Christening Set Nikolaus 925 Silver antique blackened — Christening Spoon + Cross Pendant

Saint Nicholas is the saint in Orthodoxy to whom parents entrust their children. He is precisely the one seated at the top of the spoon: an icon in a medallion, with a dark, contrasting face, and a handle full of tendrils below. An Orthodox cross is attached to the eyelet. Both pieces are nestled in a hinged case, with a satin ribbon around the handle.

What's in the case

Two pieces, destined for two different life paths. The spoon measures 11.3 centimeters and weighs around 13 grams — short enough for a child's hand, heavy enough to feel substantial. It stays in the house and later finds its place in 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 intentionally not included — parents decide on the length and timing. The same combination is also available in a partially gold-plated version, where the figure of the Saint is set in gold. Further combinations can be found under Baptism Gift Sets.

Nicholas the Wonderworker — why him of all people

Nicholas of Myra, known in the East as "Nicholas the Wonderworker," is the saint children first call upon. He is considered the patron saint of children, travelers, and sailors — and is thus the usual companion for a child just starting out in Orthodox families. On the medallion, the icon depicts him in bishop's vestments, his right hand raised in blessing, and the Gospel in his left. To the right and left are the Cyrillic abbreviations for "Saint Nicholas, Wonderworker."

The handle below it does not feature a child's motif, but rather openwork tendrils in ancient Russian ornamentation — the same design language found on icon frames. The set is therefore not limited to boys or girls: no pink, no blue, just silver and the dark drawing. Related pieces can be found under Orthodox gifts in 925 sterling silver.

This spoon shape is available with three different icons — besides this motif, there's the Kazan Mother of God and Christ Pantocrator. The spoon body is the same for all; only the medallion at the head of the handle is exchanged, and with it, the blessing on the reverse side. For those with multiple godchildren, this allows for three cohesive yet distinct gifts to be chosen.

The Antique Blackening — and what it is not

The indentations between the tendrils and in the icon medallion are dark, making the figure and ornament stand out three-dimensionally, as light and shadow are no longer absorbed by the polished silver. This is achieved through a superficial blackening, with which the manufacturer deliberately pre-ages the piece.

Two things you should know about this. First: This is not niello. Niello is a black metal paste that is melted into recessed lines and firmly bonded with the silver — a completely different technique originating in Veliky Ustyug. The blackening here is on the surface. Second, it is not lacquer or paint, so it cannot peel off, and at the same time acts as a protective layer against further tarnishing — 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 any further coating and are hand-polished with cotton rolls to a mirror finish – without rhodium plating. What you see is therefore the silver itself.

Consecrated in Kolchugino

The pieces 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 of this is included in the case.

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

How to recognize real silver

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

The hallmark is clearly structured: The first letter stands for the year of manufacture, the second for the responsible state testing authority, and the remaining letters for the company. The UIN also allows the piece to be looked up in the state register for precious metals. This sounds technical — but in everyday life, it is precisely what makes the difference between silver and silver-plated verifiable.

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

The spoon is also designed on the back — you only see this when you turn it over. On the back of the medallion is an embossed blessing in four lines of Cyrillic script: "Святителю отче Николае, моли Бога о мне" — "Holy Father Nicholas, pray to God for me." This is the traditional Orthodox invocation of the Saint, as spoken in prayer. So the Saint is depicted on one side and honored in words on the other.

The back of the bowl features a circumferential border of fine spiral tendrils, enclosing a mirror-polished central field and converging into a denser tendril motif at the tip of the spoon. A detail that no one sees while eating — and yet it is there. This is precisely how you recognize a piece that was not built at first glance.

In between, on the back of the stem below the medallion, the surface remains deliberately smooth and mirror-polished. Here is space for an engraving: a short name, or with concise writing, additionally the baptismal date. More won't fit — the stem tapers downwards. But this is exactly enough for the one line that makes a gift a particular gift.

You can view all three areas without holding the spoon in your hand: 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. Additionally, the detail panel in the gallery shows the same three areas as close-ups.

The Orthodox Cross

The pendant is small yet fully crafted: the ends of the arms taper into a trefoil shape, the corpus sits in relief in the center, and below it the ornament continues down to the base. The three-leaf ends represent the Trinity in Christian iconography; this form is widespread in Orthodox baptismal crosses. The surface remains brightly polished — without enamel, without gilding.

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 depressions and remove precisely 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 Baptism Set

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

Does the blackening disappear when washing?
No. The blackening is not a paint or varnish, but a surface treatment of the silver. Warm water and dish soap will not harm it. Only silver dip baths are taboo.

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

Is the set also suitable for a Catholic or Protestant baptism?
Yes. Saint Nicholas is venerated in all three denominations, and a cross is a cross. The design is Orthodox — those who specifically seek this will find exactly that; those who do not will still receive a classic baptismal gift.

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

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

Technically: The back of the stem below the medallion is smooth and mirror-polished — a blank space designed precisely for this. There's room for a short first name; with concise writing, the baptismal date can also fit below. Around 20 characters is a guideline, not a firm promise: the stem tapers downwards, so the writing style also plays a role.

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

Not engravable are the back of the medallion (which has the embossed blessing), the back of the bowl (which has the tendril border), and the cross pendant (2 cm in size and crafted on both sides).

How else can the set be personalized?
Via a SilberVerse card: a printed card with a verse or dedication, included with the gift. Examples can be found in the SilberVerse Card Gallery. 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 – front with the icon, back with the blessing, engraving surface and tendril border, plus the cross pendant individually. 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 should be used under supervision; due to its size, the pendant is not for infants.