Home Get Inspired Pendants Coral Heart Pendant Recreated in White Gold

A polished white metal heart-shaped pendant covered in dense circular textured indentations mimicking coral polyp texture, hanging at a slight angle from a single ring bail set at the top-left corner, on a cable chain, photographed against a clear quartz crystal.

Coral Heart Pendant Recreated in White Gold

10k white gold

A client wanted a keepsake-scale replica of a piece of coral she already had, right down to its natural dimpled texture on both the front and back. The design went through several rounds to find a bail placement that wouldn't interrupt the coral's natural heart shape, landing on an off-center loop at one corner so the pendant hangs at a slight angle. When it arrived, she wrote: 'I love the pendant!! It turned out perfectly!!'

'I love the pendant!! It turned out perfectly!!' — on delivery

Start your project

Daily wear For herself Just because Recreate What Mattered Everyday replica

Quick specs

Design type

Pendants

Primary Metal

White gold 10k

Primary Stone

No stone

Accent Stones

None

Style

Cut out Heart Low-profile Nugget texture Organic

Design Complexity

Moderate

Intent

Recreate What Mattered Everyday replica

Intent: Certainty

High

Size

Pendant approximately 13mm (heart) × 17mm (heart plus bail); bail width approximately 1.75mm at widest point, narrowed to a single consistent width per client request. Flat back construction.

How they made it distinctive

01
Off-center bail placed at one top corner, not centered, so the coral's natural heart shape is preserved without a loop interrupting its silhouette
02
Surface texture replicated directly through casting from reference photos of both the front and back of the original coral piece
03
Flat-backed construction to keep the piece thin and wearable rather than matching the coral's full original thickness
04
Single thin bail with no connecting ring, kept consistent in width from top to bottom at the client's request, trading some durability for a more delicate look
05
Scaled down to about half the size of the original coral piece specifically to make it wearable as an everyday-scale pendant

How you'd make it yours

Metal: this piece is 10k white gold; a new commission could use sterling silver, yellow gold, or rose gold in the same design

Chain: this piece was made without a chain; a new commission could include a matching metal chain

Bail placement: this piece uses an off-center corner bail; a new commission on a differently shaped object might use a centered or hidden bail instead

Scale: this piece is sized at about half an inch; a new commission could be made larger or smaller depending on the source object

One of a kind: this exact pendant was modeled from one client's own coral piece and is not reproduced — a new commission is an original piece inspired by this process, not a copy

Design changes made

The bail was moved from a centered top ring to an off-center position at one corner of the heart, after the client felt a centered loop changed the coral's natural silhouette too much. The connecting ring between the bail and the heart was also removed at the client's request, leaving a single loop.

Who this is for

This is for someone who has a specific object — a natural find, a keepsake, a small treasure — that they want to carry with them in a smaller, wearable form. It's especially right if you care more about faithfully capturing an object's actual shape and texture than about a conventional, symmetrical piece of jewelry.

How it's made

Once the design was approved, the piece was 3D printed in wax and attached to a wax tree inside a flask. The flask was invested in plaster and fired in a kiln to burn out the wax, leaving a hollow mold. Molten 10k white gold was then cast into the mold under pressure, and the raw pendant was removed once cooled. After casting, the pendant was cleaned and polished to bring up the white gold's natural luster across the smooth portions of the surface, while the coral-replica texture was preserved from the casting itself rather than being re-carved afterward. The bail was finished narrow and consistent in width from top to bottom per the client's request, prioritizing a delicate look over maximum durability. No stones were set, since the design is a faithful surface-texture replica rather than a gem-set piece.

Key note

The dimpled coral texture seen on the finished pendant is captured directly from the original casting, not hand-engraved afterward — which is why both the front and back needed reference photos before the 3D model could be finalized.

Pricing guidance

A small cast pendant replicating an organic natural texture like this sits toward the lower end of custom pendant work, since there is no stone setting involved and the piece is modest in scale. Most of the cost comes from building the original 3D model and mimicking a non-geometric, irregular surface accurately; metal choice is the next biggest driver. Ordering additional pendants from the same approved model costs less than the first, since the design work is already done.

Moves price up ↑

↑
Upgrading from sterling silver to 10k or higher karat white, yellow, or rose gold
↑
Adding a center or accent stone that requires a setting
↑
Requesting a larger scale pendant with more surface detail to replicate
↑
Ordering a custom chain in a precious metal rather than supplying your own

Moves price down ↓

↓
Choosing sterling silver instead of gold
↓
Ordering multiple pendants from the same approved 3D model, which reduces design cost per piece
↓
Supplying your own chain instead of ordering one
↓
Keeping the pendant at a smaller, simpler scale

Questions people ask

Can you make jewelry from a photo of something I already own, like a shell or piece of coral?

Yes. A photo-based recreation works by building a 3D model from reference images of the actual object, including both the front and back if the texture matters. The more angles and detail you can provide, the more accurately the final piece will match the original. Natural, irregular textures like coral or shell take more modeling time than a simple geometric shape, but they can be captured quite faithfully. The finished piece is cast from that model, so the texture comes through in the metal itself rather than being engraved on afterward.

How durable is a thin pendant bail that a chain slides through?

A bail needs a minimum wall thickness to safely hold a chain and resist wear over years of daily use, and most jewelers will advise against going thinner than that minimum even if a client requests it. A narrower bail than recommended will wear faster at the point where the chain moves against it, especially with frequent wear. If the piece is meant for occasional wear rather than daily use, a thinner bail is a reasonable tradeoff a client can choose to accept. Any worn bail can typically be rebuilt and repaired later if needed.

What is 10k white gold and how does it compare to sterling silver for a pendant like this?

10k white gold is a gold alloy that is roughly 41.7% pure gold mixed with other white metals, making it the lowest standard gold karat and notably more affordable than higher karats like 14k or 18k. It is harder and more durable than sterling silver and will not tarnish the way silver can. Sterling silver is a more affordable choice that still finishes bright and white, but requires occasional polishing to prevent tarnish. Visually, the two can look similar to the eye, though gold holds its color and shine longer with daily wear.

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

The design phase, including building the initial 3D model and refining it through client feedback, typically takes about one to two weeks depending on how many rounds of changes are needed. Once the design is approved, production including casting, cleanup, and polishing generally takes another three to four weeks. A piece with a more involved design history, like multiple bail placement revisions, may take a little longer on the design side specifically. Total turnaround from first approval to shipping is usually around four to six weeks.

What does a small custom pendant like this typically cost?

A small cast pendant without a stone setting, replicating a natural texture, generally falls toward the lower end of custom pendant pricing. The bulk of the cost is in building the 3D model from reference photos and casting an irregular, non-geometric surface accurately. Metal choice has a significant effect — a precious metal like gold costs more than sterling silver at the same size. Ordering more than one from an already-approved design costs less per piece since the modeling work only has to be done once.

Can you do an off-center bail so the pendant hangs at an angle instead of straight?

Yes, this is a common solution when a centered bail would interrupt the shape or silhouette of the design. Placing the loop at one corner lets the piece hang naturally at a slight angle rather than straight up and down. It does shift how the piece sits on the body slightly, so it's worth viewing a 3D render before committing to this placement. It's a good option when preserving the original silhouette of a shape matters more than a perfectly centered, symmetrical hang.

Will the metal color in the photo match the finished piece exactly?

Renders and photos are a close approximation, but real metal can vary slightly in color and luster from a digital rendering due to lighting, monitor calibration, and the physical properties of the actual metal surface. White gold in particular can have a very slightly different tone than how it renders on screen. Once polished, the finished piece typically looks a bit smoother and more refined than an unfinished 3D render, which is often shown at a larger scale to show detail. These are normal, expected differences rather than defects.

Can you make more than one pendant from the same design later on?

Yes, once a 3D model is built and approved, it can be used again to produce additional pieces without redoing the full design process. This typically costs less than the first piece since the modeling and design refinement work is already complete. It's a common approach for clients who want to order a second piece later, whether as a gift or to have a matching set made over time. The metal and finish can still be changed between orders even when using the same base model.