solid gold or sterling silver
Every design here can be cast in four metals: sterling silver, 14K yellow gold, 14K rose gold or 18K yellow gold. All four are solid metal all the way through, not plated. You pick the metal when you order from Shapeways*.
the same design in each metal
what each metal is
how heavy it is
Every pendant is a 1.2 mm plate with a lowercase height of 4.2 mm, so the weight depends on the name and the metal. These are the weights of real designs in classic script, worked out from their 3D files.
| name | width | silver | 14k gold | rose gold | 18k gold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ava | 25 mm | 1.2 g | 1.5 g | 1.5 g | 1.8 g |
| Mia | 31 mm | 1.5 g | 1.9 g | 1.9 g | 2.3 g |
| Olivia | 32 mm | 1.7 g | 2.1 g | 2.1 g | 2.5 g |
| Sophia | 38 mm | 1.8 g | 2.2 g | 2.2 g | 2.6 g |
| Jennifer | 42 mm | 2.2 g | 2.7 g | 2.7 g | 3.3 g |
| Elizabeth | 44 mm | 2.2 g | 2.8 g | 2.8 g | 3.3 g |
Pendant only, without the chain. 18K comes out heaviest because gold is denser than the metals it's mixed with.
the lettering changes the weight too
Every lettering is cast at the same 4.2 mm lowercase height, but some have fuller strokes than others. Over all 414 names on this site, retro takes 38% less metal than classic script. In gold that's real money, because the price follows the weight.
| lettering | 14k gold, average name | lightest | heaviest |
|---|---|---|---|
| retro | 1.5 g, about $445 | Iris 0.8 g | Christopher 2.2 g |
| rounded | 1.7 g, about $470 | Jo 0.8 g | Gabriella 2.5 g |
| signature | 2.1 g, about $510 | Iris 1.2 g | Jeffrey 3.1 g |
| handwritten | 2.1 g, about $510 | Jo 0.9 g | Michelle 2.9 g |
| formal script | 2.1 g, about $510 | Jo 1.1 g | Tiffany 2.9 g |
| classic script | 2.4 g, about $535 | Jo 1.3 g | Gabriella 3.2 g |
Pendant only, worked out from the 3D files. Prices are a rough fit to Shapeways quotes from September 2026, not their price. To see one lettering on every name, compare the six letterings.
what it costs
Shapeways sets the price when you upload the file, and it mostly follows the weight and the gold price. For the names above, the quotes we got from them in September 2026 came to roughly:
- Sterling silver: about $35 (1.2 g to 2.2 g)
- 14K yellow gold: $450 to $580 (1.5 g to 2.8 g)
- 14K rose gold: $450 to $580 (1.5 g to 2.8 g)
- 18K yellow gold: $635 to $815 (1.8 g to 3.3 g)
Rough figures for the pendant alone, before shipping and tax. Prices change with the gold price, so check the price Shapeways shows you. castmyname doesn't sell or ship anything: we send you the file for free and you order from Shapeways yourself.
solid, plated or vermeil?
Many name necklaces are gold plated: a thin layer of gold over brass or steel. They cost less, but the layer can wear through and show the metal underneath. Vermeil is a thicker gold layer over sterling silver, and it can wear too. A solid gold piece is gold all the way through, so there's nothing to wear off.
How much gold is that? Here is the pure gold in one Olivia pendant in classic script, solid, and with the thinnest gold layer that may be sold under each name in the US (FTC Jewelry Guides), over the same surface (530 mm²):
| Olivia pendant | pure gold in it | why |
|---|---|---|
| 18K solid gold | 1.9 g | 75% of the metal is gold |
| 14K solid gold | 1.2 g | 58.3% of the metal is gold |
| gold vermeil | 26 mg | at least 2.5 microns of gold over sterling silver |
| gold electroplate | 1.8 mg | at least 0.175 microns of gold over any metal |
So solid 14K holds about 47 times the gold of a vermeil piece and around 680 times the gold of an electroplated one. Those are minimums and a plated piece can carry more, but even then the gold is a skin far thinner than a hair, over a different metal.
Sterling silver is the affordable solid choice. If it has to be gold, 14K is the sturdier everyday metal and 18K is richer in color and heavier.