Damaskos Byzantine 18K Gold Cross with Diamond – Velvety Texture

The Damaskos Byzantine Cross is built around a single defining detail: a 1.80mm diamond set at the intersection of the arms and encircled by granulation — the ancient technique of fusing tiny gold spheres to a metal surface without solder. The cross reads as devotional jewelry, but its construction places it firmly in the tradition of archaeological goldsmithing.

The surface is worked in a martillé finish — a hand-hammering method that breaks up reflected light across the gold and gives the piece its characteristic velvety texture. That texture is not applied; it is struck into the metal, point by point, in the Damaskos atelier in Athens. The diamond totals 0.02 carats. The piece is cast and finished in 18K gold and weighs 6.2 grams — a substantial presence on the chest.

Damaskos has been producing archaeological-style gold jewelry in Athens for decades, working from original Byzantine and Archaic references. Their granulation work in particular follows methods that predate modern soldering by two thousand years. This cross wears well as a daily devotional piece and holds the weight of something meant to outlast its first owner.