What Is Memorial Jewellery, and What Are Your Options?

Detailed Explanation

Memorial jewellery turns a physical trace of someone (their ashes, a fingerprint, a lock of hair, or simply their photo) into something worn every day. It's one of the quieter ways families choose to stay connected, sitting alongside the full range of ways to memorialise a loved one. See the Memorial Jewellery hub for the wider picture of options, costs, safety, and living with a piece.

Ashes jewellery

The most common type: a small amount of cremation ash, typically just a few grams, is sealed permanently inside a glass or resin pendant, bead, or compartment set into a ring or bracelet. Some pieces mix the ash visibly into swirled glass; others conceal it entirely inside a sealed chamber. Because only a small amount is used, ashes jewellery uses a tiny fraction of the total ashes and pairs naturally with whatever else the family decides to do with the rest. See what you can do with cremation ashes for the full range of options it can be combined with.

Fingerprint and handprint jewellery

A cast of the actual fingerprint, handprint, or footprint (often taken directly from the person before cremation or burial by the funeral home, or from an existing ink or clay print) is engraved or moulded into a pendant, ring, or cufflink. This option needs no ashes or hair at all, which some families prefer, and it can be arranged even when ashes have already been scattered or interred elsewhere.

Hair jewellery

A small lock of hair is either sealed inside a glass compartment (similar to ashes jewellery) or, in a more traditional style, woven or braided directly into a bracelet or ring setting. Hair keeps well over time and is often the easiest keepsake to gather immediately after a death, before other decisions have been made.

Photo lockets and engraved pieces

The simplest option: a locket, pendant, or engraved piece carrying a photo, name, and dates, no ashes, hair, or print required. These suit families who want something to wear without incorporating any physical trace of the person, or as an additional, lower-cost piece alongside a more elaborate one.

Cremation diamonds

A more elaborate option at the other end of the scale: a genuine lab-grown diamond, made by extracting carbon from a small ash or hair sample and using it to seed a high-pressure, high-temperature growing process. It's a real diamond, independently graded like any other, rather than ash sealed inside a stone. See how do you turn ashes into a diamond for the process, realistic cost, and timeline.

Choosing between them

There's no single "best" option. The right choice depends on what's available (ashes and prints require the person to have already been cremated or the print taken; a photo locket doesn't), what feels right to the family, and budget, which varies considerably by type and maker; see how much memorial jewellery costs for typical ranges across all four types.

Not everyone who receives a piece finds it comforting to wear straight away, and that's a normal reaction rather than a sign anything's wrong. See one family's experience with a ring that felt unsettling rather than comforting for how that can play out, and is it okay to stop wearing memorial jewellery, or pass it on for what to do if that's where you land. There's no obligation to wear a piece for it to still count.

Things to Consider

• Timing matters for some options. A fingerprint cast is easiest to arrange through the funeral home before burial or cremation; ashes jewellery can be made any time afterwards, including years later if some ash has been kept.
• Several family members can each have a piece. Because ashes and hair jewellery need only a small amount, it's common and practical for siblings or children to each commission their own from the same source.
• Check the maker's process before committing ashes or hair. Reputable memorial jewellers provide a clear, documented transfer process and return any unused ash or hair. Ask how this works before sending anything.
• It complements rather than replaces other memorials. Many families combine a piece of jewellery with an online memorial, a planted tree, or interment of the remaining ashes. None of these choices compete with each other.

Common Mistakes

• Assuming it requires most of the ashes. A typical piece uses only a small pinch. There's no need to set aside a large portion or make this decision before deciding what to do with the rest.
• Not checking return policies before sending ashes or hair to a maker. A reputable jeweller will confirm receipt and return anything unused; ask about this upfront rather than assuming.
• Choosing a piece under time pressure. Unlike some funeral decisions, memorial jewellery has no deadline. It can be made months or years after a death, so there's no need to decide in the first difficult weeks.
• Overlooking fingerprint or handprint options because ashes weren't kept. A print can sometimes still be sourced from existing records (ink prints, a driver's licence thumbprint scan in some cases). Ask the jeweller what's possible before assuming the option is closed.