< Culture & Style / Jewelry Trends
How the Diamond Cross Necklace Has Endured Throughout Jewelry History
Throughout the ages, the diamond cross necklace has transformed from a religious relic to a perennial style staple.
Margot Robbie wore a bespoke Jessica McCormack diamond cross necklace to the Wuthering Heights premiere in Paris, France, on February 02, 2026. (Getty Images)
Whether worn as a symbol of one’s religion, a talisman of hope, or simply a style choice, the diamond cross necklace has endured as a jewelry staple for millennia. Throughout history, the influence of the cross has stretched far beyond the Christian faith, cementing a permanent place in pop culture.
“Religious imagery, such as the cross, was always something powerful to me,” jewelry designer Loree Rodkin tells Only Natural Diamonds. “My brand was built on gothic imagery, with the cross showing up frequently.”
Meet the Expert
- Loree Rodkin is an LA-based jewelry designer, responsible for the jewels worn by Michelle Obama at the inaugural ball in January 2009.
- When she began her career in jewelry, Elizabeth Taylor and Barbra Streisand were among her earliest clients. She’s designed jewels for celebrities like Elton John, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Rihanna, Steven Tyler, and far more.
Madonna layered cross pendants in her “Like a Virgin” look from 1984, while the A-list of today are picking up the mantle. From the Y2K resurgence of diamond cross necklaces to the Kardashians, Rihanna, Chappell Roan, and Margot Robbie all wearing them, the jewel is here to stay.
The Historical Significance of the Cross Necklace
Symbolism has always been an integral aspect of Catholic devotion since the beginning of Christianity. Prized by churches and pious individuals throughout Western Europe and Byzantium, respendent religious relics have long been valued for their perceived power. Jewels that conveyed a spiritual message served as a gesture of belief as well as status symbols to display personal wealth.
The cross is most associated with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It first emerged amid the Roman Empire, used as an instrument of torture. Christians of all denominations began to use the cross as a symbol of their religion by the 4th century. Soon after, the cross became a predominant choice for daily jewelry. Cross jewelry that dates as far back as the 5th century is a focal point of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection in London.
According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, these devotional ornaments reached a peak of popularity in 17th-century Spain, when sumptuary laws restricted most nonreligious personal adornment. Goldsmiths and jewelers created some of the most elaborate creations of the time, such as rosaries, crucifixes, and other Catholic motifs like crosses, enabling the wearer to evade royal prohibitions.
While the cross necklace has acted as a millennia-old symbol of Christian faith, its reach stretches far beyond religion now. In 2018, Pope Francis made a speech referring to the crucifix as “not an ornamental object or clothing accessory — sometimes abused — but a religious sign to be contemplated and understood.”
It’s important to note that Crosses, as opposed to a crucifix that includes a rendering of Jesus, are not an exclusively Christian emblem. Michael Coan, an associate professor of jewelry design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, recently told the New York Times that crosses “existed thousands of years before Christianity.” He said, “Crosses have been appropriated heavily by the Christian faith, but it’s not the only one to use them.”
The Renewed Love for Victorian Diamond Crosses
Sentimentality defines Victorian jewelry, from heart lockets and mourning jewelry made with the hair of lost loved ones. Crafted by master artisans through intricate techniques, diamond jewelry defined by the Victorian era combines deeply symbolic motifs such as engraved rings, en tremblant brooches, snakes, birds, florals, crescent moons, hearts, and crosses.
Margot Robbie attended the French premiere of Wuthering Heights, wearing a custom black corseted Thom Browne Couture gothic Victorian-inspired gown, with a Jessica McCormack 15-carat diamond and velvet choker with a bespoke diamond cross pendant, featuring five oval-cut diamonds and four round brilliant-cut diamonds, set in the designer’s signature Georgian style cut-down setting in 18-karat blackened white and yellow gold.
The actress has made a habit of method dressing, implementing the style cues of her characters on red carpets and more. As Catherine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights, which was written by Emily Brontë in the Victorian era, Robbie wears supersized, bejeweled cross pendants that are less historically accurate and more eye-catching.
The antique-inspired cross necklace has a far-reaching influence beyond religion or the red carpet. Rihanna has been spotted incorporating an intricately detailed diamond cross necklace into her street style. From Briony Raymond, her vintage Victorian bauble is set in 18-karat white gold and silver and was originally crafted in the 19th century.
A-Listers Embrace the Gothic Diamond Cross Necklace
Colombian singer-songwriter Karol G was among the starry crowd onstage at the 2026 Super Bowl, during Bad Bunny‘s Halftime show performance, wearing layers of gothic-inspired diamond cross necklaces. Styled by Brett Alan Nelson, Karol G donned a sheer, shredded Ann Demeulemeester ensemble, with stunning diamond cross pendants, including one by Le Vian, and one by Loree Rodkin, the LA jeweler who has made crosses a staple of her design DNA since founding her brand nearly 40 years ago. “I love the romanticism,” says Rodkin.
Known for dressing rebellious rock stars in diamonds since the 1980s, Rodkin’s gothic black diamond crosses have imbued a dark romance on the necks of Hollywood’s elite. This summer, Jenna Ortega attended the opening of a Wednesday-themed beach club in Paris, wearing a black diamond cross pendant on a black diamond chain from Loree Rodkin. “I just have a preference for diamonds,” says the designer. “I love diamonds for their depths and their brilliance.”
The 2024 MTV VMAs perfectly showcased the uptick in adoration for the style. Camila Cabello sported an epic stack of black diamond crosses from Loree Rodkin, teamed with a black lace Tony Ward Couture gown with a dramatic hood, making for the perfect gothic princess ensemble. Chappell Roan, on the other hand, looked like a medieval warrior in her sheer Y/Project gown with talon-like nail extensions, an ornate black diamond cross necklace, with a life-size sword in tow, styled by Genesis Webb.
Royal Diamond Cross Jewelry
Princess Diana’s Attallah Cross Necklace
A favorite of Princess Diana, the Attallah Cross necklace was purchased by Kim Kardashian for a whopping reported $197,453 during Sotheby’s 2023 Royal and Noble auction. The piece was originally estimated to fetch 80,000 to 120,000 pounds ($96,000-$144,400 USD), but according to Sotheby’s, Kardashian was said to have beat out three other bidders.
Made up of diamond floral petal shapes, the necklace was manufactured by Garrard in the early 20th century in a Renaissance style as a one-time private commission for a regular client. The cross-shaped pendant is set with square-cut amethysts, boasting approximately 5.25 carats of circular-cut diamonds.
Over the years, Princess Diana borrowed the amethyst and diamond cross necklace on numerous occasions from Garrard, which was then the official royal jeweler. In October 1987, the Princess of Wales adorned the Fleurée cross pendant attached to a long string of pearls at a Birthright charity gala, hosted by Garrard, to support the protection of human rights during pregnancy and childbirth. Princess Diana teamed the jewel with a purple and black velvet Catherine Walker gown with a modernized Elizabethan collar, also known as a “Ruff” for the occasion.
After Princess Diana’s death in 1997, Naim Attallah, CBE, and the former group chief executive of British luxury jewelry brand Asprey & Garrard, acquired the cross, but it was never worn by anyone other than the late princess. After his death, it was passed on to his daughter, Ramsay Attallah.
“Jewelry owned or worn by the late Princess Diana very rarely comes on to the market, especially a piece such as the Attallah cross, which is so colorful, bold, and distinctive,” said Sotheby’s Kristian Spofforth. “To some extent, this unusual pendant is symbolic of the Princess’s growing self-assurance in her sartorial and jewelry choices, at that particular moment in her life.”
Kardashian finally wore the Attallah Cross necklace to the 2024 LACMA Art + Film Gala. Styled by Dani Levi, the reality star sported a white plunging custom Gucci gown with a menswear coat draped off her shoulders. She layered the statement necklace with a Bulgari cluster pearl and diamond necklace and a pearl and diamond choker, reminiscent of another one of Diana’s jewels.
Meghan Markle Now Wears Princess Diana’s Diamond Cross Necklace
Meghan Markle wore a diamond cross necklace to honor Princess Diana during a 2024 trip to Nigeria with her husband, Prince Harry.
As Diana’s youngest son, Prince Harry has been dedicated to keeping his late mother’s memory alive, sharing some of her sweet and sentimental jewelry with his wife. The necklace, which previously belonged to Diana, features a delicate diamond cross pendant on a gold chain. According to People, the jewel was a recent gift from Harry to Meghan. Her first time wearing the heirloom, Meghan wore the necklace to a reception for military families in Abuja.
Not the only jewel Meghan has received from Diana’s collection, the Duchess of Sussex has also worn her late mother-in-law’s diamond and gold butterfly earrings, as well as Diana’s iconic aquamarine ‘Divorce’ ring. Two of the diamonds featured in Meghan’s three-stone engagement ring also belonged to Diana.
Wallis Simpson’s Cartier Cross Charm Bracelet
Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, owned a Cartier charm bracelet, featuring nine Latin cross pendants, rendered with diamonds and gemstones like rubies, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarine, and amethyst, set in platinum. Each charm symbolizes a significant moment or milestone in her life with Edward VIII, with many even engraved with meaningful dates and personal inscriptions. The bracelet was crafted over the span of 10 years, from 1934 to 1944. While she was still adding to the charms, Simpson was known to wear the sentimental cross bracelet frequently. She even wore it to marry the Duke of Windsor on June 3, 1937, in a private ceremony held at the Château de Candé in Monts, France. The Duchess’s diamond cross bracelet served less as a religious relic and more as a nostalgic reminder of love, endurance, and survival in exile.
