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From Concept to Metal: The Story Behind a Bespoke Medal-Pendant

From Concept to Metal: The Story Behind a Bespoke Medal-Pendant

Most of what we make doesn’t show up on social media.

Some of it can’t.
Some of it shouldn’t.
But occasionally, we get permission to share something special—because the story is worth telling.

Recently, we were asked to create a medal. Not just any medal. A hybrid piece that lived somewhere between pendant and artefact. Part award, part symbol, part object of personal significance. And like all the best work—it started not with a brief, but with a conversation.


“It needs to feel meaningful. But wearable. And it has to last.”

That’s what the client said. No frills. No fluff. Just a clear need for something that could hold weight—literally and symbolically. Something that could be handed down. Or passed across a room in silence, and still say everything that needed saying.

That’s where we come in.


Design is Discovery

We don’t do one-size-fits-all. Each bespoke piece is built from scratch—starting with the question: What is this for?

Not “What do you want it to look like?”
But What do you want it to feel like? What do you want the recipient to understand without words?

From that answer, we sketch. We model. We push pixels around. And eventually, we commit to a die—a steel tool carved with the same care a sculptor would use on marble. That die is what gives the medal its depth, its tactile reality. You don’t get detail like this from shortcuts.

Cost? Typically £400-500 for this size of piece for die alone. But it’s the foundation. Without it, you’re building on sand.


The Strike

Once the die is cut, the striking begins. Tonnes of pressure shape soft metal into meaning. We chose a rich bronze alloy for this piece—warm, weighty, unmistakably intentional. A brushed antique finish gave it the kind of surface that invites fingers to trace its form.

The front shield was left open for engraving to dedicate it to the regional group that requested it. The back was left plain with more room for engraving – because sometimes meaning evolves.


The Result

The final piece sat somewhere between commemorative medal and jewellery. It could be worn. Displayed. Hidden in a drawer until the moment it mattered. That’s the kind of object we like to make.

Each piece is hand-polished, hand-finished, and layered in gold plating—because machines can’t highlight the details in the same way. Finished with a top ring, ready for ribbon, chain, or collarette—because meaning belongs with the wearer

It wasn’t just a product. It was a message made solid.


Make Your Own

Most of what we create is white-label. Private commissions. Corporate awards. Academic honours. Brand moments made to be remembered. But if you’ve got a concept worth turning into metal—we’ll help you shape it.

We don’t just make medals.
We make objects that hold meaning.

Let’s start with a conversation.

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Merit Badge & Regalia Co Ltd, 4 George Baylis Road, Droitwich, WR9 9RB, United Kingdom
+44 (0)1905 791350 | sales@meritbadge.co.uk

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