Chrome Hearts Cross Pendant Guide: Styles, Sizes and How to Wear One

A Chrome Hearts cross pendant is a cast sterling silver cross sold under a style name that tells you the design and the scale: CH Cross (Tiny, Small or Large), Filigree Cross, Baby Fat, Cemetery Cross or Cutout Cross Dog Tag. To choose one, settle the size first, then the style, then the chain it will hang from. Published measurements run from under an inch for a small gold charm to around three inches for a large silver cross, so the name alone will not tell you how big a piece is.

One caveat first. We could not find an official Chrome Hearts size chart for pendants, so the dimensions below come from published resale and auction listings of specific pieces. Treat them as examples rather than specifications, and check the measurements of the exact piece you are considering.

Once Legos is an independent NYC reseller of pre-owned Chrome Hearts. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or authorized by Chrome Hearts, and the style names in this guide are the labels used in the resale market, not an official catalogue.

What is the Chrome Hearts cross?

The cross is the motif most people associate with the brand. Chrome Hearts began in 1988 as a Los Angeles leather and motorcycle-gear label, and a sterling silver jeweler, Leonard Kamhout, joined the founders shortly afterwards. Today the brand still makes jewelry in sterling silver, gold, platinum and precious stones, in small quantities at its factory in Hollywood. When Chrome Hearts has gone to court over its crosses, it has used its own names for them: a trademark complaint reported by The Fashion Law refers to the 'CH Cross' and 'Cemetery Cross Patch' marks.

The classic CH Cross, shown in the photo above, has tapered, flared arms and a domed ball where they meet. Most of the other styles below vary the scale, the surface detail or the setting.

The main cross pendant styles

CH Cross: tiny, small and large

The CH Cross is the plain, classic form, made in a range of sizes. Listings use the labels Tiny CH Cross, Small CH Cross and Large Cross, and the smaller ones are often described as having a bail (the loop the chain passes through) or a plain bail. Two published examples show how much the scale can change: a sterling cross with a ball at the center measures 38.1 mm by 25.4 mm, and a large carved cross sold on a 30-inch ball chain measures 41 mm by 26 mm.

Filigree Cross

The Filigree Cross swaps the plain surface for scrollwork detail. Resale listings describe that detail as scrollwork, in some cases openwork, across a classic cross outline, and they sell it in scaled sizes including Extra Small and Small. The smaller sizes are the layering option: one listing describes the Extra Small as a scaled-down silhouette made for layering with other chains or wearing alone.

Baby Fat

Baby Fat is a compact, narrow cross, often sold as a small charm. A 22k yellow gold Baby Fat charm with a bail measures about 19 mm by 7.6 mm (0.75 by 0.3 inches), and a black-diamond pave version measures 23.5 mm by 9.5 mm. It also exists in plain sterling silver, for example on a 30-inch ball chain, and in other diamond-set versions.

Cutout Cross Dog Tag

On the dog tag, the cross is cut out of a tag-shaped pendant instead of standing alone. One silver version with a dagger motif measures 57 mm by 28 mm and hangs on a ball chain, while a smaller diamond-set cut-out cross dog tag has been listed in our shop at 0.8 inches. Dog tag sizes vary widely, so check the dimensions instead of assuming.

Cemetery and Floral crosses

The Cemetery Cross appears as a group of crosses on patches, hats and jewelry, and a silver Cemetery Three Cross pendant is documented in published listings. The Floral Cross carries floral engraving and is made in both silver and 22k gold; our shop has listed a 22K gold Floral Cross pendant at 1.5 inches.

Gold and stone-set versions

Sterling silver is the core material, but the same crosses are also made in 22k gold and set with diamonds or other stones. Our own listings have included 22K gold crosses set with diamonds and with emeralds. Gold changes the care and the checks you need to make, so confirm the metal and the stamp on any listing before you compare it with a silver piece.

How to choose a size

Think in millimetres, not names. These published measurements (length first, then width) show the range:

• 22k gold Baby Fat charm with bail: about 19 mm by 7.6 mm.
• Black-diamond pave Baby Fat pendant: 23.5 mm by 9.5 mm.
• Sterling cross with a center ball: 38.1 mm by 25.4 mm.
• Large carved cross on a ball chain: 41 mm by 26 mm.
• Silver cutout cross dog tag with dagger motif, on a ball chain: 57 mm by 28 mm.

Check whether a quoted length includes the bail, because listings do not always say, and ask for the gram weight as well as the dimensions. A large cast pendant is a heavy object, and weight is also one of the checks that helps separate genuine pieces from fakes.

As a rough guide, small and Baby Fat sizes suit layering and everyday wear, mid sizes work as a single pendant, and the largest crosses and dog tags are statement pieces that sit visibly on top of a tee or hoodie. A simple test is to cut a strip of paper to the pendant's length and hold it against your chest before you buy.

Chains, lengths and what comes with the pendant

Some pendants are sold alone and some on a chain, and listings show both. A small dagger pendant in one published listing comes with a certificate and pouch but no chain, while Tiny CH Cross and Baby Fat pendants appear as necklaces with a 30-inch ball chain. Confirm exactly what is included. If you buy a pendant alone, measure the bail opening before choosing a chain, since a wide chain will not pass through a narrow bail.

Published pairings give a sense of how the pieces are normally worn. Small crosses and Baby Fat pendants appear on ball chains of 18 to 30 inches, a Small Filigree Cross is sold with a 20-inch ball chain, and a diamond-set Baby Fat cross appears on a 2.2 mm roll chain. Our chain types guide explains paper, roll, ball and twist chains and how to pick a length.

For where a pendant will hang, standard jewelry length conventions put 17 to 19 inches just below the collarbone, 20 to 24 inches nearer the bust line and 28 inches and up well below that. A pendant listed on a 30-inch chain is built to hang low.

Wearing and caring for a cross pendant

• One pendant, one chain: a single large cross on a chain of 20 to 24 inches is the simplest look and lets the detail show.
• Layering: pair a small cross with a longer chain carrying a different pendant, and vary the lengths by a few inches so the pieces do not tangle.
• Care: sterling silver tarnishes because of sulfur compounds in the air, which is why the recesses darken over time. That dark oxidation is part of the look, and heavy polishing removes the contrast, so clean gently.

What to check before buying a pre-owned cross pendant

1. Stamps on the back and inside the bail, compared with a confirmed genuine piece of the same design. Our guide to how to tell if Chrome Hearts jewelry is real covers what to look for.
2. A side-on view. Genuine cast crosses have real thickness and sharp, defined points, so a flat or soft-looking piece deserves a closer look.
3. The bail, which carries the whole load. Look for wear, thinning or cracks where the chain rubs.
4. Dimensions and weight, as above.
5. What is included: pendant only, or pendant and chain.

Do not read too much into stamped dates. A published auction catalogue for a gold Chrome Hearts dog tag lists the pendant as dated 1998 and its chain as dated 2006, so a pendant and chain with different dates are not automatically mismatched.

Buying or selling a cross pendant through Once Legos

Every pendant we list is physically in hand in New York, authenticated and graded Brand New, Excellent, Great, Good or Fair, with the grade shown on the listing. All sales are final, so read the grade and measurements carefully; our FAQ explains how we authenticate and grade. You can browse current necklaces and pendants or all Chrome Hearts jewelry, and handle pieces one-on-one at our private, appointment-only NYC Showroom.

Browse current necklaces and pendants for the sizes and styles in stock now. If you own a cross pendant, Sell To Us gives same-day offers, and payment is released once the piece is in our hands and passes authentication.

The bottom line

Choose a cross pendant by its measurements and its style name together. The name tells you the design, the millimetres tell you how it will wear, and the chain decides how it hangs. Confirm what is included, look at the bail and the stamps, and compare the piece with a genuine one before you pay.