Home Get Inspired Pendants Symbol Medallion Pendant — Sterling Silver, 3-Inch Detail

A large round sterling silver pendant with densely layered raised symbols including a central star within a sunburst flower, a yin-yang, an eagle figure, a wheat sprig, a cross-like medallion, and ornate scrollwork, hanging from a cable chain.

Symbol Medallion Pendant — Sterling Silver, 3-Inch Detail

$$$

Sterling silver

A client brought in a densely detailed reference image and asked for it translated into a pendant exactly as drawn, symbol for symbol. Getting there took some back-and-forth on scale and symmetry, and the client chose to keep raising the size until the piece could hold onto nearly everything in the original image. When it shipped, he wrote back simply: "ty. ma'am!"

"ty. ma'am!" — on delivery

Start your project

For himself Make Your Mark Identity expression

Quick specs

Design type

Pendants

Primary Metal

Sterling silver

Primary Stone

No stone

Accent Stones

None

Style

3D Cultural heritage Filigree Sacred geometry Star Sun Symbolic

Design Complexity

Sculptural

Intent

Make Your Mark Identity expression

Intent: Certainty

Medium

Size

Pendant approximately 76mm diameter (3in); chain 2.8mm width x 28in length.

How they made it distinctive

01
Sized up to a full 3 inches specifically so the fine background linework from the reference image would survive casting
02
Central star medallion set inside a layered sunburst/flower motif for visual depth
03
Upper-left emblem redrawn mid-design after the client and team flagged it as visually asymmetrical
04
Combines multiple distinct symbols — phoenix, wheat, twin yin-yang emblems, and scrollwork — into a single cohesive composition
05
Raised, high-relief casting chosen specifically over flush engraving to maximize dimension and shadow contrast

How you'd make it yours

Size: this piece is 3 inches to preserve fine detail; a new commission could use a smaller or larger scale depending on symbol density desired

Metal: this piece is sterling silver; the same design language works in 14k or 18k gold at a different cost point

Symbol composition: a new piece could reinterpret the same idea with fewer or different symbols arranged in the same layered style

Chain: this piece uses a 2.8mm cable chain at 28 inches; a new commission could use a different width, length, or chain style

One of a kind: this exact pendant was designed for one client from his own reference image and is not reproduced — a new commission is an original piece inspired by this one, not a copy

Design changes made

The upper-left emblem was flagged as visually asymmetrical during the render review and redrawn to be more balanced; the client approved the corrected version. The pendant size was also increased from an initially suggested 1 inch up to 3 inches so the finer background details in the reference image would survive casting.

Who this is for

This piece is for someone who has a specific, detailed visual idea already in mind and wants it translated faithfully rather than reinterpreted. It suits someone comfortable wearing a larger, statement-scale pendant that rewards close inspection, and who values fitting many personal symbols into one piece rather than choosing a single motif.

How it's made

Once the design was approved, the 3D model was used to print a resin model on a high-resolution 3D printer — the same model shared with the client as a preview before casting. That resin was invested in plaster and fired in a kiln to burn the wax/resin away, leaving a hollow mold. Molten sterling silver was then cast into the mold under pressure and left to cool before the raw pendant was extracted from the mold. After casting, the pendant was cleaned of investment residue and the high-relief symbols — the central star, sunburst petals, phoenix figure, wheat stalks, and yin-yang emblems — were hand-finished and polished to bring out the contrast between raised detail and recessed background. The textured, milgrain-style bail was finished last and sized to fit the 2.8mm cable chain before the piece was packaged for shipping.

Key note

The pendant was deliberately sized up to 3 inches rather than the standard 1 inch specifically because the finest background linework in the reference image would not survive casting at a smaller scale.

Pricing guidance

A large-format sculptural sterling silver pendant like this sits in the mid range for custom pendant work, driven mainly by its size and the amount of hand-finishing needed to bring out high-relief detail across a 3-inch surface. Complexity and surface area — not the metal itself — are what push a piece like this above a standard pendant price point. Chain length and width are a smaller, separate line item on top of the pendant cost.

Moves price up ↑

↑
Increasing the pendant diameter beyond 3 inches to capture even more background detail
↑
Upgrading from sterling silver to 14k or 18k gold, which multiplies material cost at this scale
↑
Adding gemstone accents or enamel color fill within the recessed background areas
↑
Requesting a two-sided design with detail on both the front and back faces
↑
Choosing a heavier gauge chain (4mm+) to match the scale of the pendant

Moves price down ↓

↓
Reducing the pendant to a more standard 1–1.5 inch diameter, which simplifies casting and finishing
↓
Simplifying the design to fewer symbols or a less dense composition
↓
Choosing a thinner, lighter-weight chain
↓
Omitting the chain entirely if the client already owns a suitable one
↓
Leaving the background finish matte rather than polishing every recessed detail by hand

Questions people ask

Can you turn a complicated reference image into a real pendant?

Yes, this is exactly that kind of project — a densely detailed reference image with many small symbols was translated into a 3D model and then cast in sterling silver. The key constraint is scale: very fine linework that reads clearly in a photo or drawing may not survive casting at a small size, so the design often needs to be sized up. In this case the pendant was increased from an initially suggested 1 inch to a full 3 inches specifically to preserve that level of detail. A 3D render is shared before casting so any symbols that need simplifying can be adjusted first.

How big can a pendant be before it gets uncomfortable to wear?

A 3-inch pendant like this one is on the larger end of what's typically worn on a necklace, and it will have noticeable weight, especially in sterling silver with a high-relief surface. Most wearers find pendants in this size range comfortable for occasional or statement wear rather than constant all-day use, though that varies by individual. The chain gauge matters too — a heavier chain (2.8mm or more) helps support a pendant of this scale without excess strain on a single point. If all-day comfort is the priority, a smaller 1.5–2 inch version usually strikes a better balance.

Is sterling silver durable enough for a heavily detailed pendant like this?

Sterling silver (.925) is a good choice for high-relief detail because it holds fine casting detail well and is easier to hand-finish than harder metals. It will tarnish over time with air exposure, which is normal for silver, but regular wear and occasional polishing keeps it bright. It's softer than gold, so very fine raised elements can wear down slightly faster with heavy daily contact, but for a pendant worn on a chain rather than a ring, that wear is minimal. For most wearers, sterling silver holds up well for years with basic care.

What does a custom sculptural pendant like this typically cost?

A 3-inch, high-relief sterling silver pendant with this level of surface detail sits in the mid range for custom pendant work — driven mainly by size and the hand-finishing time needed to bring out contrast between raised and recessed areas. The chain is priced separately from the pendant itself. Cost moves up significantly with larger scale, gemstone or enamel additions, or a switch to gold; it moves down with a smaller, simpler design.

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

For a piece of this complexity, expect roughly one week for the design phase — reference image translated into a 3D model and refined through a render review — followed by about three to four weeks for production, casting, and finishing. Highly detailed pieces can run toward the longer end of that production window because of the additional hand-finishing required. The client in this case saw a render within about three weeks of the initial deposit, reflecting the extra design time a piece this dense in detail requires.

Can you fit a lot of small symbols onto one pendant without losing detail?

Yes, but there's a real tradeoff between symbol density and pendant size. Very fine background linework and small emblems can get lost or blur together if cast at too small a scale, so a design with many symbols usually needs to be sized up — in this case to 3 inches — to keep everything legible. A 3D render is provided before casting so it's possible to review and simplify any elements that won't hold up at the chosen size.

Do you cast raised (relief) designs or only engraved ones?

Both are possible, and the choice changes how the finished piece reads. A raised, high-relief design like this one gives strong dimension and shadow contrast between the symbols and the background, which suits a piece meant to be examined closely. Engraved designs sit flush with the surface and read more subtly. The client on this project specifically chose raised over engraved to get maximum visual depth from the original reference image.

Does the chain come with the pendant or is it separate?

The pendant and chain are typically priced and selected separately, since chain length, width, and style vary by preference. In this case the client chose a 2.8mm sterling silver cable chain at 28 inches to match the scale of the large pendant. A classic cable chain is a common recommendation because its simple construction doesn't compete visually with a highly detailed pendant.