The same gourd, built bigger.
The Medium Happy Buddha Diamond Pendant is cut to a calabash outline — a small round lobe above a wider one — and the outline is the figure. The head fills the upper lobe, the belly fills the lower one, and Budai sits in a shallow recessed field inside a polished frame, arms raised, eyes creased shut, laughing.
The relief is sandblasted and the frame is polished. The whole figure is finished to a fine frosted matte: the open laugh, the long earlobes, the bare chest, the heavy belly and the loose robe over the arms all read through texture. Everything around him stays bright.
A single row of round diamonds follows the outline all the way round, riding the curve of the head, pinching in at the waist and opening out again around the belly. Approximately 42 stones in that row, each bead-set between a polished inner rim and a polished outer edge. These are the larger stones on the piece and they carry most of the carat weight.
The back is openwork, and so is the side wall. A central medallion carries the 福 (fú) character — fortune — ringed by a band of pierced Chinese cash coins, square holes and all, with a second course of the same coin pattern round the outer border. The pattern does not stop at the edge: it carries on round the full depth of the rim, so the side of the pendant is a pierced coin band too. Turn it in the light and the openwork runs continuously from the back face onto the wall.
The piece is hollow on the inside. Front and back are built as two shells with a cavity between them, which is what keeps a 35.7mm medallion at 19.3 grams in 14K instead of the much heavier solid it would otherwise be. Because the back and the rim are both cut through, you are not guessing at that — look through the coin pattern and you are looking into the body of the pendant.
The bail is a hinged two-row pavé post — twelve pairs on the front face, roughly 24 stones — with a 7mm opening, wide enough for a heavier chain. The reverse of the bail is left plain and polished and carries the stamp.
Budai is the laughing monk of Chinese folk tradition, taken as a figure of contentment and plenty rather than of austerity. The coins and the fú character on the reverse are the same wish said twice.
Why You’ll Love It:
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Cut to the Gourd – The outline of the pendant is the outline of the figure
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Frosted Relief, Polished Frame – The expression carried by texture, not by shine
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Diamonds All the Way Round – A single row of larger rounds following every curve
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Openwork Coin-and-Fú Back – Cash coins and the fortune character, cut clean through
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Pierced Coin Side Wall – The same coin pattern carried round the full depth of the rim
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Hollow Build – Two shells with a cavity between, keeping an everyday weight
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Two-Row Pavé Bail – Hinged, with a wide 7mm opening
Chain not included.
Made to order, turnaround time is typically 2-4 weeks.
Estimated Weight by Purity
| Purity |
Approx. Weight |
| 10K |
17.0g |
| 14K |
19.3g |
| 18K |
22.7g |
| 22K |
26.4g |
Total carat weight: Approximately 1.70tcw
Estimated number of stones: Approximately 66
Dimensions: 35.7mm height without the bail; 48.5mm overall with the bail
Bail opening: 7mm
Chain not included
Approximate Weight Notice
Due to the handcrafted nature of our jewelry and natural variations in gold alloys, listed weights are approximate. Minor differences may occur from piece to piece. These variations are a normal part of fine jewelry production and reflect the individuality of each item. For any changes or questions, please use the "Custom Work" page.
