History of Cremation Jewellery

In this article we will be discussing the history of cremation jewellery and how it has evolved throughout the centuries. We will also explain the reasons why a person may want to purchase ashes jewellery to help them through the grieving process. Take a look below to find out more. The exact date of which cremation jewellery had begun is unknown, but it is believed that it was made in a time period before the Egyptians, which could date back thousands of years.

In the past, many different things were used as keepsakes to remember loved one’s by, such as skin, nails, tears or even droplets of blood marked onto a glass plate, slowly over time it moved on from drops of blood to locks of hair. It is known that tribes in Myanmar and India practised making memorial jewellery out of the bones of their loved ones. Bones are not regarded as ashes, but the purpose was to remember the life of their loved ones.

They also believed that wearing the bones of their loved one would lead to a way of warding off all types of sickness and act as healing powers for the sick. As time passed on through the centuries, the way in which our ancestors processed and made keepsakes of their loved ones started to change drastically.

16th Century

In the 16th century is where mementos of loved ones and family members were made, they were not used for grieving but for prayer to remember them by in times of contemplation.

17th Century

During this period, Charles I had died and wanted to be remembered. This led to a change in jewellery being made, it was being made to remember him, leading to jewellery to hold ashes becoming more popular.

18th Century

Memorial Necklaces began to become more of a sentiment and emotional part of the mourning process when it came to loosing a loved one.

19th Century

This is where the motion of the “Death Photo” came around. In this time period, families of a deceased family member or loved one would all gather around and take a photograph, as a keepsake to remember them by for generations to come.

During this century is when Queen Victoria mourned the death of Prince Albert, With this she instructed that mourning jewellery, (known now as memorial jewellery) should be worn at court. This led to the wealthy making ashes jewellery for their loved ones. In this time period is also when jewellery containing locks of hair became popular.

Recent Times

In more recent times, people are still wearing cremation jewellery, but in more contemporary ways. These include rings, necklaces, bracelets and lockets as well as items that can be engraved into. In modern times, there are also methods to add fingerprints and photographs of your loved one to honour them within the memorial jewellery. Take a look below to view some of our stunning and modern options for cremation jewellery.

Pictured below is two of our beautiful sets of Gemstone Self-fill Ashes Jewellery, available in 24 carat Gold Plated or Steel. The Gold colour gives this modern piece a vintage aesthetic, while the Steel colour creates a unique and contemporary aesthetic, making it blend with formal or casual attires, complementing any colour or style.

These pieces of memorial jewellery radiate on any shade of skin colour, from warm tones to cool or neutral tones. Both types of pendants come with a chain that is 45cm in length, We recommend that these touching pieces of memorial jewellery to be bought for adults due to their chain length.

Each piece comes with a highly detailed and eye catching gemstone, which all have their individual meanings and properties to suit yourself or your loved one. For example, The Pearl gemstone pictured below symbolises wisdom and purity, which may be meaningful to yourself if your loved one was full of wisdom and knowledge.

When it comes to the Cremation Rings, there are 4 sizes to choose from, making it easy to find a size suitable for you. There is 15 different Gemstones to choose from, which include: 

• Amethyst
• Rose Quartz
• Black Onyx
• Gold Rutilated Quartz
• Blue Goldstone
• Tiger Eye
• Clear Glass
• Green Agate
• Grey Moonstone
• Kyanite
• Black Rutilated Quartz
• Red Agate
• Blue Agate
• Strawberry Quartz
• Pearl

The ashes chambers has been made suitable to hold a small amount of your loved ones ashes to keep close to you whenever you need them, during life's important moments like your wedding day or even during a career changing meeting, the options are endless.