15 Alternatives to Cremation Ashes Jewellery

10 Alternatives to Cremation Ashes for Jewellery for anyone who has had a loved one pass away. Your family member, friend or pet may not be cremated or you may not be able to use their ashes for jewellery, but still want to keep a little part of them close to you.

Clients have contacted me over the years, distraught as a family member has told them they’re not allowed the ashes. When my dad passed away and was cremated, my sister and I weren’t offered any to keep and we didn’t know we had the right to ask. His ashes were laid to rest with his mum.

Lock of Hair or Fur Jewellery

Locks of hair and fur jewellery are very popular memorial jewellery ideas, after cremains. Resin is the best medium for hair because unlike lampwork and fused glass, it doesn’t burn away the hair. You can also have hair in a locket like this along with your loved one’s photo.

 

Text Engraving

Engraved mourning jewellery is a lovely alternative to something containing your family member’s ashes. We have a blog here with memorial quotes and the most popular things for engraving are: date of birth and date of passing, names, phrases like “Forever In My Heart”, “Always With Me”, “Over The Rainbow Bridge” and “In Loving Memory”. Text can be engraved onto most jewellery pieces. You can choose any number of numbers, letters and emoji to be engraved onto silver or gold. You may choose dates, a special phrase, Roman numerals, geographic coordinates

Dried Flowers and Petals
Some people choose to save a few flowers from a funeral or collected from their grave, which can be dried and sent in to be embedded in resin or put in a photo frame

Handwriting
Handwriting can be engraved into metals like solid silver and gold or printed in resin

Photos
A photo can be engraved, embedded in resin, or placed behind glass in a locket

handprints, paw prints and fingerprints
You can choose your loved one or pet’s prints to be engraved into precious metal jewellery as mourning jewellery

sand and earth
You can save earth from someones grave or from a plant you planted as a memorial, from their home or favourite place or even sand from a special place as a memento

Fabric
You can send in fabric from their tie, wedding dress, blanket or collar for example

 

Alternatives to Cremation Ashes in Baby Memorial Jewellery

When I had my miscarriage back in 2014 I asked them to allow me to keep some ashes. I was told that my baby was too little. I wish that I’d been making memorial jewellery then, because I knew that I would have liked an ashes necklace, and it’s part of the reason I started offering memorial jewellery to other bereaved parents pro bono. I try not to charge for baby memorials unless my clients want to pay or are able to contribute towards my silver costs.

Umbilical Cord and Placenta
Baby umbilical cords can be preserved, we have a page with some instructions for families whose baby has passed recently on how to keep the cord

Pregnancy Test
In resin or a locket

Blood
Some families choose to save blood from an early miscarriage and dry it on a saucer. Sometimes the blood from a baby muslin or wipe might be the only keepsake you have from your baby with their DNA. This dried blood can be added to resin

 

Scan Photo
A scan photo can be engraved, embedded in resin, or behind glass in a locket

 

Footprint
Your baby’s foot or handprints are perfect for engraving and embedding in resin, you just need to take a clear photo of the print

Dates
Dates of conception and birth, or date of birth and passing

IVF Memento Jewellery
Tube cremation is done inside a tiny glass kiln