A local jeweller unveiled its two latest Bermuda-inspired designs for the holidays.

Astwood-Dickinson has two new additions to its Original Heritage Collection -- the Tucker Cross and the Millennium Lantern.

General manager Ian Smith said that Astwood Dickinson master jeweller David Beale has crafted a replica of the Tucker Cross. The cross was originally discovered north of Bermuda in 1955 by local diver Teddy Tucker and is considered one of the most important pieces of treasure found this century.

It is believed to have come from the Spanish galleon San Pedro which was wrecked on the reefs in 1594.

The cross was on display at the Bermuda Aquarium in 1975 -- but when it was moved to the Bermuda Maritime Museum for the opening by Queen Elizabeth II, it was revealed that the cross had been stolen and replaced with a fake, and the original was never recovered.

The Astwood-Dickinson replica, which retails for $750, is studded with Colombian emeralds and set in 18kt gold.

Mr. Beale said he has already finished a special edition of the cross in 22kt gold and engraved with discoverer Teddy Tucker's signature.

Mr. Beale, who has been a jeweller for the past 30 years, said crafting the piece was a challenge since the original cross was stolen and he had to work from photographs.

He said he begins by drawing the piece, and then scaling it down to size before actually casting it in metal.

"It's a lot of work, and it's a multi-step process so I can't really say how many I make in a day,'' said Mr. Beale.

"But I had to interpret a flat picture and make it into a three-dimensional piece.

"You never stop learning... The most difficult thing was trying to get it as much like the original, and trying not to lose the detail,'' he added.

Mr. Smith said the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) sponsored the piece, and Astwood-Dickinson is giving a percentage of the sales to BUEI -- of which Teddy Tucker is a founding trustee.

The Millennium Lantern, which retails for $695, is similar to a piece Astwood-Dickinson made a few years ago, with one major alteration.

Unlike the original which was filled with Bermuda pink sand, the Millennium Lantern is filled with tiny diamond crystals.

Mr. Smith noted that the Millennium Lantern may only be on sale for one year before being retired -- and he added that Astwood-Dickinson may be doing more limited edition pieces in the future.