Vintage Van Dell Solid 14K Gold Religious Cross Faith Charm Pendant

Vintage Van Dell solid 14K yellow gold cross charm, marked V.D. and 14K on the reverse of the lower arm. The form is a plain Latin cross with a longer vertical than horizontal and the crossbar set high, arms squared off at the ends and the edges cleanly beveled so a bright line runs the full outline of the piece. The faces are polished to a mirror with no engraving, no texture and no stone. A heavy round jump ring passes through the top arm.

Van Dell built their name on finely finished work out of Providence, and solid gold sits at the scarce end of their output, which is what makes a stamped 14K piece worth noting rather than just another gold cross. The appeal here is entirely proportion and surface. With nothing applied to it the cross has to earn its presence through the ratio of the arms and the quality of the polish, and both are right, the bevel catching light along every edge while the broad faces throw a single clean reflection. At this scale it reads as a quiet daily piece rather than a statement, which is how a cross is most often actually worn. Scale is shown in the photos against a grid.

The jump ring is generous enough to take a chain directly or to hang on a charm bracelet alongside other pieces.

Verifications:
Solid 14K gold has been verified using an Auracle Gold Analyzer.

Details:
Designer: Van Dell
Metal: Solid 14K Yellow Gold
Hallmarks: V.D., 14K
Design: Latin Cross
Finish: Polished
Type: Charm Pendant
Attachment: Jump Ring
Condition: Excellent estate condition

Fun Facts:
The Van Dell Corporation was founded in Providence, Rhode Island in 1939 and went on to hold a Disney license, producing Mickey and Minnie Mouse charms in gold. A licensing arrangement with Disney is unusual pedigree for a jewelry house of that size and it is why Van Dell pieces still turn up in collector hands rather than scrap bins.
Providence was the capital of American jewelry manufacturing for most of the twentieth century, with hundreds of firms packed into a few square miles of the city. The concentration is the reason so many unrelated American jewelry marks trace back to the same handful of Rhode Island streets.