Home Get Inspired Pendants Celtic Heart Pendant with Sapphire and Engraved Dates

A 14k yellow gold Celtic-knot heart pendant with a round blue sapphire set in the center, two small dates engraved along the heart's band, hanging from a sterling silver cable chain.

Celtic Heart Pendant with Sapphire and Engraved Dates

$$$

14k yellow gold, sterling silver, lab-created sapphire

A client came across a diamond-set Celtic heart pendant and wanted his own version — gold instead of white metal, a sapphire instead of diamonds, and two dates from his relationship engraved somewhere on it. The open knotwork left little room for engraving, so the design settled on just the two dates along the heart's curves instead of the fuller phrase he'd first hoped for. When it arrived, he wrote: "Yes ma'am i do and I absolutely love it."

'It looks absolutely amazing! Thank you for showing me a rough idea of how it'll turn out.' — on seeing the final render

'Yes ma'am i do and I absolutely love it.' — on delivery

Start your project

Anniversary Daily wear Gift for partner A Gift That Says Everything Anniversary

Quick specs

Design type

Pendants

Primary Metal

Yellow gold 14k

Secondary Metal

Sterling silver

Shape / Cut

Round

Primary Stone

Sapphire

Accent Stones

None

Style

Celtic Engraved Heart Knot Word text

Design Complexity

Moderate

Intent

A Gift That Says Everything Anniversary

Intent: Certainty

High

Size

Pendant approximately 1 inch; chain is a thicker sterling silver cable chain for added stability.

How they made it distinctive

01
Diamonds from the original inspiration piece were swapped for a single round sapphire, per the client's preference for color over diamonds
02
Two meaningful dates engraved along the heart's curves, fitted into the limited flat surface of an open knotwork design
03
Thicker sterling silver chain chosen specifically for stability rather than a delicate standard chain
04
Two-tone combination of 14k yellow gold pendant with a silver chain, a deliberate contrast rather than a matched-metal set
05
Open Celtic-knot heart construction that reads as a continuous, interlocking line rather than a solid shape

How you'd make it yours

Stone: this piece uses a lab sapphire — a new commission could use a natural sapphire or a different colored gem

Metal: this piece is 14k yellow gold — the same knotwork design works in 18k yellow, white, or rose gold

Chain: this piece pairs gold with a sterling silver chain — a new piece could use a matching gold chain instead

Engraving: the heart's curves can carry different short text or dates on a fresh commission

Size: this piece is sized at 1 inch — a new commission can be made larger or smaller depending on how much knot detail is wanted

One of a kind: this exact pendant was designed for one client and is not reproduced — a new commission is an original piece inspired by this one, not a copy

Design changes made

The client originally wanted a Spanish phrase of endearment engraved into the heart, but the open knotwork design left room for only short text. The design was adjusted to carry two significant dates instead of the full phrase.

Who this is for

This piece is for someone who wants a symbol of a relationship milestone that still reads as a piece of jewelry first. It's especially right if you're drawn to interlocking or knotwork designs and want a meaningful date or two built into the piece itself rather than hidden on the back.

How it's made

Once the design was approved, a wax model of the pendant was produced using a 3D printer. The model was attached to a wax tree, invested in plaster inside a flask, and placed in a kiln to burn out the wax and leave a hollow mold. Molten 14k yellow gold was then cast into the mold, cooled, and the raw pendant was extracted for finishing. After casting, the open knotwork surface was cleaned and polished to a mirror finish throughout, since the design has no matte or textured zones to differentiate. The two dates were engraved along the heart's upper curves, sized small to fit the limited flat surface available on the open linework. The round sapphire was then set into its prong setting at the center of the knot, and the pendant was fitted with its bail before being paired with the sterling silver cable chain.

Key note

The open, see-through knotwork construction — rather than a solid-backed heart — is what limited the engraving to two short dates instead of a full phrase, since there was no solid surface area to carve longer text into.

Pricing guidance

A moderately complex gold pendant with an openwork knot design, a center gemstone, and engraving sits in the mid range for custom pendant work. Most of the cost comes from the gold weight and the hand-finishing required on an intricate open linework pattern, plus the labor of setting a center stone and adding fine engraving. Chain choice and metal karat are the biggest levers on price from there.

Moves price up ↑

↑
Upgrading from 10k to 14k or 18k gold increases material cost
↑
Choosing a natural sapphire instead of a lab-created one
↑
Adding engraving on both sides or additional lines of text
↑
Increasing the pendant size beyond 1 inch, which requires more metal and more intricate knotwork
↑
Upgrading the chain to a thicker or higher-karat gold chain instead of sterling silver

Moves price down ↓

↓
Choosing 10k gold instead of 14k
↓
Selecting a lab-created sapphire over a natural one
↓
Simplifying the knotwork pattern to reduce hand-finishing time
↓
Omitting engraving entirely
↓
Choosing a thinner, lighter-gauge chain

Questions people ask

Is the blue stone in this pendant a real sapphire?

Yes, this pendant features a lab-created sapphire rather than a natural one. Lab-created sapphires have the same chemical composition, hardness (9 on the Mohs scale), and visual appearance as natural sapphires, just grown in a controlled environment instead of mined. This makes them a durable, practical choice for a center stone that will be worn daily. Natural sapphires are also an option but typically cost significantly more for a comparable size and color.

Can you engrave text into an open knotwork design like this?

Yes, but space is limited because an open or cutout design has little continuous flat surface to engrave into. On this pendant, the open Celtic-knot heart only had enough usable surface along the upper curves for two short dates rather than a longer phrase. If you want more engraving space, a solid-backed pendant design accommodates significantly more text.

What's the difference between 10k and 14k gold for a pendant like this?

Both are real gold, but 14k gold contains a higher percentage of pure gold (58.3%) compared to 10k (41.7%), giving it a richer color and slightly higher cost. 10k gold is more affordable and slightly more scratch-resistant due to its higher alloy content, while 14k offers a warmer tone and is the more common choice for fine jewelry. Either option will hold up well for daily wear.

Why is the chain sterling silver if the pendant is gold?

Mixing metals like this is a deliberate design and practical choice — sterling silver chains are more affordable than gold chains of the same thickness, and a thicker silver chain adds durability and stability without the added cost of a heavy gold chain. The two-tone combination of gold pendant and silver chain is also a common and intentional style choice. If you prefer a single-metal look, a gold chain can be substituted instead.

How long does it take to make a custom pendant like this?

The full process typically takes about one week for design — including the sketch and 3D render you approve — followed by three to five weeks for production once the design is finalized. Production includes creating a wax model, casting the metal, polishing, stone setting, and adding any engraving. Rush timelines can sometimes be accommodated depending on scheduling.

What does a custom gold pendant with a center stone and engraving typically cost?

A pendant in this complexity range — an openwork gold design, a center gemstone, and fine engraving — sits in the mid range for custom pendant work. The exact cost depends heavily on gold karat, whether the stone is lab-created or natural, and the chain chosen. Simpler designs or lab-created stones bring the price down, while natural stones, higher karat gold, or more engraving push it up.

Can a pendant like this be resized or changed later?

The pendant itself is a fixed-size cast piece, so its dimensions can't be adjusted after casting, but the chain length can typically be changed to suit different preferences. If you want a larger or smaller version of a similar design, that would need to be approached as a new piece sized to those specifications from the start. Engraving content is also fixed once production begins, so any text changes need to happen during the design approval stage.

Is sterling silver a good choice for a chain that will be worn daily?

Yes, sterling silver (.925 silver) is a durable, widely used metal for chains and holds up well under daily wear. A thicker gauge chain, like the one paired with this pendant, adds extra durability and reduces the risk of the chain stretching or breaking over time. It may require occasional polishing to prevent tarnish, which is normal for silver and easily managed with a polishing cloth.