The Necklace a Frontman Wears Every Night on Stage (And How We Made It)
Aaron Hart had wanted this necklace for years. He just didn't know who could actually make it.
Aaron is a frontman. He takes the stage in leather pants and shiny jackets, playing loud, theatrical, unapologetically over-the-top rock and roll. His idol, Michael Starr from Steel Panther, wears a signature star-shaped necklace that goes everywhere with him. So naturally, Aaron needed his own version. A heart. Because his last name is Hart.
It was one of the first projects I took on after starting my business. And it was unlike anything I had ever done.
Sketching Over Tacos and Margaritas
I didn't have a studio yet. So we met at a taco place with margaritas and my sketchbook, and just started drawing.
Aaron came in with total confidence. He knew exactly what he wanted emotionally - this necklace was going to be a part of him, something he'd wear on stage every night, something that represented who he is as a performer and as a person. My job was to figure out the how. What size would look proportionate on him? What metal would hold up to the way he moves? And the big one: how do you design a necklace that looks great from every angle when the person wearing it is jumping around on a stage?
Most necklaces are designed to look good from one direction - the front. This one needed to work in motion. Flipping, spinning, catching stage lights from every side. That meant it had to be fully three-dimensional. Not flat. Not a pendant with a nice front and a plain back. A real sculptural piece that looked intentional no matter which way it turned. I had to communicate that clearly to my CAD and manufacturing team: this is something different. I know you've done it one way before, but we're going to do it this way, or we're falling short.
Working with Someone Who Already Has a Vision
This was the first time I'd ever worked with someone who was genuinely creative in their own right. Most clients come in with a general sense of what they want and rely on me to shape it. Aaron came in knowing. And that changed the dynamic in a way I really enjoyed - it was two creatives collaborating rather than a designer translating a vague idea.
I actually wanted to push the design further than he did. I thought he'd want to go all out, really max out the creative elements, maybe add some stones or extra detail. But he kept it more restrained than I expected. The heart shape, the three-dimensional form, the right metal, and the right proportions. Nothing extra. And in the end, he was right. The simplicity of it is what makes it work. It doesn't need embellishment. It just needs to be exactly what it is.
What It Became
The finished necklace is a heart, cast in precious metal, fully three-dimensional, and designed to be worn constantly. Aaron essentially never takes it off. It goes everywhere with him - on stage, in photographs, through daily life. It became part of his identity in the way Michael Starr's star necklace is part of his.
Later, Aaron thought he'd lost the original. So I made him a second one, this time with his band's logo engraved on one side. He ended up finding the first necklace, so now he has two. But the fact that losing it felt like losing a part of himself tells you everything about what this piece means to him.
Why This Project Changed How I Think About Jewelry
Most of what I make are engagement rings and wedding bands. And I love that work. But this project reminded me of something I think the jewelry industry forgets sometimes: jewelry isn't just for proposals and weddings. It's a form of self-expression. It's permanent. It's personal. And for someone like Aaron, it's not decorative. It's identity.
I think about what he said to me when he first walked in, which was basically: this necklace is my destiny. I'm supposed to have this. That level of certainty, that feeling of "this is who I am and I want something physical that represents it" - that's available to anyone. You don't have to be a rockstar. You just have to be willing to say, I'm worth creating something for. And that's the part of what I do that keeps me excited about every new project.
Seeing it on stage for the first time was one of those moments I'd dreamed about as a creative. Your piece, out in the world, being seen by hundreds or thousands of people, worn by someone who's proud of it. That's powerful. And it's a reminder that custom jewelry isn't limited to what fits in a ring box. You can see this piece and others in our client portfolio.
More Than Engagement Rings
Custom jewelry goes beyond rings. If you have a vision for something personal - a necklace, a statement piece, something that represents who you are - I'd love to help you bring it to life.
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