Home Get Inspired Pendants Police Academy Graduation Pendant — Gold Badge Emblem

A 14k yellow gold pendant shaped like a police badge, reading POLICE across the top above an eagle-and-shield crest with a checkered pattern, a small flag, and a scale of justice, with a ribbon banner reading PROTEGERE ET SERVIRE, hanging from a figaro chain.

Police Academy Graduation Pendant — Gold Badge Emblem

14k yellow gold

J. came to us to mark his graduation from the police academy with a pendant of his own department's badge. The design had to be simplified slightly to fit the eagle, shield, flag, and motto into a smaller pendant size, with the department name and founding year moved to an engraving on the back. When the finished piece arrived, he wrote: 'I love it. It looks amazing and perfect. I am beyond pleased with the result.'

'That looks amazing! I am very happy with how it came out' — on seeing the first render

'I love it. It looks amazing and perfect. I am beyond pleased with the result.' — on delivery

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Achievement First responder For himself Graduation Make Your Mark Achievement / award

Quick specs

Design type

Pendants

Primary Metal

Yellow gold 14k

Primary Stone

No stone

Accent Stones

None

Style

Engraved Fraternal Logo Word text

Design Complexity

Complex

Intent

Make Your Mark Achievement / award

Intent: Certainty

High

Size

Pendant approximately 0.75in tall; chain: 14k yellow gold figaro, 16in choker length.

How they made it distinctive

01
Reproduces the client's actual police department badge, not a generic shield design
02
Front design simplified and department name/founding year moved to a back engraving to preserve legibility at a compact 3/4-inch size
03
Two-texture finish — sandblasted recesses against polished raised elements — makes dense badge detail read clearly at small scale
04
Made specifically to mark graduation from the police academy
05
Paired with a matching 14k gold figaro chain for a cohesive finished look

How you'd make it yours

Metal: this piece is 14k yellow gold; the same design works in 18k gold, white gold, or sterling silver

Size: this piece is 3/4 inch; a new commission could be sized larger if more front detail needs to fit

Engraving: the back can carry a different date, name, or short phrase on a new piece

Chain: this piece pairs with a 16-inch figaro chain; a new commission could use a different chain style, length, or metal

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

Design changes made

The original plan fit all badge details on the front, but the department name and founding year were moved to a back engraving so the front design could stay legible at the smaller 3/4-inch pendant size.

Who this is for

This piece is for someone who wants to carry a professional milestone with them every day, not just mark it once. It's especially right if you want your own department's actual emblem rendered in real detail rather than a generic badge shape, and you're comfortable with some front-to-back tradeoffs to keep the design legible at a wearable size.

How it's made

Once the design was approved, a 3D-printed resin model was produced from the CAD file and shared with the client as a preview before any metal was committed. The resin was then set into a flask and invested in plaster, which was fired in a kiln to burn out the resin and leave a hollow mold. Molten 14k yellow gold was cast into that mold, then cooled and extracted as the raw pendant. After casting, the pendant was cleaned and finished in two contrasting textures: the recessed background areas were sandblasted to a matte finish, while the raised lettering, eagle, shield, and banner were polished bright to stand out against them. The back was then engraved with the department name and founding year. No stone setting was required on this piece.

Key note

The two-texture finish — sandblasted recesses against polished raised elements — is what makes the badge detail read clearly at a compact 3/4-inch size.

Pricing guidance

A detailed logo or emblem pendant like this one sits in the mid range for custom pendant work, largely because of the labor involved in modeling raised, dimensional detail at a small scale and finishing it in two contrasting textures. Metal choice and pendant size are the biggest levers on cost from there, with chain style and length adding a smaller, separate cost.

Moves price up ↑

↑
Increasing the pendant size beyond 3/4 inch to fit more detail without simplification
↑
Upgrading from 14k to 18k gold, which increases the gold content by weight
↑
Adding a two-sided fully detailed design rather than a back engraving only
↑
Choosing a thicker or longer chain style than a standard 16-inch figaro

Moves price down ↓

↓
Reducing pendant size or simplifying the emblem's level of detail
↓
Choosing sterling silver or gold-plated silver instead of solid 14k gold
↓
Skipping the back engraving
↓
Selecting a shorter or thinner chain, or providing your own chain

Questions people ask

Can you turn a police department logo into a pendant?

Yes. A department emblem with multiple elements — a shield, an eagle, a flag, a motto banner — can be modeled in 3D and cast in metal as a dimensional pendant. At smaller sizes, some detail may need to be simplified or moved to the back as an engraving so the front stays legible. The process starts with a sketch and CAD model, followed by a photorealistic render for approval before anything is cast.

How durable is a 14k gold pendant with raised detail like this?

14k gold is a durable choice for daily wear because it balances hardness with enough gold content to resist tarnishing. Raised lettering and crest details are cast as part of the solid piece, not applied separately, so they hold up to normal handling without lifting or wearing off. The main risk over years of wear is gradual softening of very fine edges on the highest-relief details, which is normal for any cast metal pendant.

What is the difference between a sandblasted and polished finish on the same pendant?

Sandblasting creates a matte, light-scattering texture by blasting the metal surface with fine abrasive media, while polishing buffs the metal to a smooth, reflective shine. Using both on one piece creates contrast — the recessed background reads darker and softer while the raised design elements catch the light and stand out. This combination is common on badge and crest-style pendants because it helps dense detail remain readable at a glance.

What does a custom logo or emblem pendant like this typically cost?

A pendant with this level of dimensional detail — multiple design elements, a two-texture finish, and back engraving — sits in the mid range for custom pendant work. Most of the cost comes from the labor of modeling fine raised detail at a small scale and hand-finishing two different textures. Metal choice (gold versus silver) and pendant size are the factors that move the price the most.

How long does it take to make a custom emblem pendant?

The full process from design approval to delivery typically takes about five to six weeks. The first week covers the sketch, 3D model, and render for your approval. Once approved, casting and finishing take roughly four to five weeks, including the wax/resin model stage, casting, cleanup, dual-texture finishing, and engraving.

Can the back of the pendant be engraved with something specific, like a date or location?

Yes. Back engraving is a common way to add text that would otherwise crowd the front design — a founding year, a department name, a date, or initials all work well as a back engraving. It's especially useful on smaller pendants where the front design already uses most of the available space. Font and layout are confirmed with you before the engraving is finalized.

Can this design be made in silver instead of gold?

Yes, the same design and two-texture finishing approach works in sterling silver or gold-plated silver, and would change the look from warm yellow tones to a brighter white-metal finish. The dimensional detail and sandblasted-versus-polished contrast would translate the same way in either metal. Gold is chosen most often for this type of piece because of its durability and because it matches many department or organizational color schemes.

What chain works best with a pendant like this?

A figaro chain in a matching metal is a common pairing for badge and emblem pendants because its alternating link pattern reads as substantial without competing with the pendant's detail. Chain length is a matter of personal preference, though a 16 to 18 inch choker-to-collar length is typical for a pendant of this size. The chain is sold separately from the pendant and can be sized to the wearer's preference.