While a cremation funeral service gives some closure after the loss of a loved one, the time after the service is hard. As you come to terms with your loss, you have to decide what to do with your loved one’s ashes.

While some people put ashes in a memorial urn or scatter them, you do have other options. For example, you can use some of the cremains to create lasting keepsakes, such as pieces of jewellery.

How does this process work and how will it help you? Keep reading to learn more.

What is cremation jewellery?

Cremation jewellery pieces contain a small part of a person’s ashes. Sometimes, the ashes are integrated into the materials from which the jewellery is made. So, some of the cremains might be blown into glass or even turned into a diamond.

More commonly, you buy a piece of jewellery with an integrated compartment that holds ashes. So, for example, a cremation pendant might have a small section in its centre into which you can lock away some of the cremains.

You can choose from various types of jewellery here. As well as pendants, lockets and necklaces, you can also use rings and bracelets for this purpose.

While most pieces hold a tiny portion of ashes, some people also add extras to their jewellery. They might put in a piece of their loved one’s hair or parts of their funeral flower arrangement.

Once you fill the piece and close it up, it looks just like a regular piece of jewellery. Only you will know what it contains unless you choose to tell other people.

Why buy cremation jewellery?

If you decide to create a wearable memory of your relative, partner or friend, then you could see the following emotional and practical benefits.

Keep part of your loved one with you

If your loved one wanted you to scatter or bury their ashes, then you might have an additional sense of loss after their funeral service. Their ashes are the last part of them you have left; letting go at this stage is sometimes extremely difficult.

Cremation jewellery gives you some comfort here. You can still respect and follow your loved one’s wishes — you only need to reserve a tiny amount of cremains for each piece of jewellery — but you can keep a part of them with you forever.

You create a lasting keepsake that you can wear in their memory. Every time you wear the jewellery, you keep them close to you.

Give comfort to family and friends

The fact that you only use a tiny amount of ashes in cremation jewellery allows you to order multiple pieces. You could give these out to other family members and close friends of the deceased.

They will also get comfort from having a lasting keepsake; they get a different way of coping with their grief. They will feel that you are acknowledging the importance of the relationship they had with the person who passed.

Multiple pieces of jewellery also help avoid friction at this difficult time. If you have a large family, then you might not be able to agree on who keeps the ashes. Or, some family members might not want to follow the wishes of the deceased. They might be distressed at the thought of scattering the ashes.

Here, everyone can keep part of their loved one and feel that their relationship with them has equal weight. They can then choose what to do with the jewellery. Some people might wear their piece all the time; others might prefer to simply keep it as a lasting memory that they can then pass on as a family heirloom.