What to Look For 
Our experts offer the following advice for purchasing processional crosses:
Authenticity: Museum curator C. Griffith Mann says distinguishing an antique cross from one made today is very difficult, even for specialists. “I myself am not entirely confident that I can discern modern from 19th-century crosses because the techniques and materials are so similar,” Mann explains. If you are considering a cross that is being presented as an antique, do your research. Good sources include Crosses of Ethiopia: The Sign of Faith, Evolution and Form by Mario Di Salvo (Rizzoli International, 2006) and Ethiopian Art: The Walters Art Museum (Third Millennium Publishing, 2001).
Price: Several Phoenix-area retailers carry hand-held and processional crosses that vary in price from $100 to more than $1,000, depending on size and type of metal. Experts at Sotheby’s say fine pieces can range from $5,000 to $30,000. Mark Bianucci explains that price alone should alert a buyer to authenticity; crosses from A Studio range from $415 to $750. “At that price, the cross is not an antiquity,” he notes. “It is an accessory.”

Where to Find Them
Current designs: Passport Imports in Phoenix; BlueCrate Findings, Tierra Del Lagarto and Uncommon Cargo in Scottsdale; and Level 9 in Cave Creek, Arizona, all carry Ethiopian crosses. Other local sources include Trappings, a to-the-trade showroom in Scottsdale, and A Studio, an online retailer offering interior design services, furnishings and accessories.
Antiques: On rare occasions, Sotheby’s and Christie’s auction houses offer antique Ethiopian crosses. Register at sothebys.com or christies.com to receive e-mail notices of crosses coming to auction.