Graduation

This pendant reimagines a pedal harp in miniature, cast in platinum and built with genuine instrumental proportions rather than a simplified silhouette. The scrolled crown, vertical strings, tapering soundboard, and open filigree scrollwork on the reverse were all modeled to reflect a real harp’s construction. Round stones alternate along the harmonic curve, tapered and standard baguette-cut stones run diagonally down the soundboard, and small round accents sit at the base near the feet. Several of the soundboard stones were custom cut to match the harp’s true taper rather than using off-the-shelf sizes. The piece suits a musician or performer who wants a wearable version of their instrument rendered with real architectural accuracy, sized to be noticed under stage lighting.

This oval pendant borrows its silhouette from a classic devotional medallion style, reworked with a personal center image and a ring of aquamarine stones in place of the traditional clear accents. At its center is an engraved figure of a saint, holding a book, rendered in fine linework against a polished gold background. A continuous halo of round, light-blue aquamarines is prong-set around the frame, and the back carries a private engraving in script. The piece is finished in 14k yellow gold and hangs from a cable-style chain chosen to be sturdy without adding bulk. The oval medallion format, halo-style stone border, and central engraved portrait combine to create a piece that reads as devotional and personal at once — suited to someone who wanted a specific patron figure honored in a format inspired by a well-known traditional pendant style, translated into her own stone and metal choices.

This pendant was built around the shape of an eye — an almond outline in polished gold plated silver, framed top and bottom with raised lettering naming a university optometry program and the new doctor it honors. At the center sits a small bell tower, flanked on either side by two instantly recognizable symbols of the profession: a miniature eye chart and a phoropter, the instrument used in every eye exam. The back carries a private inscription from family. The design went through several rounds of revision to fit this much detail into a piece just over an inch across, ultimately settling on an open eye-shaped silhouette rather than a circular frame so every element could read clearly at this scale. It suits someone marking a professional milestone with a piece that says exactly what the achievement was, not just that one occurred.