A pendant is the one piece of jewellery worn exactly where the heart beats. It does not shout, it does not occupy your hands, it does not get in the way at work, and with every movement it reminds you of itself through the weight of gold. That is why it so often stays with someone for decades, and why it so often comes back to us as an object somebody wants in a particular alloy, a particular colour of gold and with a particular inscription on the back. Below are the hard facts: how a pendant differs from a finished necklace, what its weight and price really tell you, and what can be changed in it.
How does a pendant differ from a finished necklace?
A pendant is the drop alone, an element with a bail through which a chain passes, while a necklace is a finished whole in which pendant and chain are one designed object. The difference is practical rather than aesthetic.
You choose a pendant when you already have your chain or want the freedom to change it. All our gold pendants have a 5 mm bail, so it is worth checking before you buy whether your chain passes through it. In the boutique we will do that with you, because it is a matter of one attempt rather than guesswork. If you prefer a finished object, we have 34 designs of gold necklaces from 1 850 to 11 950 zł, which we covered in our piece on choosing a gold necklace.
How much does a gold pendant weigh and why does that show in the price?
In pendants the mass of gold is the main component of the price, far more important than the size of the shape. Our gold pendants weigh from around 0.41 g to over 5 g, and that spread explains almost the entire price range.
Concretely: the gold Raw N°1 pendant is 20 mm long, weighs 0.41 g and costs 950 zł. The gold Liquid N°1, at 15 mm, weighs 1.6 g and costs 2 150 zł. Liquid N°8 is 25 mm and 2.3 g, at 2 850 zł. Pearl N°6, at the same 20 mm length as Raw N°1, weighs 3.58 g and costs 3 850 zł, while Pearl N°7 at 5.25 g costs 5 450 zł. Two pendants of identical length can differ fourfold in price, because one is thin and the other substantial. Solid metal rather than hollow sheet also means the weight here is not an illusion.
Which alloy to choose, 585 or 750?
We make every pendant in 585 or 750, and the choice is a matter of character, not hierarchy. A higher alloy does not mean a better piece.
585 gold, that is 14 carat, is harder, so it copes better with daily wear without being taken off. 750 gold, 18 carat, has a warmer, deeper colour and suits objects worn less often but meant to make an impression. Both alloys are fully valued here and both are covered by the same lifetime service. If you want to understand the difference fully, we broke it down in our piece on gold alloys.
White, yellow or rose, what does the colour of gold give you?
We make every model in three colours of gold, so colour never limits the choice of design. That is rarer than it sounds, because many pieces on the market exist in one colour only.
Yellow gold is the natural shade of the alloy and it shows the weight of the material most clearly. Rose takes its warm tone from the copper in the alloy. White is plated with rhodium, which makes it cool and very bright, and after years the rhodium can be renewed in our service, which we do in the boutiques. A detailed comparison is in our piece on which gold to choose.
Which pendant to choose when you want a diamond in it?
Then look at the setting rather than the size of the stone, because in a small object what matters is how the stone is held. A good example is the gold Minimal N°4 pendant at 2 000 zł: a cube of 5.5 by 5.5 mm, weighing 1.26 g, with a diamond of 1.5 by 1.5 mm seated in one of its faces rather than on top.
We use natural diamonds only, in colour D to E and clarity VVS1, and stones above 0.3 ct receive a GIA certificate. Stones in pendants are small by the nature of the object, but the principle is the same, because we do not run two quality standards, one for large stones and one for small.
How much does a gold pendant cost at BELLER?
From 950 to 5 450 zł, and within that range sit 38 designs made by hand in our own workshop. That is our entire collection of gold pendants, with no hidden lines and no cheaper versions in poorer material.
Inside that range are forms from different lines: the irregular shapes of Liquid inspired by water, the minimal planes of Raw, the spiralling forms of Twirl, the geometry of Minimal and the soft volumes of Pearl. The finish varies too, for instance Pearl N°6 is hammered, and that changes how the surface catches light. We set out those differences in our piece on gold jewellery finishes.
How does a silver pendant differ from a gold one?
Beyond the material, it differs above all in price and in how the surface is protected. Our silver pendants are 26 designs from 450 to 1 050 zł, made in the same workshop as the gold ones.
We plate 925 silver with rhodium, so it does not darken the way plain silver does, and after years the layer can be renewed. A telling comparison: the silver Raw N°1 pendant and its gold sister share the same form, the same 20 mm length and the same 0.41 g weight, and cost 500 and 950 zł respectively. That gap is purely a difference of material, not of workmanship. More on rhodium plating itself is in our piece on rhodium-plated silver.
What can be changed in a pendant and where can you see one in person?
Practically everything to do with the material: the 585 or 750 alloy, the colour of gold, and on the flat reverse also an engraving, which we do free of charge with every order. If none of the 38 designs is the one, we make pendants to individual order. Production normally takes 3 to 5 working days, never more than 7 working days from order confirmation, and when the calendar is tight we also take express orders, once the date has been agreed with the workshop.
Pendants are objects a photograph cannot convey. The difference between 0.41 and 3.58 g is invisible on a screen and only felt in the hand, and the way a hammered surface catches light barely registers in a picture. So come and see them: Kraków, Szczepańska 9, and Warsaw, Mokotowska 71, Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 19:00, with no appointment. Addresses and directions are on the pages of our Kraków atelier and Warsaw atelier, and if you would rather be sure a particular model is on site, arrange a meeting.
Frequently asked questions about gold pendants
How does a pendant differ from a necklace?
A pendant is the drop alone, with a bail through which a chain passes, while a necklace is a finished whole in which both elements were designed together.
How much does a gold pendant cost at BELLER?
From 950 zł for the gold Raw N°1 pendant to 5 450 zł for the gold Pearl N°7. The collection holds 38 designs made by hand in our own workshop.
Which gold alloy should I choose for a pendant?
We make every model in 585 or 750. 585 gold is harder and copes better with daily wear, 750 gold has a warmer, deeper colour. A higher alloy does not mean better jewellery.
Can a pendant be engraved?
Yes, the flat reverse is a good surface for a short inscription or a date. We engrave free of charge with every order, and we settle the length on the actual model.
Will my chain fit the pendant?
All our gold pendants have a 5 mm bail. The simplest way is to bring your chain to the boutique in Kraków or Warsaw and check it on the spot.