calendar days pass from delivery. Clear it first by text at 212-872-9692 or live chat, then our insured label brings it back. We deduct five percent to restock and the return label. Engraved, custom and resized pieces are final.

Shop by link

Men's cross pendantsMen's Jesus pendants and Jesus piecesWomen's cross pendantsSilver cross necklacesChain and pendant sets

Read next

Men's gold chains guide: which link carries a pendantMen's pendants guide: bails, grams and chainsRefund policy