Why We Only Create Resin-Free Fine Jewellery
If you look back through history, memorial jewellery was often crafted from precious metals like gold and silver, likely because of their longevity. Using plastic resin to create memorial jewellery is a fairly modern approach, and one that we can’t get on board with.
While resin certainly has a place in jewellery design and can allow makers to create some incredible pieces, we don’t think it’s the best choice for memorial keepsakes. Our resin-free approach means that we only use materials like precious metals or glass to keep memorial ashes safe. Let’s explore this in a little more detail.
Our Philosophy on Durability
For a memorial keepsake, there are a few things that you want to be sure of when you commit. The first is that your loved one’s ashes will be safe and secure. The second is that you’ll be able to wear your memorial jewellery for as long as it makes sense to you.
Some people stop wearing it after a year, and some people wear it for the rest of their life. We create jewellery for both, so you can be confident it won’t fall apart in either instance.
With resin jewellery, exposure to light and water can cause the material to break down over time. It will also shrink over time, and it will often adopt a slightly yellow hue. This can make it less suited to a long-term piece of jewellery.
Why Precious Metals Are More Secure
We create memorial jewellery from precious metals like gold, silver and platinum. These are incredibly durable and will help to keep your loved one’s ashes or hair secure for a lifetime and beyond. Our memorial jewellery is designed to be a family heirloom that you pass down through the generations.
The ashes are housed in a small hidden compartment that is welded shut and then polished to perfection, so there is no hinged opening or risk of your ashes ever coming loose. This provides peace of mind that you’ll be able to continue wearing your memorial jewellery with confidence for years to come.
Why Glass Is More Stable Than Resin
Perhaps you love the look of resin but want something more durable? Resin has some obvious appeals, the first being that you can see the ashes suspended in the material. It is clear, so the ashes are more on display. Resin can also be brightly coloured, making it more of a statement piece.
An alternative to this that would be brightly coloured and slightly transparent would be a glass gemstone. We create custom glass gemstones using molten glass that we then roll into the ashes, enveloping them in the centre. The ashes become part of the glass, and we can then shape it into a pendant, charm or gemstone for earrings or a ring. This is a much more secure and long-lasting choice, and it will also be suitable for everyday wear.
Environmental Considerations
Aside from the considerations around longevity of the piece, there are also environmental factors to consider. Resin is a plastic, which will degrade over the years. They contain toxic volatile organic compounds, known as VOCs, which are released into the atmosphere during production.
Working with precious metals and choosing lab-grown gemstones or glass gemstones is far more environmentally friendly from a materials perspective.
Repairability & Longevity
Another reason that we don’t work with resin is that it is very difficult to repair if things go wrong. The surface can become scratched, leaving it looking cloudy and damaged. There’s also the risk of the material breaking apart. And when it starts to shrink, it can fall out of its setting, losing the ashes forever.
Glass gemstones can be polished to revive their shine and they won’t shrink, so as long as you have the setting checked, there is a low risk of losing it. Precious metals are also easily repaired, and you don’t have to go to a special memorial jewellery maker. Any jeweller should be able to repair things like broken chain links or deep scratches.
Why This Matters for Families
When you are shopping around for memorial keepsake jewellery, it’s natural to want to make a choice that will allow you to pass the item down to the next generation. You’ll also want to select something stylish and timeless, so you’ll feel just as confident wearing it in a decade as you do today.
The problem with resin jewellery is that it can look very dated. The piece will also change over time, taking on a cloudy appearance before eventually yellowing. If you don’t plan to wear it for long, this may not be an issue, but many people think of their memorial jewellery as an investment.
What This Means for Your Memorial Piece
Take your time to consider the pros and cons of resin versus other materials when you are designing your memorial jewellery. If you are drawn to the bright colours and immediacy of resin jewellery, you could consider glass jewellery as a potential alternative.
And if you’re looking for something stylish, timeless and enduringly beautiful, then you might consider investing in a piece of precious metal jewellery. To further up the ante, add a lab grown diamond to make it a truly stunning memorial piece. This will elevate your memorial jewellery to a wearable heirloom that has sentimental value while still retaining its purchase value.
This article shares our perspective on resin-free jewellery. If you would like a more detailed side-by-side explanation of how kiln-fired glass and resin differ, including how each material is made, how it ages, and how it performs over time, you can read our Glass vs Resin Memorial Jewellery guide.
