If you are reading this, chances are you’ve lost someone you loved – our sincerest condolences.
This blog post will give an overview of the different options of memorial jewelry, including examples, prices, and quality.
Table of contents
- What is Memorial Jewelry?
- High Quality Memorial Jewelry
- Engraved Memorial jewelry (laser & other machines)
- Hand engraved memorial jewelry
- Memorial jewelry with fingerprint or handwriting
- Locket with ashes and hair
- Memorial jewelry from ashes and hair
- Memorial diamonds from ashes
- Conclusion
- Checklist
What is memorial jewelry?
Memorial (or remembrance) jewelry is jewelry made in a way that reminds you of deceased people that meant something special to you. It is a way to honor our loved ones that have passed away. A way to keep the deceased close, even after they are gone.
Many people choose to have memorial jewelry made for the loss of their husband, wife, daughter, son, mother, father, sister, or brother as these people are typically the closest in our lives. But cousins, people unrelated to us that had a special meaning to us, dogs, cats or other animals that have been part of our families, can all be kept alive through a piece of jewelry you can wear with nostalgia every day.
High Quality Memorial Jewelry
| Price | From $350 |
| Material Quality | High |
| Longevity | High |
| Uniqueness | High |
Memorial jewelry based on photos can preserve the memory of the deceased as they really were.
Arilie (that's us!) makes carefully crafted pendants and rings from photos, resulting in an embossed true-to-life look of the deceased. We use a combination of modern techniques and centuries old gold and silversmithing to create unique pieces that you will want to wear forever. We are committed to materials of highest quality, and only work in recycled sterling 925 silver, and 14K gold.
Here are some of our results:
We are proud of our craftsmanship and do our utmost in perfecting every piece.
Our process is simple: upload your favourite photo of your beloved, and we will create a bespoke design for your approval. From there we will start the crafting, and delivery it to you via courier.
We believe our jewelry serves our beloved customers the best, but for those with different requirements, or price points we have gathered alternative options below.
Engraved Memorial jewelry (laser & other machines)
| Price | $40-$500 |
| Material Quality | Low-medium |
| Longevity | Low |
| Uniqueness | Low |
One of the cheapest option is laser engraving. This is a cheap option, but can feel a little machine-made depending on your taste. There are lots of options on Etsy here for anywhere between $40-$500. When shopping around for these, ask yourself if you will want to wear this in 5-10 years. And beware of the materials used! See our materials guide.
Hand engraved memorial jewelry
| Price | From $1.000 |
| Material Quality | High |
| Longevity | High |
| Uniqueness | High |
Traditional hand engravings look great and are very artisanal, but it’s almost impossible to find a capable engraver today, and it will be extremely costly. This is about as good as you can find it today, and you never see them offering portraits of people, simply because they can't. For some really expensive and high quality engravers see instagram.com/castrosmith and instagram.com/elirdjewellery. These engravers will charge you 1000's for a piece.
Memorial jewelry with fingerprint or handwriting
| Price | From $10 |
| Material Quality | Low-medium |
| Longevity | Low |
| Uniqueness | Low |
Fingerprints or handwriting can be a beautiful way to keep your loved ones alive. Laser engraving is often used for this, and comes with the same downside as described above. Many real jewelers can also offer hand engraving of this kind, which has the benefit of looking higher quality than laser engraving, but it will most likely come with a hefty price tag.
Locket with ashes and hair
| Price | From $40 |
| Material Quality | Low-medium |
| Longevity | Medium |
| Uniqueness | Low |
You can carry ashes or a lock of hair of the deceased in a little locket, or screw cap container that can safely keep it in. Be absolutely sure that the jewelry is very high quality and does not open suddenly after a couple of years. Getting your loved ones ashes blown all over you is a devastating experience. Similarly devastating can it be to lose the lock of hair kept in an unsafe locket. Make absolutely sure the container doesn’t open up, before buying a piece. Here are some Etsy options for lockets.
Memorial jewelry from ashes and hair
| Price | From $100 |
| Material Quality | Low (watch out!) |
| Longevity | Low |
| Uniqueness | Medium |
Additionally it's also possible to get the ashes mixed in with plastic, glass, or metals, and incorporated into jewelry. This is a great option, but beware of the quality of metals used here. Many sellers will offer plastic and cheap metals such as steel, that are not skin friendly. Be on the lookout for the materials used here!
Memorial diamonds from ashes
| Price | From $3.000 |
| Material Quality | High |
| Longevity | High |
| Uniqueness | Low |
The process of turning ashes into diamonds involves extracting carbon from the cremated remains and subjecting it to high pressure and high temperature conditions that mimic the natural diamond formation process. Over time, the carbon atoms rearrange themselves into a crystalline structure, resulting in the creation of a genuine diamond.
This is really touching and beautiful idea, but beware of rumours about this being a scam, to cheat customers into paying very high prices for lab grown diamonds without much of the deceased persons remains in them. See this article for more.
Our advice
Make sure the jewelry you purchase is made with care, of outstanding materials, and of a form and with a subject that will stand the test of time. Go for something classic if you are in doubt. Cheap jewelry is not likely to be worn in 5-10 years. The truth is you will probably become tired of it, and stop wearing it, leaving it behind at the bottom of your jewelry box. This is not a worthy place for the memorial of your loved one.
Checklist
- Materials should be silver (925) or gold (9K or higher). Avoid plastic, and other metals!
- Ensure you will want to wear your purchase for many years to come. It is heartbreaking to throw out memorial jewelry.
- Choose with your heart!
