Memorial jewellery holds a special place in the world of meaningful keepsakes. Handcrafted with care, these unique pieces often incorporate cremation ashes cast into glass, creating beautiful, personal tributes to loved ones. In this post, I share my own journey into making memorial jewellery — born from love, loss, and the desire to keep memories close. Whether you’re exploring ashes jewellery for the first time or seeking a meaningful way to honour someone special, this story reveals how jewellery can hold not just ashes, but stories of love, connection, and lasting remembrance.
Why I Make Memorial Jewellery
For many years, whenever someone asked if I made ashes jewellery, I gently said no.
It felt too close — something so deeply personal that I wasn’t sure it was my place.
Then, three years after losing my beloved mum, I found myself still yearning to keep her close.
So I made myself a necklace, sealing some of her ashes into a handmade glass cabochon, set in silver I shaped myself.
That necklace hasn’t left my neck since.
What moved me most was how beautiful the ashes looked within the glass — soft, delicate, like tiny flecks of light or glitter.
Something so tied to loss became quietly beautiful, and a daily reminder that love doesn’t leave us; it changes form.
Turning grief into something for others
That experience showed me that memorial jewellery isn’t only about grief or absence; it’s about presence, memory and love.
It’s about capturing the essence of someone special — the moments shared, the stories lived, and the love that still guides us.
So I began offering to make these deeply personal pieces for others — carefully casting a loved one’s ashes into glass jewels I create by hand, then setting them in sterling silver shapes I craft from scratch.
Every part of the process is slow and considered, shaped with respect for the life and love each piece carries.
Why it matters to me
Memorial jewellery holds more than ashes or precious metals — it holds stories of love, shared laughter, quiet moments and lasting connection.
It becomes a touchstone: something to reach for when words fall short, a reminder of the bond that still remains.
I know, from my own journey, how comforting it can be:
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To carry someone quietly with you, every day
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To feel the weight of memory resting against your skin
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To hold not just loss, but the story of a life lived and loved
And when ashes are cast into glass, they transform into something unexpectedly beautiful: a soft sparkle, like traces of light frozen in time — a reflection of the memories and love that never truly fade.
Beyond ashes: the beauty that remains
At its heart, my memorial jewellery isn’t only about ashes — it’s about celebrating what remains after loss: the love, the memories, the shared experiences that continue to shape us.
That same belief runs through all my work — from memorial pieces to art jewellery in silver and glass, enamel rings, and photographic prints.
Because beauty, I’ve learned, is everywhere — especially when we pause to see it, and especially in the quiet stories that live on in our hearts.
Thank you for letting me share why I do what I do.
If you’d like to know more or create something meaningful of your own, I’d be honoured to talk.
With warmth,
Tracy
