“What size should the pendant be?” is the question every buyer and every seller asks - and the answer has three parts: how it looks when worn, how the script behaves, and what the laser can physically cut. Here are the practical numbers we’ve settled on.
The three standard widths
| Width | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 30 mm | Petite, delicate, whisper-quiet | Minimalist taste, layering with other chains, children’s jewellery, short names |
| 40 mm | The classic - visible but everyday | The default gift size; most-sold on marketplaces; suits nearly all names |
| 50 mm | Statement piece | Bold styling, longer names that need breathing room, nameplate looks |
For scale: a standard credit card is 85.6 mm wide - a 40 mm pendant spans just under half of it.
Height follows the script, not the width
Width is what you choose; height is what the name’s script produces. A compact English name might stand ~8-10 mm tall at 40 mm wide, while a Devanagari name with an ikar above the shirorekha and a matra below can reach 12-16 mm. That’s normal and beautiful - but it means two “40 mm” pendants can wear differently. The designer reports the exact width × height of your specific name before you buy, and each library listing shows its measured dimensions.
Why you shouldn’t go below ~25 mm
Scale a name down and every stroke thins with it. Below roughly 25 mm wide, fine details of calligraphic scripts approach the laser’s kerf, connector bridges get fragile, and polishing can soften small features into mush. GemTheName’s bridges and loops are tuned for the 30-50 mm range - the files are true vectors and can be rescaled, but stay in that range unless your shop confirms otherwise with a test cut.
Jump rings, loops and chains
- Every design carries a loop at each end; pair them with 3-4 mm jump rings - the standard size in any findings shop.
- A 45 cm (18″) chain is the default women’s length and sits the pendant at the collarbone; 40 cm reads choker-adjacent, 50 cm more relaxed.
- Fine cable or rope chains (~1-1.5 mm) suit 30-40 mm pendants; a 50 mm statement piece can carry a slightly heavier chain.
- Material thickness: 1-1.5 mm sheet reads as fine jewellery at these widths; 2 mm feels chunky (sometimes exactly what you want in acrylic).
The 2-minute paper test
- Preview the name in the designer and note the mm dimensions.
- Cut a strip of paper to exactly that width and height.
- Tape it to a chain or hold it at the collarbone in a mirror.
Thirty seconds in a mirror answers what no chart can - and for resellers, it’s a wonderful trick to teach customers who can’t decide between sizes.
Recommendations we give buyers
- Buying a gift and unsure? 40 mm.
- Name longer than ~7 characters? Consider 50 mm so letters keep their detail.
- For a child? 30 mm on a 35-40 cm chain.
- Acrylic trend piece? Go 50 mm - acrylic wants to be seen.
Since every file is a true-millimetre vector (SVG and DXF both), the size you pick is the size that cuts - no surprises at the shop.