Although traditional jewellery was worn throughout Sweden, and has a distinct Swedish character, there are marked differences between the different provinces. Skåne province, in the extreme south of Sweden, has the richest tradition, and more jewellery was worn there than in any other district. Almost all the Swedish traditional jewellery at the V&A comes from Skåne.

When Sweden became Protestant in 1527, Swedish women continued to wear crosses rich with symbolism and religious pendants like their medieval predecessors. The most typical Swedish cross is the tau (T-shaped) cross, also called the cross of St Anthony, from Skåne. Sweden is the only country which has tau crosses among its traditional jewellery.

The oldest tau crosses were made from solid metal. By the 19th century they were usually made from thin sheet silver with stamped patterns, or lavishly decorated with filigree and coloured pastes. The red glass stones on this cross are typical of Swedish traditional jewellery of all kinds in the 19th century. This cross is marked with the Ystad griffin mark, the date mark X4 for 1852, and the maker's mark P.W. Peter Magnus Wallengren was a leading silversmith in Ystad, who specialised in making traditional jewellery from 1830 to 1879.