How to Turn Your Loved One’s Ashes Into Memorial Jewellery You’ll Always Cherish

Memorial jewellery is growing in popularity as a way to memorialise a loved one. It can help to make the process of saying goodbye easier, as you can feel closer to their presence, even after they are gone.

Memorials can take many different forms, from gardens and plaques to naming stars in the night sky. While these are all touching ways to pay tribute to lost loved ones, they don’t always bring personal comfort to those left behind.

This is why memorial jewellery is so enduringly popular. It can help grieving relatives and loved ones to find strength in everyday moments, as they will have a quiet memorial they can reach for to help them to remember.

Memorial jewellery can be worn for as long as needed and then stored safely in a jewellery box to be worn for special occasions. It can also be passed to children and grandchildren to help keep precious family memories alive. 

What is memorial jewellery?

Memorial jewellery is a special kind of jewellery that contains the ashes or hair of a loved one. There are many different types of memorial jewellery available. The most common and durable type is made from precious metals such as silver or gold. The ashes or hair are contained in a permanently sealed hidden chamber in the heart of the piece.

You can also find memorial jewellery that is made from glass. The ashes are suspended in molten glass and then hardened, shaped and polished. These glass gems can then be mounted on silver, platinum or gold jewellery.

And finally, you can also find resin jewellery that contains the ashes of your loved one. However, resin is not the ideal substance for long-lasting jewellery. It is made from plastic and will therefore degrade over time, which means the ashes won’t be safe forever.

How do you choose the right memorial jewellery?

Choosing the right memorial jewellery for you is all about your personal taste and preferences. There are many types of jewellery available, including:

• Necklaces and pendants. These can be traditional or contemporary and are perfect for those who want an understated piece of jewellery. Pendants can be made from precious metals or glass gems.
• Earrings. If you are getting married, you might want to include your loved one on your special day. Memorial earrings offer the perfect solution.
• Cufflinks. This is the ideal gift for a man, either for everyday wear or for a special occasion. Cufflinks also make an ideal family heirloom.
• Rings. A ring is suitable for men and women and there is a wide range of styles available. This can include solitaire engagement rings or statement signet rings.
• Bracelets and bangles. Memorial jewellery is the ideal choice for a permanent bracelet. These are welded to the wrist and designed to be worn at all times. You can also choose bangles and bracelets with clasps.
• Charms. A charm is an ideal choice for someone who wants to add something special to an existing bracelet or necklace. A charm is understated and subtle, but also very tactile, so you can feel its presence when you need it the most.

What do you need to make memorial jewellery?

All memorial jewellery is completely bespoke, so you will need to provide the materials for it to be custom made. You will typically need to decide if you would like to use ashes or hair. 

Ashes are a popular choice if your loved one has been cremated and you are planning to scatter the ashes. By making memorial jewellery with a portion of the ashes, you will find it easier to scatter the rest.

Hair is a more common choice if your loved one is going to be buried, or if you are making memorial jewellery for a pet. If you choose to make jewellery with hair, it will have to be hidden compartment jewellery rather than glass gemstone jewellery.

You don’t need a lot of material to make memorial jewellery. Most pieces of jewellery are very small, and the hidden compartment is even smaller. With glass jewellery, only a small sprinkle of ashes is required.

If you are uncomfortable handling the ashes, you can ask your jewellery maker to collect the ashes directly from the urn. This will allow them to take exactly what they need. All unused ashes should always be returned to you.

How much of the ashes should I use?

Since memorial jewellery is so small, only a small amount of ashes is needed to create the piece. Jewellers will typically use less than a teaspoon of ashes and then return any unused ashes to you. If you are creating a few pieces of jewellery, you might need to provide more ashes. The same goes for jewellery that comes in pairs, like earrings and cufflinks. 

Can I turn ashes into a diamond?

Ashes can be turned into a diamond through a process that involved intense heat and pressure. This is the same process that is used to create laboratory diamonds. It is a very expensive process. Once created, there will be no way to tell it apart from a lab-grown diamond made from ordinary carbon.

Ashes are largely made of carbon, which is why they can be used to create diamonds. However, they are also high in nitrogen, which results in a yellow tint. A diamond is more valuable if it is clear, colourless and free from faults and inclusions. Inclusions are faults in the internal structure that impact the shine and sparkle.

While it is certainly possible to turn a loved one’s ashes into a diamond, it isn’t always the best idea. Ashes create yellow diamonds with lots of faults and inclusions. This means that the finished results won’t be a very pretty or valuable diamond.

The cost of creating the diamond will outweigh the final value of the diamond, so it isn’t always worthwhile. Instead, you should consider adding ashes to a hidden compartment in a piece of diamond jewellery. 

This is ideal for engagement rings, pendants and earrings. Many families will create diamond jewellery with ashes enclosed inside and then pass these down as family heirlooms. The jewellery will retain its value much better than a diamond made from ashes.

Closing thoughts

If you’re thinking about turning the ashes of a loved one into memorial jewellery, there are lots of things to consider. First and foremost, you need to decide on the type of jewellery you would like to make. 

While it is certainly possible to turn ashes into diamonds, this process is expensive and often delivers poor quality results. It’s far better to create a piece of memorial jewellery set with a lab-grown or mined diamond.

Above all else, you should trust the process to a company with knowledge and experience of handling human or pet remains. It can be very emotional to hand over the ashes to someone else, so you want to know that they are in good hands.

Ashes With Art can help you manage the process from start to finish, offering a sympathetic and understanding service that will help you to turn your precious ashes into a lasting keepsake that will bring you support and comfort.