EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A sterling silver replica of the Ground Zero Cross — the steel beam cross discovered in the rubble of the World Trade Center following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks — has been presented to family members of 9/11 victims.
Jewelry designer Robert Manse, in collaboration with Carla Corp. of East Providence, designed and manufactured the replicas at the request of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department. The crosses were presented at the department’s annual commemorative banquet, marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Port Authority Police Benevolent Association President Frank Conti presented approximately 650 crosses to members of 9/11 families at the event.
“Since this was the 25th anniversary, they wanted to give each family member something truly special, and I am honored they asked me,” Manse said.
Manse was commissioned in part because of his previous service on the board of the Ken Tietjen Memorial Foundation, an organization honoring first responders. The foundation was named in memory of Ken Tietjen, a Port Authority police officer who died on Sept. 11, 2001.
(left to right): Frank Conti & Robert Manse
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The crosses were crafted from sterling silver and rhodium, with a satin finish designed to replicate the weathered, industrial appearance of the original cross rather than a polished jewelry finish.
“They didn’t want it to look like a finished piece of jewelry,” said Ralph Fleming III, president of Carla Corp. “They wanted it to look more authentic to what a steel beam actually looks like.”
Each replica incorporates a small amount of metal recovered from the original World Trade Center site — referred to in the project as “sacred steel” — processed by Carla so that it could be included in each individual cross. The project took more than one year from design to completion.
“It was important to have the cross made in the USA,” Manse said. “One of the first people I thought of was the Fleming family at Carla. They were honored to be a part of it.”
“We were honored to be part of it,” Fleming said. “It was done out of respect and to honor the victims of the tragedy of 9/11.”
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