Damaskos Byzantine 18K Gold Constantinato Cross with Emerald

The Constantinato is a specific form of Byzantine cross with roots in early Christian Greece, traditionally associated with protection and carried as a talisman from infancy. This double-sided pendant presents two distinct faces: the inscription “ICXC NIKA” — a Greek Christogram meaning “Jesus Christ conquers” — set with a central 2.30mm emerald and four 1.80mm rubies, and on the reverse, a hand-rendered relief of the Virgin Mary holding the Christ child.

Crafted in 18K gold and weighing 2.8 grams, the pendant is produced entirely by hand in the Damaskos workshop in Athens. The gemstone settings are worked using traditional collet techniques, securing stones without prongs for a clean, flush profile consistent with Byzantine goldsmithing conventions. Diamond accents, totaling a secondary complement to the colored stones, add tonal contrast without distracting from the iconographic composition. The emerald weighs 0.06 carats; the rubies total 0.12 carats.

Damaskos has operated as a specialized atelier in Athens for decades, focusing exclusively on the reconstruction of ancient and Byzantine Greek jewelry using period-accurate methods. The Constantinato sits at the intersection of devotional object and wearable artifact — appropriate as a daily piece, a gift at a significant milestone, or an entry point into a considered collection of Greek gold. Also available in all-gold without stones.