Custom Memorial Pendants That Keep Someone Close

Pick one main element and support it with one or two others. A portrait with wings and a name works. A portrait, wings, a cross, a name, two full dates and a quote on a 35 mm piece does not.

Tell us about the person and what you want the piece to say, and send any photos, handwriting or reference images. We come back with the design and the exact price before anything is made. Once you approve, it is made and delivered with insured shipping, or picked up at our Miami showroom.

Memorial pieces often come with a date in mind, such as a service, a birthday or an anniversary. Say so at the start. Start the request on the custom page.

People will look at this pendant and ask who it is for. Make it easy for them to see.

• One focal point. The face or the name, not both fighting for the center.
• Letter size. At conversation distance, letters under about 5 mm blur together. Names on the front should be 6 to 8 mm or larger.
• Contrast. Polished letters on a textured or iced background read clearly; iced letters on an iced background can blend into one sparkle.
• Put the fine print on the back. Full dates, a message, coordinates of a hometown. The back is for the wearer; the front is for everyone.

1. Portrait with wings. A round or oval portrait frame with angel wings on each side and the name in a banner below. The most requested memorial layout in hip-hop and Latin jewelry.
2. Name and years. The name in script with the two years underneath, as a nameplate or a pendant. Clean and timeless.
3. Cross with a name. A faith cross with the name across the horizontal arm. Our custom cross pendants page covers cross sizing.
4. Heart locket. A photo inside, initials or a date engraved outside.
5. Symbol only. A dove, a set of wings or a favorite object, with the name engraved on the back. Discreet for everyday wear.

Short phrases fit; long ones crowd the piece. Phrases that work well at pendant size:

• A nickname instead of a full name, if that is what everyone called them.
• "Forever," "Always" or "Until we meet again."
• "RIP" followed by the name.
• Two years separated by a short line, such as 1958 to 2026 written as numbers.
• A word in their language, like "Siempre" or "Mamá."

Longer messages belong on the back, engraved in a smaller size where only the wearer reads them.

Grief makes design decisions harder than usual. If you cannot choose, send everything you have: a few favorite photos, the name, the dates, something they always said and anything they loved. Say what the piece should feel like, quiet or bold. The first design can be built from that, and the render gives you something concrete to react to instead of a blank page.

A custom memorial piece takes time to design and build. Many families start with a ready-made piece they can wear now, then add the custom pendant later. These are in our catalog in 10K gold:

• Engravable Teardrop Charm Necklace, from $390, room for initials or a date
• Classic Heart Locket, about 17.5 by 15 mm, from $380, holds a small photo
• Oval Art Locket, about 21.8 by 15.3 mm, from $455
• Heart Inlay Locket, about 20 by 19.6 mm, from $485
• Tree of Life Disc Necklace, from $485

Because the design is a 3D model, the same piece can be made in several sizes. A common family set:

Ordering the set at the same time keeps every piece consistent and lets the quote cover all of them together. See matching chains for groups for how multiples work.

For a memorial piece the render is an emotional checkpoint as much as a technical one. Check the spelling of every name, the exact dates, the crop of the face and the expression in a sculpted portrait. Take your time. Share the render with family before you approve; another set of eyes catches a wrong year more often than you would think. More on what renders show in 3D renders and CAD.

A memorial pendant is usually worn daily and often passed on. 10K gold, at 41.7 percent pure, is the hardest and holds fine engraving well under daily wear. 14K (58.3 percent) gives a warmer color with good strength. 18K (75 percent) is the richest and the softest, best on thicker designs. White gold makes a diamond frame or wings look brighter; yellow gold warms up a color portrait.

Stones on a memorial piece usually go on the wings, the frame or the name banner, not over the face. Lab-grown diamonds give more coverage for the money; natural diamonds suit a piece meant as an heirloom. Both are real diamonds, and lab-grown stones must be disclosed as laboratory-grown under the FTC Jewelry Guides, so check the origin on your quote. A middle path many families choose: diamonds on the wings or frame only, polished gold for the portrait and name.

The chain decides whether the piece is worn every day or saved for occasions. A light pendant on a fine chain disappears under a shirt and can be worn constantly. A large iced tribute piece needs a strong chain and tends to be worn on the outside. Match them: about 5 mm of pendant height for every 1 mm of chain width keeps the proportions right. For a small locket, a 1 mm chain like our Box Chain 1mm (from $470) is enough. For a portrait with wings around 40 mm, look at a 3 mm or wider link, such as the Rope Chain 3mm (from $2,175). Length matters too: 18 to 20 inches keeps a small piece near the heart, and 22 to 24 inches lets a larger tribute sit on the chest where it can be seen.

Engraved names and dates soften slowly with years of rubbing against clothes. Deeper engraving lasts longer, so ask for it on the model if the piece will be worn daily. Clean gold and diamonds with warm soapy water and a soft brush; for a printed portrait, wipe the gold with a damp cloth instead of soaking it. Store the pendant in its own pouch so nothing scratches the face of it.

Simple name-and-date designs move fastest. Portraits add image preparation, sculpted faces add modeling time, and iced wings add hand setting. If there is a date you are working toward, tell us at the start; the timing for your piece comes with the quote.

Price follows size, the number of stones and their origin, the portrait method and the karat. Our custom pendant cost guide shows how each line adds up.

Send the name, the dates, any photo or handwriting, the symbol you want, plain gold or iced, and how many pieces. If you would rather talk it through in person, come to the showroom. Otherwise, submit it through the custom request.