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Cremation Keepsake Jewelry

All About Cremation Keepsake Jewelry

Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult things any of us will ever go through. Grief is a powerful and often unknown process that keeps its own timetable. One way that many people are using to both grieve and remember their departed loved one is with cremation keepsakes. Cremation keepsakes are small objects that hold a tiny portion of cremation ash. These are often given out to immediate family and close friends of the person who died at their memorial service. Cremation keepsakes also answer the very practical question of who gets the ashes? With cremation keepsakes, everyone who wants a tangible reminder of the person who passed can have a small amount of cremation ash stored in their cremation keepsake. One of the most common kinds of cremation keepsake is cremation jewelry. In this article, we’ll be discussing different kinds of cremation keepsake jewelry and how to decide if it will make a good gift for people that you know. 

What is Cremation Keepsake Jewelry?

There is a wide variety of cremation keepsake jewelry. You can find rings, earrings, pendants, and bracelets of any style imaginable. There are two main types of cremation jewelry, all of which make excellent cremation keepsakes. It’s really about your own personal preferences and budget. And, like any decision about cremation ash display, the right one is the way that feels best to you. Here are the two main types of cremation keepsake jewelry. 

Small Urns

Most commonly seen as small metal vial pendants on chains or wood keepsake urns - these are designed to hold a small portion of cremation ash. These are often engraved with names and dates of birth and death. The Living Urn offers the option to engrave the coordinates of your deceased beloved’s resting place on their cremation pendant. These small keepsakes are usually crafted out of metal for durability. 

Cremation Glass

Cremation glass is glass that’s infused with ash from cremation remains. Only a small amount is used, especially for smaller jewelry pieces, which means that it’s possible to make a large number of pieces for a group of people like a family. Cremation uses a lower temperature than glass blowing does. So, when the cremation ash is incorporated into the molten glass, extra carbon from the ash is burned away, leaving the remains a brilliant white color. The remains are artistically incorporated into the glass so you can see and enjoy this tangible piece of your departed loved one. 

  • Necklaces made with cremation glass typically incorporate a cremation glass pendant on a chain or cord. Many come wire-wrapped, or with small accent stones. Often the entire pendant, including the opening for the cord or chain is made from glass. These pendants are often beautifully colored. Since glass is so versatile, you can ask for a solid color or sparkles like the night sky.
  • Another popular cremation glass necklace style is the urn necklace. A very small urn is made from cremation glass and placed on a silver chain. This necklace allows you to carry a small part of your departed loved one close to your heart. Or, if you’d like a different size chain, that’s completely customizable.
  • While this isn’t jewelry, a very popular use of cremation glass is as a paperweight. If someone on your list doesn’t want jewelry, then a cremation glass paperweight is a great substitute. A paperweight serves a similar purpose to jewelry in that it will be a decorative, visual reminder of your lost loved one, and will be handled daily. Cremation glass paperweights can be as simple or decorative as you like. Colors are also easily customizable. Swirls and artistic designs are popular, as are colorful flowers, or other shapes in the glass. The orb is the most popular paperweight shape, but flames, eggs, angels, and hearts are also common. 

Does Cremation Jewelry Make a Good Gift?

Cremation keepsake jewelry can make a wonderful gift, but deciding if that’s the case can be a fraught experience. While your intentions are good—you want to include people and share a piece of your departed loved one, maybe you’re worried about people not wanting a cremation keepsake. People may have very personal feelings about cremation ash. If you’re in the middle of planning a funeral and grieving a deep loss, this may be a project to delegate to someone else, if you’re able. (Also, there is no timetable on when you can make these cremation keepsakes.) So, if you’re unsure about if people will want a cremation keepsake, go ahead and ask. Make it as simple as possible with a group email or text and allow people to opt-in. However, there’s nothing wrong with surprising people either. Even if they don’t want to display their cremation keepsake, they’ll likely treasure it for the rest of their life. 

Cremation Keepsake Options

In addition to jewelry, there are also a number of other keepsake options available to families. Below we highlight a few of the more popular ones.

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