Design Journal: The Icon Bold Pendant
If you know our signet rings, the Bold Icon Pendant might look familiar; it draws direct design inspiration from our Bold Gold Signet Ring. A strong geometric face married with the softer and more elegant triple row pattern in its bail, just like the ring's band. Adorned with any one of our nine legacy icons, we wanted it to embody the Rey FJ ethos of intentional jewelry worn as a daily reminder to live life with both style and purpose.
The Rey FJ design language is based in the beauty of contrasts. The combination of polished and sandblasted, the combo of geometric shapes with soft edges. The more masculine pocket watch look of how the bail (the part that connects to the chain) fits with the connector, paired with a more feminine, sparkling chain. We wanted the pendant to have an eye-catching visual weight that gets noticed and inspire conversation. It expresses meaning but is also the perfect style addition to your summer v-necks, very on trend this summer.
The bold pendant's face, at 19mm, was quite a big bigger than our bold ring which presented an interesting design challenge. We wanted to maintain the beautiful contrast of polished and stardust finishes, but we needed an extra detail that elevated the look. After several iterations, we settled on adding the extra detail of a sunburst pattern radiating from the icon itself. This makes the icon really shine and underlines the meaning behind our brand name. The name Rey represents the light that emanates from someone when they are shining their brightest self, both because they are living their values and their legacy, and because they are wearing beautiful, signature gold jewelry.
The process of new product development takes time, going from sketch, to 3D design, to wax prototype, to metal prototype. And of course, we don't always get it right the first time. We spend months iterating, paying attention to the tiniest design details that make the whole piece work visually and physically. For example, the design of the bail (the piece that attaches the pendant to the chain) was imperative for the pendant to hang perfectly straight and slide on the chain with ease. Meticulous attention to these details adds to the true feeling of luxury and timelessness in every piece we make.
We think about our jewelry as the voice of your legacy, being passed on to future generations, and we want you to build and add layers to your legacy story. It's what makes you shine, it's who you are and who you want to be. The Bold Icon Pendant is a key building block in that story, we hope you love it as much as we do.
Until next drop, keep it shiny!
Lynne and Trisha
