Home Get Inspired Pendants Lion Head Pendant — Black Rhodium Silver with Ruby Eye

Lion Head Pendant — Black Rhodium Silver with Ruby Eye

Sterling silver, black rhodium plating, lab diamonds, natural ruby

A client wanted a lion's head pendant with real dimensional detail, choosing sterling silver with a black rhodium finish so the design would read dramatically against pave lab diamonds and a ruby eye. He approved the render enthusiastically, and when it arrived he wrote: 'Wow it's beautiful! Thank you so much!!'

'Wow! That's amazing!' — on seeing the first render

'Wow it's beautiful! Thank you so much!!' — on delivery

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For himself Make Your Mark Identity expression

Quick specs

Design type

Pendants

Primary Metal

Sterling silver

Shape / Cut

Round

Primary Stone

Ruby

Accent Stones

Diamonds

Style

3D Animals Black Rhodium Oxidized

Design Complexity

Complex

Intent

Make Your Mark Identity expression

Intent: Certainty

High

Size

Pendant approximately 1 inch diameter. Chain: client's own 24in box chain, 2.7mm width (not included in production).

How they made it distinctive

01
High-relief lion mane detail chosen specifically to match a detailed reference image the client provided
02
Black rhodium finish selected after seeing a black rhino reference piece, giving the lion a dramatic dark tone instead of plain polished silver
03
Pave lab diamonds fill the negative space behind the mane rather than framing the piece with a plain bezel
04
A single ruby eye adds a deliberate point of color against the otherwise monochrome finish
05
Bail sized to fit the client's own chain rather than requiring a new one

How you'd make it yours

Stone type: this piece uses lab diamonds for the pave background — a new commission could use natural diamonds, moissanite, or cubic zirconia

Metal: this piece is sterling silver with black rhodium plating — the same design works in 14k or 18k white gold

Eye stone: this piece uses a 1mm ruby — a new commission could use sapphire, emerald, or a larger stone

Finish: this piece uses a black rhodium dark finish — a new commission could use a natural polished silver or white gold tone instead

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 requested a black rhodium finish inspired by a reference image of a black rhino piece, moving away from a plain silver finish shown in the first render. The ruby eye, initially missing from the render, was confirmed to be part of the physical model before production.

Who this is for

This piece is for someone who wants a bold, symbolic design with real sculptural depth, not a flat or simple pendant. It's especially right if you're drawn to animal imagery as a personal symbol and want a dramatic, dark finish that reads as a statement piece rather than something delicate or understated.

How it's made

Once the design was approved, a resin model was produced using a 3D printer — the client received a photo of this resin stage, showing the piece in its pre-metal form. The resin was then set on a wax tree, invested in plaster, and fired in a kiln to burn out the pattern, leaving a hollow mold. Molten sterling silver was cast into that mold, then cooled and extracted for finishing. After casting, the piece was cleaned and polished before the black rhodium plating was applied to the lion's head and surrounding metal, since rhodium is always applied last in the finishing sequence to avoid damage from further mechanical work. The pave lab diamonds were set by hand into the crescent-shaped background area behind the mane, and a single 1mm ruby was set into the eye as the final stone-setting step.

Key note

The black rhodium plating is applied only after all polishing and stone-setting groundwork is complete, since the dark finish is delicate and would be damaged by further mechanical handling.

Pricing guidance

A highly detailed dimensional animal pendant like this sits in the mid range for sterling silver custom work. Most of the cost comes from the labor of achieving high-relief detail in the casting and hand-finishing, plus the pave diamond setting — metal choice and stone carat are secondary cost drivers from there.

Moves price up ↑

↑
Upgrading the base metal from sterling silver to 14k or 18k white gold
↑
Increasing the pave diamond coverage or upgrading to natural diamonds instead of lab-grown
↑
Enlarging the ruby eye stone beyond the current 1mm size
↑
Increasing the overall pendant size beyond one inch, which adds more surface for hand-finishing
↑
Adding a matching chain in the same metal rather than using a client-provided chain

Moves price down ↓

↓
Reducing the pave diamond area or removing the diamond background entirely
↓
Using cubic zirconia or moissanite in place of lab diamonds for the accent stones
↓
Simplifying the relief detail in the mane to reduce hand-finishing time
↓
Omitting the black rhodium plating for a natural polished silver finish
↓
Choosing a smaller overall pendant size

Questions people ask

Is black rhodium plating durable on a silver pendant?

Black rhodium is a surface plating applied over sterling silver, not a solid black metal. It holds up well under normal wear but will gradually show lighter wear at high-contact points over one to two years of daily use. Because it's applied as the very last step after all polishing and setting work, it goes on undamaged, but re-plating is a straightforward service most jewelers can perform later if it fades. It's a good choice for a piece meant to have a dramatic, dark, sculptural look rather than a bright polished finish.

What's the difference between lab diamonds and natural diamonds for pave accents?

Lab-grown and natural diamonds are chemically and visually identical — same hardness, same sparkle, same clarity potential. The difference is origin: lab diamonds are grown in a controlled setting rather than mined. For a pave background like this one, lab diamonds let you get more stone coverage without the cost of natural stones at the same size and quality, which is why they're a common choice for pieces with dozens of small accent stones.

Can you make a highly detailed animal pendant like a lion or rhino head?

Yes, dimensional animal pendants with fine detail in fur, mane, or feathers are achievable through 3D modeling and casting, though they take more design and finishing time than a flat or simple pendant. The relief detail is built into the digital model first, then refined in casting and hand-finishing to make sure the texture reads clearly at the finished size. Highly detailed pieces like a lion's mane or a rhino's hide benefit from a slightly larger scale so the fine lines don't get lost.

What does a pendant like this typically cost?

A dimensional animal pendant in sterling silver with pave diamond accents and a colored gemstone eye sits in the mid range for custom silver work. The price is driven mostly by the labor of achieving high-relief casting detail and hand-setting the pave stones, not by the raw material cost of silver. Upgrading to gold, increasing stone size or coverage, or enlarging the piece are the main ways the price moves up from there.

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

From design approval to completion, a piece like this typically takes about three to four weeks in production, following roughly a week of design refinement beforehand. The process includes a 3D-printed resin model stage, casting, hand-finishing, plating, and stone setting, each of which adds time for a detailed dimensional piece. Simpler flat pendants move faster; the relief detail and pave stone setting here are what extend the timeline into the standard custom range.

Can I use my own chain with a pendant like this?

Yes, many clients supply their own chain rather than ordering one with the pendant, as long as the bail opening is confirmed to fit the chain's width and clasp size beforehand. It's worth sending a photo of the chain's clasp next to a ruler or coin so the bail can be sized correctly, since clasps are sometimes wider than the chain itself. This pendant's bail was designed to accommodate a chain in the 2.5–3mm range.

Can the eye stone be a different color or size?

Yes, the eye stone can be swapped for a different colored gem or resized, since it's a small individually-set stone independent of the pave background. A ruby was used here for a vivid red accent, but sapphire, emerald, or a colored lab-created stone would work equally well in the same setting. Sizing up the stone slightly is possible but should be balanced against the scale of the surrounding detail so it doesn't look out of proportion.