Those who have lost a family member are often surprised today to discover an amazing number of options available to memorialize their loved one. Just type memorial products into any search engine, and you will discover a world of amazing cremation urns, caskets, headstones and other products by which your loved one’s memory can be preserved for decades. Guidance for anyone looking for a Funeral Cremation Urn can help you make the right choice. But that’s just the start of what’s available. Cremation jewelry is one of the finds that will likely surprise the uninitiated shopper the most. That’s why we will devote the rest of this article to the many intriguing, helpful uses for cremation jewelry.
What Cremation Jewelry Is
It is important to start our discussion with a brief look at what exactly cremation jewelry is. Basically speaking cremation jewelry is any piece of jewelry – be it a pendant, a bracelet, or even a necklace designed with a tiny compartment in which a small portion of a loved one’s ashes can be stored (usually the amount is a teaspoon or less). These pieces resemble traditional charm bracelets and pendants, only their special contents are generally much more meaningful to the wearer.
Cremation jewelry can be purchased in designs that match the cremation urn in which the remainder of the loved one’s ashes are stored. It is often the case that families order multiple pieces of cremation jewelry so that several members of the family can share in the remains.
Increasingly, cremation jewelry is gaining attention in the United States media for two variations that we will discuss in depth in other articles: glass sculptures – which can be designed as jewelry or simply displayed as decor in a home — and diamond jewelry of all types. In both cases, the small trace amount of cremation remains are used by artisans practicing their craft with the utmost skill and actually incorporated into the jewelry itself. These variations of cremation jewelry, while intriguing, are well beyond the original scope and intention of traditional cremation jewelry – as it has been made and sold for about 35 years – so that is why we save much more detailed discussion of them for later articles. For now, we turn our attention to several typical uses for the traditional pieces.
Cremation Jewelry Worn Discretely
Almost all cremation jewelry is designed with the knowledge that many in the public are uncomfortable with the idea of openly displaying cremation ashes of a loved one. This is why the compartment in most pieces is more or less hidden: unless the owner announces to others that the piece contains cremation ashes, no one will usually know. The pendants attached to necklaces and bracelets are usually designed to look like any other pendant. In some cases, the hinge that allows the ash compartment to open may be visible from the outside, but even in those instances, the piece is designed to resemble a traditional charm pendant that is intended to hold tiny photographs, locks of hair or anything else that will be a lasting memory of a person – whether living or dead – not necessarily cremation ashes.
Many cremation jewelry pieces are designed with blank spaces that are suitable for engraving a special tribute to a deceased loved one. The location of these vary according to the designers intentions, but, those who are concerned for privacy can be sure that they will find an ample selection of pieces in which the personalization area is hidden in the back of the piece, so that – even if the rest of the piece is worn openly, the inscription can be safely hidden against a wearer’s chest, well out of sight of anyone who may see it.
To be sure, there are some cremation jewelry pieces whose ash compartments are designed with clear, see-through glass that make it the compartment’s contents clear to anyone who may view the piece. But even these pieces are almost always designed so that they can be worn underneath a person’s clothing so that only the wearer knows the piece is there – unless he or she desires to bring it out to show it to select friends. It is rare that these see-through compartment pieces are small enough so as to be ideal for use on a bracelet. Normally they are designed to be worn on a necklace.
Cremation Jewelry Worn Openly
Of course the reverse of all that we say above is also true: cremation jewelry can be, and very often is, worn in a manner that does not hide the piece’s contents or intention. While many people do not choose this option (because the idea of cremation jewelry can be discomforting to others they may come across), many others are proud to boldly and openly display the remains of their beloved deceased relative. While social scientists such as psychologists and sociologists have still not come to a clear consensus about whether using cremation jewelry in this manner is entirely healthy, many do wholeheartedly endorse this approach as a healthy way to grieve a person’s loss. The choice depends upon the mindset and values of the individual, however, and friends should avoid being quick to offer advice to, or, worse, judge a person who chooses this option for his or her cremation jewelry pieces.
Cremation Jewelry Displayed in a Home
We wrap up this brief discussion of the many various uses for cremation jewelry with a final, somewhat surprising, option that many turn to exclusively: displaying a piece at home. As you’ve been reading this article, you may have been wondering whether those who buy cremation jewelry typically store their purchases in a traditional jewelry box along with all of their other jewelry. The answer is, well, that depends upon the tastes of the purchaser. That is certainly an option, of course. But retail outlets that sell cremation jewelry also typically sell special cases in which the pieces can be displayed, apart from the rest of a family’s jewelry collection, on, say, a special shelf in a home – in much the same position of honor as a cremation urn itself. (In fact, many families have been known to place the cremation jewelry container (or containers) right along side a cremation urn itself in a very special memorial tribute to the deceased. For guidance on selecting the proper urn for your loved one, see our Cremation Urn Size Guide: Finding the Right Capacity.
These cases for cremation jewelry that is to be displayed in a home are available in a wide variety of shapes and designs. Some are entirely closed – adorned with a special plaque on the outside that identifies the contents by virtue of a few memorial lines – while others are made of clear glass or plastic. One of the most popular models available is a clear, very sturdy plastic dome attached to a base upon which a post supports the piece in a classic, hanging pose. This design is typically available in models that include an electric light that can be switched on to shine from the base, giving the cremation jewelry a timeless, classic look.
As we have said throughout, a full description of the uses and styles of today’s cremation jewelry is certainly well beyond the scope of this article. But we hope this brief look at the topic has perhaps whetted your appetite for more. Cremation jewelry is certainly a topic about which there is plenty more to discover.