This is an ornate vintage Jerusalem Cross necklace (also known as a Crusader's Cross or Five-Fold Cross), characterized by a large central cross with four smaller crosses in its quadrants.

While often called a "Maltese cross" in marketplace listings, the specific "cross-and-crosslets" design identifies it as a traditional Jerusalem emblem.

Key Descriptive Features

Symbolism: A large central cross surrounded by four smaller Greek crosses, representing the spread of the Gospel to the four corners of the world.

Material: Handrafted from high-grade sterling silver.

Style: Features intricate filigree and granulation in an "Etruscan style" with applied wirework and bead detailing.

Center Stone: A large, round, faceted synthetic (lab-created) sapphire with color-changing properties.

Color Shift: This lab-grown sapphire (sometime referred to as lab alexandrite) shifts between purple, blue, and magenta depending on the light source (e.g., natural vs. fluorescent light - see video to view color-change). Disclaimer - It is very difficult to photograph color-change corundum (in particular it is difficult to capture the blue color within the stone) - I have done my best to illustrate the natural colors in the stone, but with my current camera setup it is impossible to do this perfectly. What I can say is that, in-person, the stone looks even better than in the photos and video.

Artisanship: These pieces are frequently handmade in Jerusalem or Bethlehem and often feature hand-engraved detailing on the reverse side. This piece is vintage and the maker's mark has faded away, but it features beautiful hand-engraved detailing on the backside of the pendant consistent with pieces made in the Holy Land.

Condition: This necklace ia pre-owned and is in overall good condition.