Choosing a necklace for ashes

An ashes necklace is a wonderful way to keep your loved one close to your heart after they’ve passed on. Whether you choose an urn necklace for ashes, a cremation diamond pendant or something completely different, crafting a unique keepsake to help you remember the good times you spent together is a healthy way of processing your grief.

Even though memorial jewellery has been around for hundreds of years, it’s still viewed as a mysterious and obscure topic. To help you make sense of the mystical subject and shine some light, here’s a simple guide on choosing a necklace made from ashes with the most common questions answered. 

Can you put someone’s ashes in a necklace?

Yes, you can put someone’s ashes into a necklace — that’s exactly what a memorial necklace is. There are several different types of memorial necklaces, making this style of jewellery just as distinct and diverse as any other.

When choosing your necklace to put ashes in, you can pick a subtle and minimalist design which looks like an everyday pendant. This way, no one will know your necklace is made from ashes unless you tell them. Alternatively, if you want to be open about your loss, you can select a bolder style of necklace so others can see your piece of jewellery is a tribute piece.

Different pendants for ashes

With so many different choices available, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when looking for the perfect keepsake. To help you decide, here’s an overview of the most popular types of cremation pendants for ashes.

Cremation diamonds

One of the most popular ways of using ashes for necklaces is to turn them into a cremation diamond which is placed into a setting on a chain. A cremation diamond is a genuine diamond, with the exact same chemical makeup and visual appearance as the mined gemstone.

But unlike a mined diamond, a cremation diamond contains the ashes of a lost loved one and can be fully customised according to whichever colour, shape and carat size you prefer. You can even combine ashes from several loved ones into a single cremation diamond.

Memorial urns

The preferred type of cremation necklaces for men, a memorial urn is a small container designed to hold a tiny volume of ashes. This simple style of jewellery can be a basic metal tube with a hollow centre for ashes. Alternatively, it can be a more striking piece in the shape of something meaningful with an inscription.

Memorial urns are most often available in precious metals, as they’re a safe means of containing the ashes and they’re long-lasting. Yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, platinum and palladium are common options.

Memorial lockets

While memorial urns are unisex, women tend to prefer memorial lockets. This style of ashes pendant often comes in the shape of a typical locket, with an engraving on the outside and space for ashes on the inside.

However, memorial lockets can come in many different shapes to reflect the personality of the person you want to remember. From butterflies and love hearts to letters of the alphabet and infinity symbols, the design choices of memorial lockets are practically endless.

Gemstones

You can also make a memorial necklace with ashes by combining the cremated remains of a loved one with coloured molten glass. After the ashes are evenly distributed throughout the glass, the mixture is poured into a mould and left to set.

The result looks like a precious gemstone, even though it’s really a blend of ashes and molten glass. There are many different colours to choose from, so you can design your necklace to look like it contains a red ruby, green emerald or black sapphire, amongst many other choices. 

Glass stones

Glass stones are similar to gemstones. They’re both made the same way — by combining ashes with molten glass. But while the ashes are blended equally with the molten glass to make a gemstone, they’re carefully swirled into a design to make glass stones.

This type of necklace with ashes has a striking appearance, with the ashes looking like they’re gently floating on the wind or peacefully sailing over the sea. Glass stone necklaces are particularly beautiful and captivating when they hit the light.

How do you put ashes in a necklace?

There are several different ways to put ashes in a necklace, depending on the style you choose. A specialist is needed to create most types of necklaces for ashes. However, there are a few designs you can add the ashes yourself at home.

For cremation diamonds, a diamond-growing expert extracts the carbon from the ashes and uses it to grow a legitimate diamond. For gemstones and glass beads, a skilled jeweller is required to combine the ashes with molten glass.

However, if you choose a memorial urn or memorial locket, you can add the ashes yourself. After you’ve selected your design and made any personalisations, the empty pendant will be delivered to your door. When it arrives, simply open it up and pour in the ashes.

Transforming someone’s ashes into a loving, sentimental tribute is a big job which shouldn’t be taken lightly. Your loved one meant the world to you — it’s only right that they should be just as important to you after they’ve passed on. 

Celebrating the wonderful life they lived and ensuring their precious memory will never be forgotten by turning their ashes into a necklace is a great way to show them how much you care. It’s also a healthy way of providing yourself with closure at the same time.Take as long as you need to decide on the perfect memorial necklace style before taking the next step.