How Long Does It Take to Make Cremation Jewelry?
Suppose you’re thinking about ordering cremation jewelry and wondering how it’s made. Cremation jewelry is unique, and each type is made differently with a different purpose. This article will explore how popular cremation jewelry like fingerprint pendants and urn necklaces are made.
Process of Creating Cremation Jewelry
- How are fingerprint pendants made?
Fingerprint jewelry is a beautiful way to remember and memorialize your departed loved one. By making a pendant or other piece of jewelry with your loved one’s fingerprint, you are creating a 100% unique piece of cremation jewelry to help you honor your loved one. There are a few steps to creating fingerprint jewelry, which will change how long it will take to make. Perhaps the most challenging part will be locating your loved one’s fingerprint. Here are some common places to find copies of their fingerprints:
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Funeral home
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Personal records
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Job records
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Drivers license
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Notary public
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Hospital records
- Arrest records
If your loved one is still alive and in hospice, for example, you could make copies of their fingerprints in preparation for their passing.
Fingerprint images are generally sent to your jewelry maker electronically, eliminating the need for a physical mailing. Fingerprint jewelry is made by either etching the image using a laser, by milling, or the lost wax casting method. Many prefer milling or the lost wax casting method for its superior, more lifelike images.
- Lost wax casting starts with the jewelers making a rubber mold of your loved one’s fingerprint image.
- From the rubber mold, a wax model of the image is hand carved.
- The wax image is coated with refractory slurry, which creates a hard shell or mold around the wax image.
- The wax is melted and poured out of the new molds in two steps.
- Next, the molds are filled with molten metal, creating a perfect image of your loved one’s fingerprint on a piece of jewelry.
You’ll likely receive your fingerprint jewelry three to four weeks after submitting the fingerprint image.
- How are metal urn pendants made?
Metal urn pendants are a popular type of cremation jewelry. These pendants are made to hold a small amount of cremation ashes and are typically worn close to the heart. Unlike fingerprint jewelry and cremation glass, there is no additional step to take before the jewelry can be made. These pieces are often customized with engravings, such as your loved one’s name, dates of birth and death, or even the location of their final resting place. These pendants are commonly made with the lost wax casting method. Since the pendants can be made beforehand and are customized with engraving, these pieces take less time than fingerprint pendants, which are entirely customized.
If you don’t want to use ashes, many people will fill their cremation pendants with other important substances. Soil or water from where you scattered your loved one’s ashes is common, as is a bit of soil from a gravesite. A lock of hair is also commonly stored in a cremation pendant; it’s entirely up to you.
Depending on the level of engraving, your metal urn pendant will likely take between two to three weeks to arrive.
- How is cremation glass made?
One popular type of cremation jewelry is made from cremation glass. Cremation glass is handmade with cremation ashes infused inside. (Only a small portion of cremation ash is needed to make cremation glass jewelry.) Cremation ashes are artfully incorporated into the molten glass while the jewelry piece is being made. Since glass making occurs at a higher temperature than cremation, the gray, dusty cremation ashes turn into a brilliant white color. Your loved one’s ashes will be visible in your cremation glass pendant. Cremation glass jewelry is custom-made and is a one-of-a-kind piece.
Cremation glass jewelry may take more than a month to be made. This is because there are several steps to its creation; first, the company making your cremation glass jewelry needs to mail you the ash collection kit. After using the kit to collect a portion of your loved one’s ashes, you need to send it back to the jewelry company. Then, once they’ve received the ashes, you will receive your cremation glass in the mail in three to four weeks.