There are lots of ways to remember a loved one and memorial jewellery is something that has been around for millennia.
We've more options in present day - from incorporating ashes / hair in glass or resin, to the very traditional method of plaiting hair and making that into bracelets or brooches.
I offer a simple and subtle way to carry a piece of your special one with you; I'll create a compartment below a traditionally bezel set gem within a ring (as shown here) or another piece of jewellery (earrings or pendants work well for this) and encapsulate the ashes / hair below the gem in that compartment.
This way you can be confident that your piece will be durable and secure.
You'll be able to choose your style of jewellery and your gemstone as I'll make the piece fully from scratch for you.
The example shown has a green agate above a cap that has an initial stamped into it, and a small quantity of cremation ashes safely secured in cold enamel below the cap. It was designed to fit between two other rings, so was on a sterling court style band to all the other two ring bands to fit comfortably below.
I've detailed how I made this in my blog here: https://dawngilldesigns.wordpress.com/2026/02/06/memorial-ring/
This is made fully to order and the price shown is the starting point for a simple band similar to that shown, including a natural gemstone of about 7-8mm. Please contact me to discuss your wishes before placing an order as the final price will depend on the gem chosen and the style of jewellery you wish.
Please choose your postage from the options at checkout - choose 'collection' if you are local to Exeter and expect to be able to pop round and pick it up, or if we've already discussed personal delivery. Otherwise, Next Day Guaranteed is my recommended method, as Royal Mail won't cover silver items against loss or damage for any other delivery methods.
All my silver is now bought as certified recycled eco-silver, made from 100% scrap / recycled silver which has been fully refined to ensure it is of the same quality as traditional sterling, but of course without the environmental impact of mining it.
Memorial jewellery - made to order
Sterling Silver will eventually oxidise or tarnish. It's a natural process that can be slowed down by regular wear and by keeping unworn items away from the atmosphere. If you leave your jewellery out on display, this oxidisation will be faster. You can polish up your items, with a soft cloth, some silver polish, or a buffing cloth such as Town Talk, which is readily available from any high street jewellers in the UK
Fine silver is 99.9% silver, and because of this the tarnish rate is much, much slower. Again, a buff should do the job for polishing it back up. If I have patinated your silver already, be gentle when buffing!
Each piece should stand up to regular wear, but , as with all jewellery, please remove it before washing, using chemicals or applying perfume etc
Apply body lotion and perfume a few minutes before putting on your jewellery to help slow down tarnish
The sterling silver used in these items was sold to me by my bullion dealer ass certified recycled.
he gemstones I use have been sold to me by reputable dealers as untreated (unless stated specifically in the listing). They are a natural, organic creation from the earth and each one will be slightly different. You can see examples of this on my Facebook page.
I select the stones that I think go together best for each project, hence my comments that each item is individual.