A Very Fine Antique Russian Enameled Gold Cross Pendant

Moscow, 1899-1908

The front of this large rose gold pectoral cross is hand engraved and embellished with medieval style champleve enamel ornaments.

Height without ring – 50 mm (2 in.)

Engraved inscription on the back reads “SAVE AND PROTECT”.

Marked with 56 zolotnik old Russian gold standard (14K gold) with initials of Moscow assay master Ivan Lebedkin (1899-1908) and maker’s initials ‘BE’.

This cross was made in the 1880s – early 1890s by a prominent St. Petersburg jeweler Rudolf Weide who specialized in enameled gold crosses.

The center of the cross is engraved with a Russian six pointed cross on a mustard yellow champleve enamel ground.

The horizontal arms of the cross are engraved with Cyrillic abbreviation
‘IC’ – ‘XC’ on white opaque enamel ground.

The abbreviation stands for Jesus Christ

Height without ring 37 mm (1 7/16 in.)

Engraved inscription on the back reads “SAVE AND PROTECT”.

Marked with 56 zolotnik old Russian gold standard (14K gold), St. Petersburg assay stamp, and maker’s initials ‘PB’.