A Risca based jewellery maker has noticed a significant rise in the amount of people approaching her for jewellery to be made with cremation ashes of their loved ones or pets. Known as memorial jewellery, these pieces are made using acylic resin and have inclusions such as ashes of people or pets, breastmilk, hair, fur and even teeth. These custom made pieces have become so popular, Jade Newman of Earth Symbols now has a waiting list for making these pieces.

The process of making the jewellery with the inclusions, such as ashes or hair, involves taking the inclusions and setting them in acrylic resin. The resin encapsulates the inclusions and prevents demamge or decay. While some may feel uncomfortable handling cremation ashes, Jade handles them sensitively and carefully. Always ensuring the ashes are returned to the families after the jewellery has been made.

As for the jewellery design process, the customers choose their jewellery settings and any colours or glitter they would like in the resin. Some people chose birth stone colours relating to the month of birth of the deceased. Others chose their favourite colours. One of Jade's customers asked for their piece to be coloured orange and white, the same colours as their family dog, whose ashes Jade was setting in a Pandora style bead.

A Pandora style bead made with the ashes of a family dog

An addition that is growing in popularity for inclusion jewllery is breastmilk. This process takes a little longer as the milk has to be processed into a powder before adding it to resin. “Many people come to me for breastmilk jewellery to commemorate a milestone in their feeding journey, such as yearly milestones or coming to the end of breastfeeding their child.”

The most special piece of jewellery Jade has made was a set of gold cufflinks for a customer in Pontywaun, Crosskeys, who wanted something for her husband using his late mother's ashes. Her customer said that as her husband wore shirts every day for work and wasn't a jewellery wearer, the cufflinks would be worn every day and treasured by her husband for years to come.

Gold cufflinks made with creamtion ashes

The same customer also wanted a necklace made for her sister in law with the same ashes. Jade says her customer had to sneak the ashes out of her sister-in-laws house as the necklace was a surprise Christmas gift.

Gold necklace with birthstone coloured resin and ashes inclusion

Jade enjoys working with her clients to make special pieces of jewellery with many different types of inclusions from her home in Risca. She offers a collection and delivery service for all of the inclusions, so her customers don't have to post the special inclsions.

For more information, visit her website www.earthsymbols.co.uk where she sells a range of 3d printed jewellery and you can contact her with more information regarding the memorial pieces.

When I first started making memorial jewellery it felt slightly macabre to be making jewellery with the ashes of deceased people or pets but when I realised how cherished these pieces would be, I started advertising my services to others. Many people approach me soon after the death of their loved ones to arrange for their pieces to be made. I am honoured to be able to provide pieces of jewellery that will be treasured for a long time.

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