Home Get Inspired Pendants Graduated Pink Tourmaline Circle Pendant with Floating Diamond

A round white gold pendant with 14 graduating pink tourmaline stones set along the inner rim of a circular frame and a single round diamond set separately near the top of the circle with a partial bezel and single prong, hanging from a cable chain.

Graduated Pink Tourmaline Circle Pendant with Floating Diamond

14k white gold, rhodium plating, natural diamond, pink tourmaline

A father wanted a pendant that would count something specific: fourteen consecutive years, one tourmaline for each. He worked through several design directions — a bar setting, a graduated arc — before landing on a circle of cascading pink tourmalines leading to a single floating diamond, refining the setting with input from a jeweler friend along the way. When it arrived in time for the gift date, he wrote: 'the pendant and chain arrived today and looks great.'

'That is perfect!' — on seeing the first rough design sketch

'I like it very much and it's exactly what I have in mind.' — on seeing the photorealistic render

'the pendant and chain arrived today and looks great' — on delivery

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Achievement Daily wear Gift for child For Our Family Birthstone family piece

Quick specs

Design type

Pendants

Primary Metal

White gold 14k

Shape / Cut

Round

Primary Stone

Natural diamond

Accent Stones

Other

Style

Anniversary Bezel Family Low-profile Symbolic Zen circle

Design Complexity

Moderate

Intent

For Our Family Birthstone family piece

Intent: Certainty

High

Size

Pendant approximately 3/4 inch diameter. Chain length 18in cable style.

How they made it distinctive

01
Fourteen tourmalines mark fourteen consecutive years — a countable, literal milestone rather than a single symbolic stone
02
Stones graduate in size around the circle so the sequence visually builds toward the center diamond
03
Diamond set with a petite partial bezel and single prong instead of a four-prong crown, so it reads as floating rather than caged
04
Chain runs through two rings on the frame rather than a bail, which helps the stone-heavy side of the pendant hang centered
05
Center diamond supplied directly by the client and set into the finished design

How you'd make it yours

Stone type: this piece uses pink tourmaline; a new commission could use a different birthstone or gemstone for the graduated sequence

Stone count: this piece uses 14 stones for a specific milestone number; a new piece could use any count meaningful to the wearer

Metal: this piece is 14k white gold; the same circular design works in yellow gold, rose gold, or platinum

Diamond source: this piece uses a client-supplied natural diamond; a new commission could use a lab-grown or studio-sourced stone instead

Setting style: the petite partial bezel and single prong are specific to this piece's floating look; a new piece could use a traditional prong setting for a different aesthetic

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

Design changes made

The design moved from an early bar-style layout to a circular frame after balance concerns, then the diamond setting was simplified from a four-prong crown to a petite partial bezel with a single prong, and the tourmaline orientation was flipped so the stones cascade down from the top rather than up from the bottom.

Who this is for

This piece is for someone who thinks in specifics rather than symbols — someone who wants a milestone represented by an actual count, not just implied by a single stone. It's especially right if you want a design that took real back-and-forth to get right, down to how a setting sits and how a chain hangs, rather than something picked off a shelf.

How it's made

Once the final design and stone details were approved, the team built a 3D-printed wax model of the pendant — the blueprint used to confirm metal quantity and stone placement before casting. The wax was attached to a tree, invested in plaster, and fired in a kiln to burn out the wax, leaving a hollow mold. Molten 14k white gold was then cast into that mold under pressure to form the raw circular frame. After casting, the piece was cleaned, polished, and rhodium plated to give the white gold its bright finish. The fourteen pink tourmalines were set in prong settings graduating in size around the circular frame, while the center diamond — supplied by the client — was set using a petite partial bezel on one side and a single prong on the other, a quieter setting chosen specifically so the stone would read as floating rather than caged.

Key note

The piece was cast twice: the first casting run showed porosity (small internal irregularities in the metal), so the pendant was recast entirely before finishing to meet quality standards.

Pricing guidance

A graduated multi-stone circular pendant with a floating center diamond sits in the mid range for custom pendant work. Most of the cost comes from sourcing fourteen color-matched, graduating tourmalines and the hand-setting labor for a partial bezel design, with the center diamond's carat weight and grading being the largest swing factor.

Moves price up ↑

↑
Upgrading the center diamond to a higher color and clarity grade (e.g. from G/VS2 to a higher grade)
↑
Increasing the diamond's carat weight beyond roughly 0.75ct
↑
Using natural mined diamonds rather than lab-grown for the center stone
↑
Adding more accent stones or increasing the pendant's overall diameter beyond 1 inch
↑
Upgrading the chain to a heavier gauge or higher karat gold

Moves price down ↓

↓
Switching the center diamond to lab-grown rather than natural mined
↓
Reducing the center diamond's carat weight
↓
Using a uniform stone size for all fourteen tourmalines rather than a graduated sequence
↓
Choosing a lower diamond clarity grade where inclusions aren't visible to the naked eye
↓
Sourcing the center diamond independently and supplying it directly

Questions people ask

Can pink tourmaline stones be cut to graduate in size like this?

Yes. Pink tourmaline is commercially available in small size increments, typically around 0.25mm apart, which makes it possible to source a graduating sequence without custom-cutting each stone. Custom-cutting fourteen stones to exact graduated sizes would add significant cost and lead time, so working within standard available sizes is the more practical approach. This lets a designer create a smooth visual taper from small to large stones around a frame. The color consistency across all fourteen stones is the bigger sourcing challenge, since natural tourmaline varies more in tone than lab-created stones.

What's the difference between a lab-grown and a natural mined diamond for a center stone like this?

Lab-grown and natural mined diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically identical — the same hardness, brilliance, and fire. The only real difference is origin, and that difference is reflected in price, with lab-grown diamonds typically costing meaningfully less for the same carat weight, color, and clarity. For a floating center stone in a pendant like this, either option will look the same to the eye. The choice usually comes down to budget and personal preference about where the stone came from.

Can I supply my own diamond for a custom pendant like this?

Yes, most custom jewelry studios will accept a client-supplied center stone, though it typically needs to be shipped in and inspected before it goes into the setting. It's common practice to request the stone's grading certificate and shipping tracking information to confirm receipt. Supplying your own diamond can reduce the total project cost since you're not paying the studio's stone sourcing markup. The rest of the piece — metal, other stones, and labor — is priced and produced the same way regardless of who supplies the center stone.

What does a floating diamond setting mean and is it secure?

A floating setting is designed to minimize the visible metal holding the stone, often using a small partial bezel on one side and a single prong on the other rather than a traditional four-prong crown. This creates the visual effect of the stone sitting unsupported in open space. For a pendant, this kind of minimal setting is generally secure enough, since pendants don't experience the daily impact and abrasion that rings do. A jeweler will typically size the bezel and prong to the stone's exact dimensions to ensure it's held firmly despite the minimal metal.

How long does a custom multi-stone pendant like this take to make?

A typical timeline runs about one week for the design phase — sketch, 3D model, and rendered approval — followed by roughly four to five weeks for production once the design and stones are finalized. Production can run longer if a casting has to be redone or if a client-supplied stone needs to be shipped in and inspected before setting. Complex stone-setting work, like a graduated multi-stone frame, doesn't typically add significant time on its own, but sourcing matched stones can add a week or more if a specific look is being targeted.

What does a custom pendant with 14 accent stones and a diamond typically cost?

A pendant in this category — 14k white gold, fourteen graduated colored gemstones, and one center diamond — falls in the mid range for custom pendant work. The largest cost driver is typically the center diamond's carat weight and grading, followed by the labor involved in setting many small graduated stones by hand. Choosing a lab-grown diamond, supplying your own center stone, or using uniform rather than graduated stone sizes are the main ways to shift the cost down from there.

Can the chain length be made adjustable?

Yes, adjustable-length chains are a common request and are typically achieved by adding a jump ring at a shorter point along the chain, giving the wearer two or more length options. For an 18-inch chain, a jump ring placed around the 16-inch mark is a standard approach. This needs to be specified clearly when the chain is ordered, since a standard chain won't include this feature by default. It's worth confirming the adjustment feature is actually on the piece before it ships, since it's an easy detail to miss.

Is 14k white gold jewelry stamped to show the karat?

Yes, 14k gold pieces are typically stamped with a small '14k' marking as a quality and purity indicator. On a pendant, this stamp is often placed on a less visible interior surface, such as the inside of a frame or bail, rather than somewhere prominent on the front. It can be small and easy to miss without looking closely or under good lighting. If you can't locate a stamp, a jeweler can usually point it out or verify the karat with testing.