Questions about creating engraved pendants

[craftyone]

Hi,

I'm a beginner and my goal is to create engraved pendant necklaces. Not the sparkling gemstone pendants you see when you search for pendants, but pendants that appeal to other kinds of jewelry fans. I have some questions and I hope you are in an answering mood!

What is the name of the somewhat thick, flat, round pendant base the machine engraves? I attached an example photo. This doesn't look like what I want to make but it's a good example of a pendant base that a jewelry maker customized.

What is the name of the pendant base if it already has a bail or eye at the top (not through the base itself) for the chain to go through?

What are the best round pendant bases that look like real silver, real rose gold or real yellow gold but are fairly low-cost imitations?

I want to take a unique design of my own, program it into something, and have a machine engrave the pendant base for me. Is this possible?

Thanks in advance.

Photo:

[ps_bond]

I have to say I'm not convinced that pendant looks engraved - cast or possibly precious metal clay rather than engraved. What would I call the base? Um. Disc? Dog tag (British, rather than American)? As for with a bail, I think that's an adequate description.

As far as machines go... If you want to engrave a logo, picture or text onto a flat object, then there are a variety of engraving machines that'll do it, from basic CNC types through to the all-singing all-dancing laser engravers (some of which can do quite deep engraving). If you want to create 3d sculpted objects then a mill is what you want - a Minitech or Mira or similar. Then you'll need to learn to operate it - there's all sorts of fun with toolpaths and the like. I don't use one, but we've got at least one member I know does.

The other alternative would be to learn hand engraving. Armed with a sandpad and a couple of inexpensive scorpers you could learn to carve something like the photo in a reasonably short amount of time; there are courses around (check the Hand Engravers Association for some options). It'll be a trade-off of time vs money on hand engraving, but you'll still have to learn to use a machine (so time + money).

Tom Sterling uses a mix of milling & hand engraving for his pieces, if that helps.

BTW - you can also carve dies and stamp the metal into them to do multiples...

[handmadeblanks]

Something like this maybe?: Magic-70-Engraving-Cut-Machine-prcode-997-6308

[ps_bond]

Not sure that'll carve directly in metal from the site - https://www.redt-magic-engraver.com/magic-70.html
Although if you look at the applications, I'm assuming the branding irons are carved in brass but it doesn't seem to have much documentation for it.

Looks like a fun toy, but a spendy beast. I don't doubt I'd enjoy using one, but I suspect there are better solutions for wax milling.

[enigma]

I agree, that one looks like its cast or metal clay to me.

[craftyone]

Thank you all for your help! After researching the options you listed I've decided to use a milling machine. And after more research I finally found the perfect pendant base: a pendant blank! Can you tell me which affordable metals I should use if I want my pieces to be high quality and last for many years? Are there metals I should avoid?

[china]

Argentium, Stirling Silver, Gold, White Gold, platinum, really just depends on how much you wish to spend and at what price you want to sell them ,although in saying that there is some really high quality items
being produced in low value metals, various base metals, copper, brass etc.

[craftyone]

Thank you for your help.