Home Get Inspired Pendants Red Heart Key Pendant in White Gold with Moissanite

A 14kt white gold key-shaped pendant with a pavé crown, a bezel-set red heart-shaped stone at the center, a pavé-set shaft, and a small cross accent near the base, shown on a chain.

Red Heart Key Pendant in White Gold with Moissanite

$$$

14k white gold, red garnet, moissanite

A client came to us with a sketch of a key pendant and a clear picture in her head: red stone, white gold, a cross worked into the design, and a personal word engraved on the back. The design went through several rounds of revision — the garnet was sized down and the cross repositioned — until it matched exactly what she had pictured. She approved the final render and had it made in 14k white gold with moissanite accents.

'Hi Holly, it looks beautiful, but remember I said I would like the cross to be a lot smaller, otherwise it's perfect.' — on reviewing the design render

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Daily wear For herself Make Your Mark Identity expression

Quick specs

Design type

Pendants

Primary Metal

White gold 14k

Shape / Cut

Heart

Primary Stone

Garnet

Accent Stones

Other

Style

Cross Engraved Symbolic Word text

Design Complexity

Moderate

Intent

Make Your Mark Identity expression

Intent: Certainty

Medium

Size

Pendant approximately 1.25in long. Chain length 24in (client-supplied).

How they made it distinctive

01
Key-shaped silhouette with a heart-cut garnet bezel-set at the bow for a personal, symbolic design rather than a standard pendant shape
02
Cross element worked into the shaft, repositioned and resized during the design process to fit the client's exact vision
03
Pave moissanite accents lining the bow and shaft for continuous sparkle around the center stone
04
Bezel setting chosen specifically to protect the garnet's pointed heart-cut tip from daily wear
05
Back surface left smooth and available for a personal word or phrase engraving

How you'd make it yours

Stone: this piece uses a red garnet; a new commission could use ruby, pink tourmaline, or another red stone in the same bezel setting

Accent stones: this piece uses moissanite; a new commission could use natural diamonds or cubic zirconia depending on budget

Metal: this piece is 14k white gold; the same key-and-cross design works in yellow or rose gold

Engraving: the smooth back surface can carry a different word or phrase on a new piece

Cross placement: the cross sits on the shaft near the base on this piece; a new commission could reposition or omit it

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 center garnet was reduced from 8mm to roughly 5mm, and the cross was moved to the opposite side of the shaft and made smaller, so the proportions would hold once the overall pendant length was shortened to 2 inches.

Who this is for

This piece is for someone who wants a pendant that carries personal meaning rather than a generic shape off a shelf. It suits a person who knows exactly what they want and is willing to work through a few rounds of revision to get the proportions, stone size, and symbolic details exactly right.

How it's made

Once the design was approved, the team built a 3D model and printed it as a wax pattern. That wax was attached to a wax tree, invested in plaster, and fired in a kiln to burn away the wax and leave a hollow mold. Molten 14k white gold was then cast into the mold, producing the raw key-shaped pendant before any cleanup work began. After casting, the piece was cleaned, polished, and finished to bring out the detail in the openwork bow and shaft. The heart-cut garnet was bezel-set at the center of the bow for secure, protective holding, while the small moissanite accents lining the bow and shaft were pave-set by hand. The cross element near the base of the shaft was finished last, after the main shaft detailing was complete, and the back of the pendant was left smooth and ready for engraving.

Key note

The garnet's bezel setting was chosen specifically because a heart-cut stone has a delicate pointed tip that prongs would leave exposed to daily knocks.

Pricing guidance

A moderately detailed white gold pendant with a bezel-set center stone and pave accent stones sits toward the mid range for custom pendant work. Most of the cost comes from the 14k gold content and the hand-setting labor for the pave stones along the openwork bow and shaft. Stone choice and metal karat are what move the price most from there.

Moves price up ↑

↑
Upgrading the pave accent stones from moissanite to natural diamonds
↑
Increasing the garnet to a larger carat weight
↑
Moving from 14k to 18k white gold
↑
Adding pave stones to the cross element as well
↑
Extending the pendant length beyond 1.25 inches, which requires more metal and more hand-set stones

Moves price down ↓

↓
Using cubic zirconia instead of moissanite for the accent stones
↓
Choosing sterling silver instead of 14k white gold
↓
Reducing the number of pave accent stones along the shaft
↓
Simplifying the bow to a single loop instead of three
↓
Omitting the cross element entirely

Questions people ask

Is garnet a durable stone for a pendant you wear every day?

Garnet rates about 6.5 to 7.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, which makes it reasonably durable for a pendant that isn't subject to the daily impact a ring experiences. It's harder than opal or pearl but softer than sapphire or diamond, so it can pick up surface wear over many years of hard use. For a bezel-set stone like this one, the metal rim protects the edges and reduces the risk of chipping. Garnet also doesn't require any special chemical treatment to achieve its color, unlike some other red stones.

What's the difference between moissanite and cubic zirconia as accent stones?

Moissanite is a lab-created mineral with significantly more brilliance and fire than cubic zirconia, and it also rates much harder on the Mohs scale — around 9.25 versus roughly 8 to 8.5 for CZ. That hardness difference matters for small pave-set stones that take daily wear, since moissanite resists scratching better over time. Cubic zirconia is a lower-cost alternative that looks similar at a glance but tends to lose its sparkle and clarity faster. Many clients choose moissanite when they want the look of diamond accents without the diamond price point.

Can you make a custom pendant from just a sketch and a reference photo?

Yes, that's a common starting point. The process begins with a 3D digital model built from the sketch and any reference images provided, which is then turned into a photorealistic render for review before anything is cast. Clients typically go through one or more rounds of adjustment at this stage — resizing stones, repositioning elements, or changing proportions — until the render matches what they had in mind. Nothing goes to casting until the final render is approved.

What does a custom white gold pendant like this typically cost?

A pendant of this complexity — a bezel-set center stone plus pave accent stones along an openwork design — sits toward the mid range for custom pendant work. The bulk of the cost comes from the 14k gold content and the hand-labor required to set numerous small accent stones. Switching to silver or using cubic zirconia instead of moissanite would bring the cost down noticeably, while upgrading to natural diamonds or 18k gold would raise it.

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

The design phase alone can take anywhere from one to several weeks depending on how many rounds of revision are needed, since each change requires a new render for approval. Once the design is approved and finalized, production — casting, stone setting, and finishing — typically takes about three to four weeks. Multiple revision rounds, like adjusting stone size or repositioning a design element, will extend the design phase but not the production timeline itself.

Can a pendant like this be engraved on the back?

Yes, a flat or lightly domed back surface like the one on this pendant is well suited to engraving. A short word or phrase is the most common choice, and it's usually added as one of the final finishing steps before the piece ships. It's worth deciding on the exact wording early, since engraving is typically done once and isn't easily redone without affecting the surface finish.

Why use a bezel setting instead of prongs for a heart-shaped stone?

A heart-cut stone has a narrow pointed tip at the bottom of the heart shape, and that point is vulnerable to chipping if left exposed by prongs. A bezel setting wraps a continuous rim of metal around the entire stone, including that tip, which gives it much better protection for daily wear. The tradeoff is that a bezel covers slightly more of the stone's girdle than prongs would, but for a smaller center stone like this one that difference is barely noticeable.