Blood Jewellery: Your Questions Answered

Blood jewellery is one of the most personal keepsakes there is, and also one of the most misunderstood. A single drop of blood, preserved and set into a piece you can wear, holds something entirely unique to one person. If you are curious about it, here are the questions we are asked most, answered gently and honestly.

What exactly is blood jewellery?

It is a keepsake made with a small amount of a person's blood, preserved and set permanently into a piece of jewellery, usually within a resin stone. Once it is made, the blood is sealed inside, so what you wear is a finished, solid piece that carries a literal part of someone. Learn more about Blood Rings here and here's our Blood Necklace Guide

Whose blood can be used for Blood Jewellery?

Most often it is a bond between living people. Many choose their own blood, a partner's, a child's, or a dear friend's. It is a beautiful way to carry someone who is very much alive, and a comfort to those kept apart by distance. It can also be made from the blood of someone who has died, if a little was kept. Whoever it belongs to, the piece holds something that is theirs alone. Sometimes it's even from a pet that's passed or even dogs that have donated blood!

Why do people choose it?

For many, blood feels like the most personal element of all, singular to one person in a way that even hair is not. Couples sometimes have matching pieces made for one another. Parents keep a little of a child. People who live far from those they love carry a piece of them close. It is, quite simply, one of the most intimate keepsakes you can wear.

How much is needed, and how do I collect it?

Only a few drops for blood jewellery. After you order, a sending kit arrives with everything you need, including a sterile lancet of the kind used for a simple finger prick. You collect a small amount, let it dry as instructed, and send it back to us. It is quick and straightforward, and you never need more than a little.

Is it safe and hygienic?

Yes. Only a tiny amount is used, it is dried before it is sent, and once set into the piece it is fully sealed within the resin. Worn with the same everyday care you would give any fine piece, it stays safe and sound for many years.

What colour will the blood be?

This one surprises people, so it is worth knowing. Preserved blood rarely stays bright red. As it dries and is set, it usually deepens to a rich brown, rust or burgundy tone. Many people love this natural, earthy colour just as it is, but if you would prefer, a tint or a touch of shimmer can be added so the finished stone suits your taste. It is worth deciding which you would like before your piece is made.

Can it be combined with other keepsakes?

Yes, and many people do. A little blood can be set alongside a lock of hair, a touch of breastmilk, or a small amount of ashes, so more than one element, or more than one person, is held together in a single piece.

Is it strange to wear someone's blood?

It is a fair thing to wonder, and the honest answer is that it is no stranger than keeping a lock of hair, which people have done tenderly for centuries. Blood simply feels bolder to some, because we are less used to seeing it kept. But the thought behind it is old and deeply human: holding a physical piece of someone we love close to us. If the idea speaks to you, that is all that matters, and you are in thoughtful company. It's sentimental for individuals and for couples.

A keepsake like no other

Blood jewellery is not for everyone, and that is perfectly alright. But for those it does speak to, it offers something no other keepsake quite can: a literal, living part of a person, carried close and kept for good. If you have a question we have not answered here, or you would like to talk it through before deciding, you are very welcome to ask. And if you would like to see what is possible, do have a browse of our blood jewellery.

Tree of Opals, keepsake and memorial jewellery, handmade in the UK since 2015.