Ornate Gold Plated Cross Charm – Lilia
$29.95
Dangle charm in 14k gold-plated 925 sterling silver: a high-polish scrolled cross with flared arms, ball tips and a round red cubic zirconia, for snake chain charm bracelets.
More designs:
- Plated over sterling rather than brass, so worn spots on the bail show silver instead of a coppery tone.
- A jump ring under the bail lets the cross swing, unlike a bead charm that sits flat on the chain.
- The red stone at the crossing is the only color on the piece, so it echoes red beads nearby.
- At 0.48 in (12.3 mm) across, the cross is narrow enough to disappear between larger beads on a full bracelet.
Our Take
Our team kept turning the charm to catch the red stone, which reads as a dark dot from across a table and only shows its true color in direct light. By the end of a day on a silver snake bracelet the cross was still hanging face out. At 1.11 in (28.1 mm) with the bail, this is a small cross that reads as a detail on the wrist, not as the center of a full stack.
Learn how to look after your jewelry in our jewelry care guide. Discover more Cross Charm. Or explore the full Cross Bracelet collection.
Description
Why the Metal Under 14k Gold Plating Matters on a Charm
This gold plated cross charm measures 1.11 in (28.1 mm) from the top of the bail to the lowest ball tip, and 0.48 in (12.3 mm) across the arms. A round red cubic zirconia sits at the crossing. Everything else is metal: 925 sterling silver under a 14k gold layer, polished to a mirror finish.
What the scrollwork does at arm’s length
Each arm flares toward the tip and ends in a pointed outline capped by a small ball, the lower arm longer than the other three. Raised scrolls fill the four corners where the arms meet, which thickens the center and frames the stone. At a glance the scrolls blur into a solid ring around the red point, so the shape reads as a Latin cross with a heavier heart. Up close you can follow a second, inset outline along every arm. Those stepped edges catch light. The stone sits in a ring of small metal beads rather than tall prongs, which keeps it low and less likely to snag.
Plating is a surface, and on a charm it meets friction from two directions: the bail rubs against the bracelet with every move, and the ball tips brush sleeves and desks. Those are the places where the 14k layer will thin first. Because the base is 925 sterling silver, what shows through is pale silver, not the pink or brown of plated brass, so a worn spot reads as a two-tone accent rather than a stain. Replating by a jeweler is worth doing on sterling, where a plated brass charm would rarely justify the cost. Anyone who wants gold that never changes color with daily wear should look at solid gold instead, at several times the price.
Tying a gold cross into a silver bracelet
- Gold clips or spacers on either side of the cross repeat its color and make the mix look intentional.
- A bail opening of 0.2 in (5.2 mm) leaves a little play on a standard 3 mm snake chain, so the charm slides along the section between clips.
- Keep silver polishing cloths away from the cross, since the compound that brightens the chain also abrades gold plating.
- Take the bracelet off for pools and household cleaning, since chlorine and bleach attack both silver and plating.
- Pair it with one or two red beads elsewhere on the bracelet if the stone looks isolated against all that silver.
FAQ
Is gold-plated sterling the same as vermeil
It depends on plating thickness. In the US, vermeil means gold of at least 10k over sterling, at least 2.5 microns thick. The thickness of this 14k layer is not specified, so we sell it as gold-plated rather than vermeil.
Is the red stone a ruby
No. It is a round red cubic zirconia, a lab-made stone cut to show color and sparkle at a fraction of the cost of a ruby. It is hard enough for daily wear, though a sharp knock can still chip its edge.
Can I wear it on a necklace instead
Yes. The 0.2 in (5.2 mm) bail opening passes over most fine necklace chains and their clasps, so it can hang as a small pendant. On a very fine chain the wide bail can look oversized, so a chain of 1.5 mm or more keeps the proportions balanced.
The pointed arm tips look like they could catch on a sweater
Less than the outline suggests. Each tip ends in a small rounded ball, so there is no sharp point to hook a knit. The scrolls in the corners are the more likely snag, mostly on loose, open-weave sweaters.
Specifications
| Product type | Dangle charm |
|---|---|
| Material | 925 Sterling |
| Metal Color | Yellow Gold |
| Plating | 14k gold-plated |
| Finish | High-polish |
| Motif | Latin cross with scrollwork |
| Stone Type | Cubic Zirconia (CZ) |
| Stone type | Cubic zirconia |
| Stone color | Red |
| Stone cut | Round |
| Stone count | 1 |
| Setting | Bead Set |
| Charm height | 1.11 in (28.1 mm), bail included |
| Charm width | 0.48 in (12.3 mm) |
| Bail inner diameter | 0.2 in (5.2 mm) |
| Fits bracelet type | Snake chain charm bracelets |
| Gender | Women |
| Bracelet included | No |
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