Damaskos Constantinato 18K Gold Cross with Ruby – ICXC NIKA

The Constantinato is one of the most culturally specific forms in the Damaskos repertoire. This cross pendant carries the Byzantine inscription ICXC NIKA — a Christogram meaning ‘Jesus Christ conquers’ — and centers on the motif of Constantine the Great, connecting the piece directly to the founding iconography of Byzantine Christianity. It is not a decorative cross. It is a devotional object with a precise historical identity.

Handcrafted in 18K gold at the Damaskos atelier in Athens, the pendant measures 2.80 × 1.60 cm and weighs approximately 2.2 grams. The setting holds a single ruby of 1.80 mm — a stone chosen for its depth of color and its long association with protection in Byzantine and Orthodox tradition. Each pendant is worked entirely by hand; no casting shortcuts are taken in the production of this form.

Damaskos has produced devotional and archaeological-style jewelry in Athens for decades, working from historical sources rather than contemporary interpretations. The Constantinato has been given traditionally to newborns in Greece, but it functions equally as a pendant for adult daily wear — small enough to sit close to the body, substantial enough in its gold weight to read as an heirloom piece. Also available in additional stone variations; contact Brilliant Athens for options.