Baptism Set Kazan Mother of God 925 Silver antique blackened — Baptism Spoon + Cross Pendant

The Kazan Mother of God is the image that hangs above the crib in Orthodox families. This very image sits at the top of the spoon handle: Mary with the child in a medallion, with the recesses darkly accented, and a handle full of tendrils below. An Orthodox cross is attached to the eyelet. Both pieces are presented in a hinged case, with a satin ribbon around the handle.

What's in the case

Two pieces with two different life paths. The spoon measures 11.3 centimeters and weighs about 13 grams — short enough for a child's hand, heavy enough to feel substantial. It stays in the house and later moves to a display cabinet. The cross pendant is two centimeters long and weighs one gram; it waits until the child is old enough to wear it. Together, the set weighs approximately 14 grams of 925 sterling silver.

A chain is deliberately not included — parents decide on the length and timing. The same combination is also available in a partially gold-plated version, where the icon figure is set in gold. Further combinations can be found under Christening Gift Sets.

The Kazan Mother of God — why her of all icons

The icon of the Mother of God of Kazan is the most widespread Marian icon in Russia. It was found in Kazan in 1579, and over the centuries it became the icon given to people at the beginning of their journey: for baptism, marriage, or moving into a new home. In Orthodox families, it is the image that hangs above the crib — the Mother of God as a protector of mother and child.

On the medallion, the icon depicts the classic pose: Mary in a half-figure with the child by her side, both heads slightly tilted towards each other, with halos around their heads. To the left and right are the Cyrillic abbreviations for "Mother of God." The handle below features not a children's motif, but openwork tendrils in an old Russian ornament — the same design language found on icon frames.

The set is therefore not limited to boys or girls: no pink, no blue. Related pieces can be found under Orthodox gifts in 925 sterling silver.

This spoon design is available with three different icons — besides this motif, there's Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children, and Christ Pantocrator. The spoon body is the same for all; only the medallion on the handle top is exchanged, and with it, the blessing on the back. This allows those with multiple godchildren to choose three coherent yet distinct gifts.

Antique blackening — and what it is not

The indentations in the icon medallion and between the tendrils are darkened. This makes the figure and ornament stand out plastically, as light and shadow are no longer swallowed by the polished silver. This is achieved through a superficial blackening, with which the manufacturer deliberately ages the piece in advance.

There are two things you should know about it. First: This is not niello. Niello is a black metal paste melted into recessed lines and firmly bonded with the silver — a completely different technique originating from Veliky Ustyug. The blackening here is on the surface. Second, it is not lacquer or paint, so it cannot flake off, and at the same time acts as a protective layer against further darkening — the piece will look the same in five years as it does today. The raised areas can be carefully brightened with a silver polishing cloth without the depressions becoming lighter.

The spoon and cross are made of 925 sterling silver without additional coating and are hand-polished to a mirror finish with cotton wheels — without rhodium plating. So what you see is the silver itself.

The reverse side: blessing, tendrils, and space for a name

The spoon is also intricately designed on the back — you only see this when you turn it over. On the back of the medallion, there is a raised blessing in three lines of Cyrillic script: "Пресвятая Богородице, спаси нас" — "Most Holy Theotokos, save us." This is the short, everyday invocation of the Mother of God — the phrase Orthodox families use in prayer. So the icon is represented visually on one side and verbally on the other.

The back of the bowl features a circumferential border of delicate spiral tendrils, enclosing a mirror-polished central field and converging into a denser tendril motif at the tip of the spoon. A detail no one sees while eating — yet it's still there. That's precisely how you recognize a piece that wasn't designed just for the first glance.

In between, on the back of the handle below the medallion, the surface remains deliberately smooth and mirror-polished. This is where there is space for an engraving: a short name, and with concise lettering, the baptism date can also be added. More won't fit — the handle tapers downwards. But that's exactly enough for the one line that turns a gift into a specific gift.

You can view all three areas without holding the spoon: In the image gallery above, there is a product video in which the set is rotated — first the front with the icon, then the back with the blessing, engraving area, and tendril border. The detail panel in the gallery also shows these same three areas in close-up.

Consecrated in Kolchugino

The items in this series are consecrated before delivery — by the local Orthodox community of the Svyato-Pokrovsky Church in Kolchugino, Vladimir region, Alexandrov Eparchy of the Moscow Patriarchate. A small certificate to this effect is included in the case.

For Orthodox families, this is often the point where a baptismal gift distinguishes itself from a mere pretty spoon.

How to recognize real silver

Each item comes with a sealed tag attached from the factory. This tag lists the manufacturer, description, item number, silver weight, and a unique identification number (UIN). In addition, there is the stamped 925 hallmark, the manufacturer's name mark, the ArgentA mark, and the quality control stamp.

The name mark is clearly structured: The first letter stands for the year of manufacture, the second for the responsible state assay office, and the remaining ones for the company. The UIN also allows the item to be checked in the state precious metals register. It sounds technical — but in everyday life, it's precisely what verifiably distinguishes silver from silver-plated.

The Orthodox Cross

The pendant is small yet fully crafted: the ends of the crossbeams are clover-shaped, the corpus sits in relief in the center, and below it, the ornament continues to the foot. The three-leaf ends represent the Trinity in Christian iconography; this form is widely used in Orthodox baptismal crosses. The surface remains brightly polished — without enamel, without gilding. It is the same cross in all sets of this series.

Care: to preserve the design

After use, warm water, mild dish soap, and a soft cloth are sufficient. No dishwasher, no abrasive cleaners, and especially no silver dip cleaner — such a bath would dissolve the dark recesses and remove what makes the piece special. A silver polishing cloth on the raised areas is perfectly sufficient. This is explained in detail in our silver care instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Christening Set

From what age is the spoon suitable?
As cutlery from the age of complementary feeding. It is usually given earlier — for christening, often already at birth.

Will the blackening disappear with washing?
No. The blackening is not a paint or lacquer, but a surface treatment of the silver. Warm water and dish soap do not harm it. Only silver dip cleaners are taboo.

Can the spoon be engraved?
Yes — technically, engraving is possible on this spoon, but it can only be ordered upon request. Both aspects belong together and one does not limit the other:

Technically: The back of the handle below the medallion is smooth and mirror-polished — a blank surface specifically designed for this. There is space for a short first name; with concise lettering, the christening date can also fit below. Around 20 characters is a guideline, not a firm promise: the handle tapers downwards, so the lettering style also plays a role.

Ordering process: Engraving cannot be added directly to the shopping cart in the shop. Please contact us briefly before ordering — we will coordinate the text, lettering style, and placement and confirm what fits on this piece. This way, we don't promise anything that won't end up on it.

The back of the medallion (where the raised blessing is), the back of the bowl (where the tendril border runs), and the cross pendant (2 cm in size and fully worked on both sides) cannot be engraved.

Is the set for a girl or a boy?
For both. It comes without colored enamel and is gender-neutral — practical if you're giving a gift before birth or don't know the gender.

Is the set also suitable for a Catholic or Protestant baptism?
The craftsmanship is Orthodox in style — those who consciously seek that will find exactly what they're looking for here. However, a cross remains a cross, and a silver christening spoon is a classic in all denominations. If you'd like the blessing on the back explained, it is translated in this description.

Does it come with a chain?
No. The set includes a spoon and pendant; parents choose the chain later to suit the child's age.

How else can the set be personalized?
With a SilverVerse card: a printed card with a verse or dedication that accompanies the gift. Examples can be found in the SilverVerse Card Gallery. The card and engraving can be combined.

Is there a product video?
Yes, in the image gallery above. The set is rotated and shown up close in it — front with the icon, back with blessing, engraving area and tendril border, plus the cross pendant separately. Anyone who wants to know how the piece feels in hand and how big it really is will see it more clearly there than in any still image.

Is silver safe for a baby?
925 sterling silver has been common for cutlery for centuries and is nickel-free. Like any children's cutlery, the spoon belongs in supervised hands; the pendant is not suitable for infants due to its size.