Which cross forms are used in mourning jewellery?

Several variants dominate. The Latin cross (long vertical bar, shorter horizontal bar) - the classic Western Christian form, dominant in Catholic and Protestant mourning pieces. The Greek cross (four bars of equal length) - usual in Orthodox and early Christian pieces. The Celtic cross (a Latin cross with a circle at the intersection) - in Irish and Scottish mourning pieces, above all in bog oak jewellery (see Bog Oak). The cross patté (widened bar ends) - in military and heraldic memorial pieces. The anchor cross (a hybrid with an anchor at the foot) - a double symbol of faith and hope (see Anchor).

Is the cross in mourning jewellery always meant religiously?

Not necessarily any more. Historically - from the Middle Ages into the nineteenth century - the cross in a mourning context was practically always Christian in charge. In the modern memorial jewellery market the cross is also used as a general symbol of death, finitude and remembrance, without any explicit confessional character. Non-religious mourners occasionally turn to other symbols instead - butterfly (see Butterfly), anchor, decorative heart - while practising Christian families choose the cross deliberately.

What distinguishes a pectoral cross from a mourning cross?

The pectoral cross (Latin pectorale) is a badge of office for senior clergy (bishops, cardinals) - a large cross worn prominently, often set with gemstones. The mourning cross is a small, private jewellery form worn in a mourning context - usually as a pendant on a chain, often in a dark material (jet, onyx, black enamel) or with a small relic setting at its core. The two overlap in design, but differ in who wears them and on what occasion.

Cross

The cross is the most formative Christian symbol of mourning and remembrance - from the medieval reliquary cross via the Victorian jet cross to the modern memorial pendant; in all its formal variety (Latin cross, Celtic cross, patriarchal cross, cross patté) it always points to death, redemption and resurrection.

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