Guide
A retirement gift for someone who built something
When a chairman, a founder or a long-serving director leaves, a company has one chance to say what the years meant. A sculpture made for the person says it better than a speech, and it stays long after the dinner.
Start with the story, not the budget
Three questions decide the piece. What did they build? What do they love outside work? Where will it stand — on a desk at home, in a library, in the office they are handing over? The answers usually point to one subject, and the subject matters more than the size.
Five directions that work
01
The company’s symbol, in gold
The same mark they carried for years, in 24-karat gold for the first time.
02
The thing they built
A product, a first store, a plant or a headquarters, made in silver at desk scale.
03
The passion outside work
Golf, horses, the sea. The hands that made Goodyear’s golf trophy and the Curlin Florida Derby Trophy make a piece for one person’s passion.
04
The city or the country
For someone retiring after a career between countries, a subject from Mexico City or a pre-Hispanic piece says where the years were spent.
05
A symbol of character
An animal that carries what the person was known for: patience, strength, vision.
Passions, in metal
Golf, silver and gold 
Horse racing, silver 
Goodyear’s Wingfoot, copper
A piece for a home, not an office
Most retirement gifts leave the building with the person. Choose a size for a desk or a library shelf at home rather than a reception, and a finish that sits well with wood and books: silver is the quieter choice; gold makes the piece the centre of the room.
Who gives it
The gift is strongest when it comes from one voice: the board, the company or the team. The engraving names the giver as clearly as the recipient, so the piece records both sides of the years.
One line, well chosen
Keep the engraving short. A name, the years and a single line read as well in forty years as on the day. “For thirty-one years of building” will last; a paragraph will not.
Presenting it
Delivered in a presentation case, the piece can be unveiled at the farewell itself. Keep the moment short: the sculpture, the line engraved on it, and a few words on why that subject was chosen. That explanation is often what the person remembers.
When to order
A complex piece takes about a month, so the conversation should start when the date is announced, not the week before.
Questions
Should a retirement gift be gold or silver?
Gold reads as the highest honour and suits the longest careers. Silver with a single gold detail is more restrained.
How large should it be?
Large enough to keep its detail, small enough for a home: most retirement pieces are made for a desk or a shelf.
Can the whole board give one piece together?
Yes. The engraving can name the board, or the company, as the giver.
Can it be a one-off?
Yes. A retirement piece is usually made once, for one person.
Is there a minimum order?
No.
Keep reading
Start your project
Tell us what you need to recognise.
Trophies, awards and gifts, finished by hand in silver, 24-karat gold and copper in Mexico City. A prototype is ready for your review before anything is committed.