Damaskos Byzantine 18K Gold Petal Cross with Diamond

This cross pendant takes the petal form as its central motif — a shape drawn from Byzantine ecclesiastical tradition, rendered here as a structured gold cross with softly curved arms. A single 0.02 ct diamond sits at the intersection point, catching light against the textured gold ground.

The surface is finished with a martillé technique: each area of the gold is worked by hand with a small hammer to produce a fine, dimpled texture that diffuses light and gives the piece its characteristic velvety appearance. Granulation — the application of minute gold spheres fused without solder, a method developed in ancient Greece and Etruria — lines the cross arms and frames the stone setting. The piece is cast and finished in 18K gold and weighs 20 grams, a weight that signals substantial construction without bulk.

Damaskos is one of the few remaining ateliers in Athens working these pre-industrial techniques by hand. The granulation and martillé work visible on this cross are not decorative choices — they are the direct continuation of methods documented in artifacts from the Byzantine and Archaic periods. The piece is suited to daily wear and carries the density and finish expected of a piece intended to last across generations.