Yellow Gold Solid Wire Openwork Occitan Cross

Emanessence invites you to discover this yellow gold cross, available in 375/1000 (9K) or 750/1000 (18K), in the style of the Occitan cross. The Occitan cross (crotz occitana), also known as the Cross of Languedoc, serves as the emblem of Occitania. It features four arms of equal length and bears little resemblance to the Latin cross, which symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus and certain martyrs.

We carefully selected this piece for its square wire construction - impeccable in quality, price, and sizing. The openwork design significantly reduces weight while making it even more attractively priced.

In heraldry, it is blazoned as a cross clechée (arms shaped like the bit of a key), voided (the field is visible through its arms), and pommetty of twelve pieces (each point is adorned with a "small apple" called a "pommette"). Its tincture is Or (gold/yellow) on a field of Gules (red). Symbolically, the twelve pommettes are often interpreted as representing the twelve apostles - themselves echoing the twelve tribes of Israel, which in turn may correspond to the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and so on.

Many historians today trace this cross back to Provence - first appearing in Venasque in the 12th century according to Henri Rolland, or in the circle of the Viscounts of Marseille as early as the 11th century according to Antoine de Rufi, and possibly connected to Guilhem I of Provence, known as Guilhem the Liberator, who defeated the Saracens at La Garde-Freinet in 972.

This cross measures 17 x 20 mm without the bail and 17 x 25 mm with the bail. It weighs 0.90 grams in 750/1000 (18K) gold and 0.70 grams in 375/1000 (9K) gold.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to its openwork design, engraving is not possible on this product.