Home Get Inspired Pendants Racing Number Pendant — Gold with Blue Sapphire Slash

A gold-plated pendant shaped like the number 87, with small round blue sapphires set in a diagonal band across both numerals, hanging from a cable chain on a stone surface.

Racing Number Pendant — Gold with Blue Sapphire Slash

$$$

Gold-plated silver, lab sapphires

A client wanted to celebrate his son's dirt-track racing number by turning it into a pendant for his wife. The design carried a blue accent through the numerals to echo the number's look on the actual car, and after seeing the first render he asked for the gap between the stones to be tightened up before moving forward. When it arrived, he wrote: 'She loved it!'

'Carrie, looks great! I'm leaning towards the gold version.' — on seeing the revised render

'Yes, she loved it! Thanks again' — on delivery

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Gift for partner Valentine's day

Quick specs

Design type

Pendants

Primary Metal

Gold plated silver

Shape / Cut

Round

Primary Stone

Sapphire

Accent Stones

Sapphires

Style

Symbolic Word text

Design Complexity

Moderate

Intent

A Gift That Says Everything

Intent: Certainty

High

Size

Pendant approximately 1.5 inches tall.

How they made it distinctive

01
Numeral pendant shaped specifically to a son's dirt-track racing number, not a generic digit design
02
Pave-set blue sapphire bars positioned to mirror the accent stripe on the actual racing number decal
03
Stone layout on the left side of the '8' adjusted after client feedback to minimize a visible gap between rows
04
Gold-plated finish chosen over solid gold to keep cost reasonable for a piece worn only occasionally
05
Bail sized to fit an existing chain collection rather than requiring a new chain purchase

How you'd make it yours

Stone type: this piece uses lab sapphires; a new commission could use moissanite or an enamel inlay for the color accent

Metal: this piece is gold-plated silver; the same design works in sterling silver or solid gold at a different price point

Numerals: this piece spells a specific race number; a new piece could use any number, initials, or short word

Size: this piece is 1.5 inches tall; a new commission is scaled to its own wearer's preference

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

Design changes made

The stone layout on the left side of the '8' was adjusted to reduce a visible gap between two rows of sapphires after the client flagged it on the first render. The client also switched from sterling silver to gold-plated silver after comparing renders in both metals.

Who this is for

This piece is for someone who wants to turn a meaningful number or symbol from everyday life — a jersey number, a racing number, a birth year — into something wearable. It's especially right for a gift that celebrates someone else's achievement or identity, worn on occasions that matter rather than every day.

How it's made

Once the design was approved, a resin model was built and connected to a wax tree, then invested in plaster and fired in a kiln to burn out the wax before molten metal was cast into the resulting mold. The first casting came back with minor porosity — small internal pits — so the piece was resprued and recast to ensure it would hold its stones securely over time before moving forward to finishing. After the second casting cleared quality checks, the raised numerals were polished to a high shine while the surface was cleaned up by hand. The round blue sapphires were then pave-set in two rows across the numerals, following the pattern of the original racing decal, and the piece received its gold plating as a final step before the bail was added.

Key note

The piece was fully recast partway through production after the first casting showed internal porosity — a structural flaw that could have let stones loosen over time, so it was scrapped rather than risk the finished piece.

Pricing guidance

A moderately complex number pendant with pave stone detailing sits in the mid range for custom pendant work. The main cost drivers are the metal weight needed for a dimensional numeral shape at this scale and the labor of pave-setting many small stones by hand. Metal choice — solid gold versus gold-plated silver — has an outsized effect on price at this size.

Moves price up ↑

↑
Using solid gold instead of gold-plated silver — a piece this size uses a substantial amount of metal
↑
Increasing the number of pave-set stones or using larger stones
↑
Choosing natural sapphires over lab-created stones
↑
Adding stones to additional areas of the numerals beyond the two accent bars

Moves price down ↓

↓
Using sterling silver without plating instead of gold-plated silver
↓
Switching to an enamel inlay instead of pave-set stones for the color accent
↓
Reducing the pendant's height to use less metal
↓
Using cubic zirconia or another lower-cost stone alternative for the accent color

Questions people ask

Can you make a custom number pendant like a race car number?

Yes, a number or short sequence of characters can be rendered as a dimensional pendant in the same block-letter style used for racing decals or jersey numbers. The design is typically modeled at a specific height (this one is 1.5 inches tall) with the width scaled to keep the numerals in proportion. Accent details like colored stones or enamel can be added within the numeral shapes to mirror an existing logo or decal. This approach works well for team numbers, birth years, or any meaningful sequence of digits.

What's the difference between gold-plated silver and solid gold for a pendant like this?

Gold-plated silver is a sterling silver base with a layer of gold applied over the surface, while solid gold is gold throughout. For a larger dimensional piece like a number pendant, solid gold requires a substantial amount of gold by weight, which significantly increases the cost compared to plating. Gold plating will wear gradually with regular handling and contact, especially on raised or high-contact surfaces, and can be re-plated later if it fades. Many clients choose plating specifically to get the gold look at a lower cost for pieces that aren't worn daily.

Are the blue stones in this pendant real sapphires?

Yes, this piece uses small round sapphires set in a pave pattern across two sections of the numerals. Sapphire is a hard, durable stone well-suited to small pave settings since it resists scratching in daily handling. Lab-created sapphires are chemically identical to natural ones and are a common choice for small accent stones like these because they offer consistent color at a lower cost. Blue moissanite or enamel inlay are also viable alternatives for achieving a similar blue accent.

What does a custom pave-set number pendant like this typically cost?

A pendant of this size and complexity — a dimensional numeral shape with pave-set accent stones — falls in the mid range for custom pendant work. The cost is driven primarily by the metal weight required for a piece this size and the hand labor of setting many small stones precisely. Choosing gold-plated silver over solid gold, or using fewer or smaller stones, are the two biggest ways to adjust the price.

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

A custom pendant like this typically takes about one week for the design phase, including a 3D render for approval, followed by four to five weeks of production. Production can take longer if a casting doesn't pass quality checks and needs to be redone, which happened with this piece due to minor internal porosity in the first casting. Rush timelines are sometimes possible depending on production capacity, but complex pieces with pave-set stones are harder to expedite than simpler designs.

Can pave-set stones fall out over time?

Pave-set stones are secured by small beads of metal pushed over the edge of each stone, and when set correctly by an experienced setter, they hold securely for years of normal wear. The bigger risk to stone security is usually a structural flaw in the metal itself, such as porosity from casting, which is why quality checks on the casting happen before any stones are set. If a stone ever does feel loose, it should be brought in for inspection and re-setting promptly. Occasional wear, like a piece worn only for special occasions rather than daily, further reduces the risk of stones loosening.

Can this design be made for a different number or word?

Yes, the same block-numeral or block-letter approach can be adapted to any number, initials, or short word, with the design scaled to keep the proportions balanced at whatever height is chosen. Accent details like the pave stone bars in this piece can be repositioned or resized to fit the new character shapes. The overall production process — 3D modeling, casting, and hand-finishing — stays the same regardless of the specific characters used.

Can I get this pendant in a different metal color?

Yes, a design like this can typically be rendered in yellow gold, white gold, or kept in silver tone, and it's common to review renders in more than one metal before deciding. Metal choice affects both the look and the price, since gold options — whether plated or solid — cost more than sterling silver. The stone color and setting style generally translate well across different metal tones without needing redesign.