Onyx Japanese Koi Sterling Silver Fish Pendant
SKU: 3369
The koi on this pendant is carved mid-swim and curled into a full circle, wrapping its scaled body around a raised black onyx orb at the center. The stone is a smooth domed cabochon — deep, opaque black — held by four prongs from an open back, so it sits proud of the silver rather than flush. Oxidized Japanese wave scrollwork and flowing fins fill the space around the fish. At 23 grams and 35mm × 51mm, this is a substantial, fully three-dimensional pendant — one of the larger koi designs in the collection.
Built For
If you collect Japanese-themed silver jewelry — This piece builds the classic koi-and-water motif in the round: the carp coils completely around the onyx orb, with curling Japanese wave scrollwork filling the space beneath it. The 35mm width gives the silversmith room for individually carved scales and layered fins you can read up close.
If you like darker jewelry with meaning behind it — The opaque black onyx and the oxidized grooves between the scales give this koi a gothic weight. The dark stone anchors the center, while the blackened recesses outline every scale, fin, and wave against the polished high points.
If you want a pendant with real presence — At 23 grams of solid sterling silver and a fully three-dimensional build, this one sits on your chest with weight and depth. The coiled body stands off the surface, so it catches light from more than one angle as you move.
The Honest Take
The onyx dome is the first thing your eye lands on — a glassy, opaque black that throws back a single highlight under direct light. Run a fingernail toward the center and you feel the stone step up from the silver; it's raised, not level with the surface. Turn the pendant over and the setting is open at the back, so you can see the underside of the onyx held between four prongs, with the 925 hallmark stamped beside it.
The carving holds up close. Individual scales run along the koi's body — not stamped in a repeating grid, but cut with slight irregularity, the way real scales overlap. The fins rise in high relief and break into flowing strands that blend into the wave scrollwork at the bottom. The dorsal line stands proud of the body.
The finish is deliberately two-tone. Oxidation darkens the recesses — between the scales, inside the wave curls, around the fins — while the high ridges stay polished bright. That contrast is what makes the koi read clearly from a few feet away, with the dark grooves drawing its outline against the lighter silver.
Heads up: This is a deep, three-dimensional pendant, not a flat one. The coiled body and the raised onyx dome give it real thickness, so on a thin chain it can tip forward instead of lying flat. A slightly heavier chain keeps it sitting straight and facing out.
Under the Hood
Before You Buy
Q: What kind of stone is it, and how is it set?
It's black onyx — an opaque, deep black mineral — cut as a round domed cabochon. Four silver prongs grip it from an open back, so it sits raised at the center of the coiled koi rather than flush. Onyx rates about 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, so the dome resists daily scratches.
Q: How does this compare to the other koi pendants?
This one coils the fish in a full circle around a raised black onyx orb, so it reads as the most three-dimensional of the linked koi pendants. It weighs 23 grams at 35mm × 51mm. The copper inlay version is flatter and lighter (18 grams, 21mm wide), and the openwork medallion is the lightest at 13 grams.
Q: Is there meaning behind the koi wrapped around the stone?
The koi stands for perseverance — the carp that swims upstream past the dragon gate becomes a dragon. Coiling it around a black onyx orb adds a second layer: onyx has been used for centuries as a protective, grounding stone. Together they pair endurance with protection.
At a Glance
You Might Also Want
For a warmer, two-tone look, the Koi Pendant with Copper Inlay trades the onyx for a warm copper backdrop — 18 grams, narrower at 21mm, and brighter in tone.
If you prefer a lighter, openwork style, the Koi Fish Medallion is cut clean through the silver — 13 grams with daylight visible between the fins.
Browse more Japanese and animal designs in the animal pendant collection.