Of all the ways to keep someone close, a ring is perhaps the one you notice most. It's there when you make a cup of tea, when you sign your name, when you reach for someone's hand. A necklace rests quietly against you; a ring sits in plain view, catching your eye a dozen unremarkable times a day. For many people, that gentle, repeated noticing is exactly the comfort they're looking for; a small, steady reminder that the person they love is still with them, in an ordinary sort of way.

Cremation Ashes Rings

A cremation ashes ring holds a little of a loved one's ashes, set permanently into the band. This is a guide to how they're made, what they cost, and how to choose one that feels right.

Why a ring, rather than a pendant

It's worth saying that there's no better or worse choice here: Only what suits you. But a ring has a particular quality. Because it lives on your hand, it becomes part of the way you move through the day rather than something tucked beneath a collar. People often tell us they find themselves turning the ring with a thumb in a quiet moment, almost without thinking. If you're someone who'd like to feel that closeness in the middle of the everyday, a ring answers that beautifully.

How the ashes are held: Resin Cremation Ashes Rings

The worry we hear most is whether it takes a great deal of ashes, and whether they'll be safe once set. Both have reassuring answers.

Only a small amount is needed. A pinch is plenty. Once you've ordered, a sending kit comes to you with clear instructions for returning it. The ashes are then blended by hand, usually into a small stone in a colour of your choosing, and set into the band; on some designs they're poured directly into the setting instead. Either way, once the ring is finished the ashes are enclosed within it. It isn't a compartment that opens, so there's nothing to come loose or spill. What you're wearing is a solid, finished piece with them held inside.

Anything you don't need is returned to you, so you never send more than you're comfortable parting with.

Choosing your metal and your budget

Cremation ashes rings come in a wide span of metals, which is really a question of budget and how you'd like to wear it.

Silver is the most affordable and a lovely, hard-wearing everyday choice, with solid silver rings starting from around £90. Gold-filled gives you the warmth of gold at a friendlier price. A Gold Filled Ring begins at about £190. Solid gold is the choice for a true heirloom, hallmarked and weighty, with solid gold ring styles such as the twisted, textured and bubble bands generally sitting between roughly £360 and £400, rising to around £1,600 for an 18ct gold channel ring.

If you're torn, it's worth remembering that the meaning of the ring lives in what it holds, not in the price of the metal around it. A simple silver band worn every day is every bit as tender as a solid-gold one.

Making it unmistakably theirs

Small choices are what turn a ring into a portrait of a person. You can pick the colour of the set stone to bring them to mind; a shade they loved, a birthstone tone, or something soft and understated. Engraving is included on every piece, so a name, a date, or a few private words can be added at no extra cost, tucked where only you know to look. Some people add a lock of hair alongside the ashes, or a touch of gold leaf, so more than one memory is held together.

Living with your ring

A cremation ashes ring is made to be worn and lived in, not set aside for best. A little everyday sense keeps it looking its loveliest: Slip it off for washing up, swimming and anything with harsh chemicals, keep it out of long spells of strong sunlight, and give it the occasional gentle wipe with a soft cloth. Should it ever need a little attention down the line, it can be looked after rather than written off. These are pieces meant to stay with you for the long haul.

When you feel ready

There's no timetable for something like this, and no wrong moment. Whether you're drawn to a slender silver band or a solid-gold ring to hand down one day, the one that's right is simply the one that feels like them. Our rings are suitable for all, and we have a men's ring collection.

You can see the full range of cremation ashes rings here, and if you'd like to talk anything through first. Which metal, how it all works, or simply whether now is the time, do get in touch. We're glad to help, at whatever pace suits you. Our full catalogue of cremation ashes jewellery is here.

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