![A small openwork 14k white gold lapel pin reading 'I [heart] AI' with the letters and heart outline set in small round diamonds and the heart's interior filled with round red rubies, photographed on a marble surface.](https://cdn.jewelrythis.com/uploads/comment_attachments/2024/07/467157_22-800x800.jpg)
![A small openwork 14k white gold lapel pin reading 'I [heart] AI' with the letters and heart outline set in small round diamonds and the heart's interior filled with round red rubies, photographed on a marble surface.](https://cdn.jewelrythis.com/uploads/comment_attachments/2024/07/467157_23-800x800.jpg)
Initial & Heart Lapel Pin in White Gold with Rubies
$$$
14k white gold, natural diamonds, natural rubies
A client wanted a personal lapel pin spelling out "I heart AI" — a small piece meant to be worn, not tucked away. He pushed back on the first render because it felt too enclosed, pointing to an open, see-through design he'd found in the gallery as the direction he actually wanted. Once the piece was reworked into that cut-out structure and the ruby color was locked in as a true red rather than pink, he approved it without hesitation: "It's perfect yes."
'I think that might work let's go with that.' — on approving the open cut-out redesign direction
'It's perfect yes.' — on design approval
Quick specs
Design type
Primary Metal
Shape / Cut
Primary Stone
Accent Stones
Design Complexity
Intent: Certainty
Size
Approximately 3/4 inch tall (quarter-sized).
How they made it distinctive
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01
Open cut-out structure with no background — requested specifically after the client felt the first render looked too enclosed
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02
Natural rubies chosen over lab-grown specifically for a richer, deeper red rather than the pinkish cast lab rubies show at small sizes
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03
Sized down from an original one-inch concept to about three-quarters of an inch once the cut-out design naturally reduced scale
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04
Pave-set diamonds line both letters while the heart is filled with a dense cluster of round rubies for concentrated color
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05
Stick-pin fastening built specifically for lapel or jacket wear rather than a pendant bail
How you'd make it yours
Stone type: this piece uses natural rubies in the heart — a new commission could use lab-grown rubies or a different colored stone entirely
Metal: this piece is 14k white gold — the same open letter-and-symbol design works in yellow or rose gold
Size: this piece is about three-quarters of an inch — a new commission can be scaled larger or smaller depending on stone density desired
Structure: this piece uses an open cut-out design with no background — a new commission could use a solid background instead for a different look
Symbol: this piece uses a heart between the letters — a new commission could use a different symbol or an additional letter
One of a kind: this exact pin was designed for one client's personal message and is not reproduced — a new commission is an original piece inspired by this one, not a copy
Design changes made
The initial design had a solid metal background connecting the letters and heart, but the client asked for an open, see-through structure instead, so the piece was rebuilt with the elements directly connected to each other and no surrounding metal. He also requested a slightly smaller final size — around three-quarters of an inch rather than a full inch — once the cut-out version naturally reduced the piece's scale.
Who this is for
This piece is for someone who wants a small, wearable way to say something personal without it being loud about it. It's especially right if you have a specific short message or initials in mind and want the design to feel light and open rather than heavy and solid.
How it's made
Once the open cut-out design was approved, the design team produced a 3D-printed resin model — the physical preview stage before any metal was committed. The resin was attached to a wax tree, invested in plaster, and fired in a kiln to burn out the pattern, leaving a hollow mold. Molten 14k white gold was then cast into that mold, cooled, and separated from the tree for cleanup.
After casting, the piece was cleaned and polished to a bright white gold finish across the letters and heart border. The small round diamonds were pave-set in a continuous line along the I and the A, while the natural rubies were set individually into the heart in a dense cluster pattern to maximize color coverage on the small surface. A stick-pin style fastening was added last so the finished piece could be worn as a lapel pin.
Key note
The open cut-out structure meant every connecting point between the letters and the heart had to double as a structural joint strong enough to survive casting and daily wear, not just a visual link.
Pricing guidance
A small cut-out lapel pin with pave diamond lettering and a ruby-set heart sits in the mid range for personalized fine jewelry of this scale. Most of the cost comes from the density of small stone setting relative to the piece's size, not from the metal itself. Choosing natural versus lab-grown stones is the biggest lever on price for a piece this size.
Moves price up ↑
- ↑ Using natural rubies instead of lab-grown for a richer, more saturated red
- ↑ Increasing the overall size, which requires more stones to fill the same visual density
- ↑ Adding a solid background rather than an open cut-out structure
- ↑ Upgrading to 18k gold instead of 14k
- ↑ Using larger stones instead of small pave-set accents
Moves price down ↓
- ↓ Switching to lab-grown rubies instead of natural for a lower cost with a slightly pinker hue
- ↓ Reducing the piece to a smaller finished size
- ↓ Simplifying the letter styling to reduce the number of pave-set stones
- ↓ Using cubic zirconia in place of diamonds for the letter outlines
- ↓ Choosing sterling silver instead of 14k white gold
Questions people ask
Yes, letter and symbol combinations like this are a common custom request. The letters are typically outlined in small pave-set stones, and any symbol — like a heart — can be set with colored stones for contrast. The design can be adjusted in size and stone density based on how detailed you want the final piece to look. A 3D render is produced before production so you can approve the exact layout.
Natural and lab-grown rubies are chemically identical, but lab-grown rubies in small sizes sometimes come out slightly more pink than the deep red typically expected of a ruby. Natural rubies in richer red tones are more available at small sizes because there's more selection to draw from. Cost differences at small carat weights are less dramatic than they are for diamonds, so the choice often comes down to color preference rather than budget. Either option is durable enough for everyday wear.
A cut-out design is structurally sound as long as every connection point between elements is engineered to bear weight, which is standard practice in casting a piece like this. The open areas do not weaken the piece if it's designed correctly from the start — the metal simply doesn't extend into the negative space. That said, cut-out designs are more delicate to handle than solid pieces and should be stored separately to avoid bending during transport. A stick pin fastening is secure for lapel or jacket wear but is not intended for rough handling.
A piece like this sits in the mid range for personalized fine jewelry, largely because of the labor involved in setting many small stones densely in a small area. The choice between natural and lab-grown stones, the overall size, and whether the design has an open or solid background all affect the final price. Removing a solid background, as was done on this piece, can actually reduce cost since less metal and fewer structural elements are needed.
The design phase typically takes about a week, during which a 3D render is produced and refined based on feedback. Once the design is approved and moved into production, casting and stone setting take approximately four to five weeks. A resin model is often shared partway through so you can see the piece's exact shape before it's cast in metal. Total turnaround from approval to shipping is typically five to six weeks.
Yes, size is one of the most flexible elements of a design like this. A smaller size reduces the number and size of stones needed, which lowers cost, while a larger size allows for more stone detail and visual impact. This piece was sized down slightly from an original one-inch concept to about three-quarters of an inch once the open cut-out structure was finalized. The key constraint is making sure the stones remain large enough to catch light even at a smaller scale.
A design like this can be adapted to either format, but the back-side hardware differs — a lapel pin uses a stick-pin fastening while a pendant needs a bail to accept a chain. If you want the option to wear a piece both ways, that needs to be specified before production since the back structure is built for one or the other. Converting between formats after casting is not a simple modification. It's best to decide the intended wearing style at the design stage.
