Memorial Jewelry Returns From the Past
A Common Open Display of Hair from the Victorian Days: A Victorian broach designed with a glass bezel to display the hair. Interwoven hair was a common art back then.
As I witness the conversation on death opening up, I also see many new themes emerging. The one that I find most fascinating is a throwback to the late 1800s to early 1900s desire for people to physically carry their loved ones with them, through the age-old concept of memorial jewelry. Back then, it was common practice to wear lockets with pictures of those we lost. It was also common to store some of the hair or, in some cases, cremation ashes of a loved one. Many designs were created to carry a loved one within a special necklace or broach for an eternity. Today our lives are considerably more complex, and so the methods we are choosing to keep our loved ones with us are transforming into forms that suit our contemporary lifestyle. Below I visually explore some of the options that have surfaced to accommodate our concept of memorial jewelry in the most modern sense.
Custom Necklace Creatively Displays Cremation Ashes in a Secure Fashion: “Teardrop Cremation Pendant,” on a black cord, is made of custom hand-blown glass with ¼ teaspoon cremation ashes enclosed within the “marble.”
A Wide Variety of Meaningful Artifacts Visible Through a Window: A silver or gold “Trinity Memorial Vessel” closes with a threaded top to hold any or all of the options shown: dried flowers from a ceremony, lock of hair, burial soil from where the ashes lay, or some cremation ashes.
On-the-Go Keychain Keeps Cremation Ashes Always at Hand: Small “keychain” keepsake cremation urn that has the option of a religious or nonreligious charm. These keepsakes come in a range of fun anodized aluminum colors.
Hair of the Past Becomes Chic High-Fashion Hair of Today: In the 1800s, hair art was popular in everything from jewelry to scrapbook albums. And in the current era, Kerry Howley has designed a sophisticated hair necklace. Since high fashion trickles down, in the next few decades expect to see more hair necklaces in varying designs, as people choose to retain the hair of someone they loved.
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