Help with gift, resetting a pin?

[mercoledi]

Hi everyone!
I have a good friend who''s in grad school with me and will be getting her PhD in the next year. I''d like to get her a nice gift, but I (having not graduated) don''t have tons to spend on it. She doesn''t have any "nice" jewelry, not even any mall pieces. I''d like to get her a nice stone or little diamond. I think earrings would be nice, but I had an idea about making a pendant, and I''d like some advice.

I was thinking of resetting a vintage/estate pin as a pendant. I have some minor silversmithing skills, so I may attempt it myself, or have someone else do it depending on the piece.

The question is, is resetting a stick pin like those pictured below likely to make a nice pendant? She''s tiny, so it doens''t have to be very big, but I don''t want it to be too small either ( I think a solitare 0.3 ct pendant would probably tow that line). Is a .5-1" pendant a nice size on most people?

Opinions please!

 

[FireGoddess]

I think it''s a very unique and cool idea. The size of a half to full inch seems reasonable. Are you thinking of soldering some sort of bail to the back of the piece so that it doesn''t show?

 

[surfgirl]

I think that sapphire set east/west on a nice delicate gold chain would be lovely.

 

[poptart]

I think that sapphire would make a lovely pendant, and a very thoughtful gift.

*M*

 

[neatfreak]

I personally love small pendants as long as the chain is the right length (i.e., on the shorter side so it hits just below the indent in your neck). I really think that sapphire one would be very pretty as a pendant.