Crucifix or plain cross, how big it hangs, and a set on its own chain or a silver cross pendant you chain yourself
Each silver cross necklace here is .925 sterling silver, sold mostly one of two ways: as a set on its own chain, or as a silver cross pendant you hang on a chain you pick. The silver crucifix leads: about seven in eight of these pieces sold in the year, online, by phone and in the store, were crucifixes. The one bought most is an inch-wide crucifix on a 1.9 mm Franco chain.
Crucifix or cross: a silver crucifix necklace or a plain cross
A silver crucifix shows Jesus on the cross; a plain cross shows none, and most plain crosses here carry colored stones: sapphire, amethyst, topaz, rhodolite, garnet, emerald or opal. Most of those listings do not say natural or lab-created, so a jeweler confirms it before you buy. The black diamonds are listed as natural, and two crosses list lab-grown diamonds. When a title says crucifix without naming Jesus, the photo shows whether the figure is on it.
Cross size: a dainty silver cross, or one over 2 inches wide
To see a size for real, mark it on paper with a ruler, or hold a quarter beside it, about 0.96 inch across. The crosses here run from 0.6 inch wide and about 1.2 inches tall, on the two black diamond crosses, up to 4.5 inches tall on the custom ankh. A big cross is heavy as well: the Holy Halo crosses, 2.15 by 4.1 inches, weigh 49 grams each, and the ankh 117, so give one a chain sturdy enough to carry it.
Set or pendant: a silver cross chain set, or a silver cross pendant alone
Sets were nearly three in four of the pieces sold here, so most buyers take the cross and its chain together. Sixteen silver crosses come that way. Fourteen say set in the title; the diamond crucifix on a Miami Cuban and the Divine Visage cross do not, so the length menu on the listing is the sure sign of a set. The crucifix sets name their chain in the title. Seven of the eight stone sets list a chain 2 to 3 mm wide without naming the link, so ask a jeweler which one ships.
Length: a silver cross necklace for men or for women
Pick the length on the menu first. Some crucifix sets come in one length only, 22 or 24 inches, and no set here comes shorter than 18 inches, so for a cross worn close to the neck, take a pendant alone and ask a jeweler for the chain. On a woman, a light cross sits well on a fine chain: eight of the crosses that also hang on our women's cross page weigh under 10 grams.
Care: keeping a 925 sterling silver cross bright
Wipe the cross and its chain with a soft cloth after you wear them. To wash a plain silver cross, use a drop of mild soap in warm water, rinse it, and dry it fully. On a stone cross, clean only the metal with a damp, soapy cloth, and never soak an opal or emerald cross. Before the gym, a swim or a shower, take it off. Keep it dry in a closed pouch, apart from your other pieces. Before you wear a stone cross, look at each stone, and if one moves in its setting, stop wearing it until a jeweler tightens it.