Oversized Gold Crest Medallion With Black Enamel
$$$$$
10k yellow gold, black enamel
A client came to us wanting a monogram crest — a crown, a dagger, and his initials — turned into a wearable medallion with real presence, sized to match a heavy chain he already owned. The project went through several scale adjustments as he clarified that he wanted a true medallion, not a smaller charm, and the team sent resin models so he could compare sizes side by side before committing. When it shipped, he wrote: 'OMG I LOVE THE MEDALLION!!!!!! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH.'
'LOVE IT!!!!!!!' — on seeing the design render with the black enamel background
'OMG I LOVE THE MEDALLION!!!!!! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH' — on delivery
Quick specs
Primary Metal
Primary Stone
Accent Stones
Design Complexity
Intent: Certainty
Size
Pendant approximately 4in length x 3in width, rounded corners; pre-finish weight approximately 150g in 10k gold. Bail enlarged to fit a 9mm chain. Back engraved, centered.
How they made it distinctive
-
01
Oversized 4x3 inch scale chosen specifically so the piece would read as a true medallion rather than a smaller charm on a thick chain
-
02
Bail widened mid-design specifically to slide over a 9mm chain clasp after the first version was sized too narrow
-
03
Resin models at two different scales were produced and compared side by side before committing to final size
-
04
Black enamel background chosen to set the raised gold crown-and-monogram design in high contrast
-
05
Personal engraving centered on the back, added after the client decided late in production to include it
How you'd make it yours
Size: this piece is roughly 4x3 inches — a new commission could be scaled to a standard pendant size for a lower metal weight
Metal: this piece is 10k yellow gold — the same design language works in 14k or 18k gold, or white or rose gold
Background: this piece uses a black enamel fill — a new piece could use a different enamel color or a plain polished background instead
Bail: sized here for a 9mm chain — a new piece's bail is sized to the wearer's own chain
Engraving: the centered back inscription on this piece can be swapped for different text, a date, or left blank on a new commission
One of a kind: this exact medallion was designed for one client's monogram and is not reproduced — a new commission is an original piece inspired by this one, not a copy
Design changes made
The piece was enlarged from an initial smaller version to the full 4x3 inch scale the client had originally envisioned, and the bail was widened to properly fit his thicker chain — both changes driven by the client's feedback that the first version read as a charm rather than the medallion he wanted.
Who this is for
This is for someone who wants a chest piece with real physical presence — not a subtle accent, but something that holds its own on a heavy chain. It's especially right if you already have a sense of scale in mind and are willing to work through the sizing and weight details carefully to get it exactly right, rather than settling for an off-the-shelf proportion.
How it's made
Once the design and scale were finalized, the piece was 3D printed in wax and attached to a wax tree inside a flask. The flask went into a kiln to burn out the wax, leaving a hollow mold, and molten 10k yellow gold was cast into that mold under pressure to form the raw medallion. Given the unusually large size, a resin model was printed first and shown to the client so he could confirm the exact scale before any metal was committed.
After casting, the piece was cleaned, polished, and prepared for its finish. The background was filled with black enamel in a separate step, cured over several days, while the raised crown-and-monogram design was left in high-polish gold for contrast. The back was engraved last, once the enamel had fully cured, with a personal inscription centered beneath the design.
Key note
The resin model stage mattered more than usual here — because the final medallion is an oversized format, a printed resin version was sent before casting specifically so the client could compare two physical scale options side by side rather than judging size from a render alone.
Pricing guidance
A large-format solid gold medallion with an enameled background and raised relief design sits at the top end for custom pendant work, driven almost entirely by metal weight rather than design complexity. At this scale, the gold content itself is the dominant cost factor, with labor for the enamel work and hand-finishing of the raised design adding a smaller but meaningful portion on top.
Moves price up ↑
- ↑ Increasing the overall size or target weight, since cost scales directly with grams of gold used
- ↑ Upgrading from 10k to a higher karat gold, which increases both material cost and cost per gram
- ↑ Adding stone-setting (such as CZ or diamond accents) into the raised design elements
- ↑ Adding engraving on multiple surfaces rather than a single centered inscription
- ↑ Requesting a two-tone finish or additional enamel colors beyond a single background color
Moves price down ↓
- ↓ Reducing the target size and weight to a standard pendant scale rather than an oversized medallion
- ↓ Choosing a smaller bail sized for a standard chain rather than a wide cuban-link chain
- ↓ Omitting the enamel background in favor of a plain polished or textured metal surface
- ↓ Simplifying the monogram design to fewer raised elements
- ↓ Skipping the back engraving
Questions people ask
Cost for a piece like this is driven almost entirely by the weight of gold used, since it sits at an oversized pendant scale rather than a standard size. At this size and karat, gold content makes up the large majority of the total cost, with enamel work and hand-finishing adding a smaller portion. Choosing a smaller size or a lower karat gold are the two biggest ways to bring the cost down. A standard-sized pendant in the same design language would fall in a much lower price range.
It's enamel, not paint. Enamel is applied to the recessed background area after casting and polishing, then cured over several days so it bonds permanently to the metal and resists chipping or fading under normal wear. This is distinct from a painted or epoxy-filled background, which does not hold up as well to daily wear. Enamel does require some care to avoid chipping if struck hard against a hard surface, but it is a standard, durable technique for this type of design.
Yes, solid gold medallions at this scale are possible, but the gold weight increases significantly as the size goes up, which has a direct and substantial effect on cost. A piece this size in solid 10k gold will weigh considerably more than a standard pendant, often well over 100 grams depending on the exact dimensions and design density. If budget is a concern, a smaller size or a lower karat gold keeps the design intact while reducing total weight and cost.
The full process from design approval to shipping typically runs several weeks longer than a standard pendant because of the size and the additional enamel curing time. Design takes about a week, casting and metal finishing take several more weeks depending on the piece's size, and the enamel itself needs several days to fully cure after application before the piece can be finished and shipped. For an oversized piece like this, the total timeline is best classified as extended rather than standard.
A medallion is generally a larger, heavier piece meant to sit prominently on a thick chain, while a standard pendant is smaller and more proportioned to an everyday chain. The distinction is really about scale and presence rather than a strict technical rule — a medallion is designed to be a statement piece rather than a subtle accent. In this case, the piece was specifically enlarged during design because an earlier smaller version read as a charm rather than the medallion the client wanted.
Yes, bails can be custom-sized to fit thicker chains, but this needs to be specified before casting since it affects the piece's overall metal weight and proportions. On this piece, the bail was specifically widened partway through the design process after the first version was sized for a narrower chain than the client actually owned. If you have a specific chain you plan to wear the piece on, sending photos of that chain next to a ruler helps confirm an accurate fit before production starts.
Yes, a custom engraving can be added to the back of a medallion or pendant, typically centered beneath the main design. This is usually done as a late production step, after enamel or other surface finishes have fully cured, so the engraving isn't disturbed by later processing. Multi-line text or stacked wording works well on a piece with this much surface area on the back.
Solid gold itself does not tarnish the way silver or plated pieces can, so the metal surface stays stable with normal wear. The enamel background is durable but can chip if struck sharply against a hard surface, so it's worth treating it the way you would any enameled jewelry — avoiding hard impacts. Beyond that, an occasional polish to maintain shine on the raised gold elements is the main upkeep a piece like this needs.
