Will Your Memorial Jewellery Be Totally Unique?

Kenny Scott | May 20, 2016 | Cremation Glass Jewellery

Are you thinking of purchasing memorial jewellery to celebrate the memory of a loved one or special pet?

Memorial glass can be a wonderful way of holding onto their ashes and keeping them close to you, whether it’s in the form of dramatic jewellery or beautiful one-off art pieces.

However, if like many of my first-time clients, you’re only just starting to look into cremation glass online, you may start to wonder if your memorial glass jewellery will be truly unique, or just another model that rolls off the production line.

Below, I’m going to try and answer that question the best I can, by telling you what makes each individual piece different, and other considerations to bear in mind when ordering memorial glass.

Made to be unique

To understand how each piece of memorial glass is so different, you first need to have a better idea of the creation process involved. This will differ slightly from company to company, but usually involves working with hot, molten glass to encapsulate the ashes inside.

As the ashes have already been exposed to extreme temperatures, they react once they’ve been captured in the molten glass. The air and gases they release create little air pockets and markings as they move around the glass, creating their own unique pattern – no two are ever quite the same.

My clients always comment on the brilliant patterns I’ve created, but I usually tell them that I simply can’t take any credit, as there’s really no way to control the ashes once they hit the molten glass – which is partly why I love the creation process so much. You never know exactly what you’re going to get.

After the patterns have formed, the glass is then cooled down over time in a controlled environment, to gradually reduce the stress – if this happens too quickly, it could shatter. Once cooled, the glass is shaped, polished and annealed, giving you a finished piece of truly unique jewellery that catches the light beautifully.

Colour differences

Another thing I want to mention here is the colour. Every colour you get will be very slightly different, as the end colour really depends on how much heat is used. It can often take experienced hands to get the desired effect, and because each piece is made individually, no two blues or greens will be exactly the same.

A couple of times I’ve been approached by customers to create a bespoke colour; most recently a one-off solid gold signet ring with a beautiful fuschia pink glass. It took me a while to get right, as it involved mixing two or three different colours together in order to find the right tones, but in the end it was a really good match.

Because of the way memorial glass is created, with a great amount of care and attention to detail going into each one, there’s no way to make them in batches – so you can’t ever recreate two identical pieces. You could say this is another thing that ensures your memorial jewellery will be different to anyone else’s.

Unfortunately, this also means that if you were to order more than one piece at a time, it will usually take longer to complete your order – unless you order from a company who has multiple experienced glassmakers working at once.

Do your research

Finally, I always recommend thoroughly researching a company before you buy. Don’t be afraid to call up and ask about the company’s creation process, who makes the glass jewellery, and whether yours will be a truly one-off piece.

Remember, never place an order until you’re 100% confident in a company and they’ve managed to answer of all your questions. For a better idea of what to ask, take a look at my blog post ‘8 Questions to Help You Choose the Best Cremation Jewellery Company’.

Conclusion

I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog post, and have come away with a better understanding of what makes your memorial jewellery so unique. Most companies will have roughly the same creation process as I’ve mentioned above, but this may differ from company to company.

If you have any specific questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch, and I’ll do my best to help point you in the right direction.