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Opening, Filling, Sealing and Caring for Cremation Jewelry
Cremation jewelry is a priceless and sentimental keepsake. Whether you choose to wear a piece of jewelry each day or display it somewhere in your home, pendants are a great way to honor a loved one and keep them close.
But how do you put ashes in a necklace or other type of pendant? Depending on the style of cremation jewelry, there are various ways to open, fill, and seal these small and personal urns.
What is Cremation Jewelry?
Cremation jewelry is a necklace, bracelet, ring, or another type of jewelry with a small pendant or internal urn that is designed to hold a small portion of cremated ashes. It is worn in honor and remembrance of a loved one who has passed. The urn can be one of many shapes such as a cylinder, heart, or religious symbol and may be made with wood, ceramic, gold, titanium, stainless steel, or another material.
The cremation jewelry pendant chosen is typically one that reminds the wearer of the friend or family member that has passed away. Cremation jewelry is also known as remembrance jewelry or memorial jewelry.
What can be put inside?
Once a piece of jewelry to put ashes in has been chosen, it can then be filled with something in remembrance of a loved one. The pendant may be filled with fine ashes, a lock of hair or something else that was meaningful to the loved one such as soil or sand from a treasured place.
How to Fill Cremation Jewelry
Putting cremated ashes in a necklace or other piece of cremation jewelry isn’t a difficult process. Working with the small components of jewelry can be a challenge and you may need additional small tools to assist you.
How to Begin
Before following instructions regarding how to put ashes into a necklace, cremation ring, cremation bracelet, or other piece of jewelry, it’s important to consider your workspace.
Make sure that your area:
- is well lit
- has no wind from an open window, fan, or heater but is well-ventilated
- has a flat surface
Opening Cremation Jewelry
Once you have your workspace set up in a well-lit environment, follow the below steps.
This first step is to examine how the cremation jewelry opens. There are usually two types of ways to open cremation jewelry - the first is by a top opening bale – and the second is by a threaded screw.
Top Opening Bales
One of the most common ways that cremation jewelry opens is by simply unscrewing the top threaded bale. The bale portion of the jewelry is the part that the chain goes through. This design is a discreet way to open cremation jewelry.
Threaded Screw Openings
Another common method of opening and sealing cremation jewelry is by a small threaded screw. These threaded screws are normally located on the bottom or back of the pendant. Placing a threaded screw on the back or bottom of the pendant is often chosen to avoid compromising the design of the cremation jewelry. Typically, if a piece of jewelry has a threaded screw, it won’t have a bale.
Due to the small nature of threaded screws, it is important to take great care when gently opening and closing the piece to avoid the possibility of damaging the threads on the cremation jewelry.
How to Put Ashes in Cremation Jewelry
Next, you’ll want to put a portion of the ashes in the piece of cremation jewelry. Most cremation jewelry includes a small plastic ash funnel that can be used to help transfer the cremains, dried flowers, lock of hair, or earth from a special place. In addition to a funnel, a small object such as a paperclip or toothpick can be used to help assist in transferring without touching cremated ashes.
Once you’ve finished transferring the ashes, you’ll want to seal the cremation jewelry. Although cremation jewelry opens and closes with either a threaded screw or top opening bale, we strongly advise using an adhesive to permanently seal the pendant after filling with the cremains or other contents. This glue reinforces the threaded screw or bale to ensure the piece of jewelry stays firmly sealed. A non-water-soluble glue, like super glue, is best since moisture can accumulate and cause the pendant to become unglued over time. Since the bale or screw is typically quite small, it can be difficult to handle with adhesive. For this reason, we also recommend placing the adhesive inside the threads first.
If you’re not comfortable transferring ashes or want to avoid touching cremated ashes, you may find a local business that will do it for you. Families will commonly seek assistance from a local jeweler or funeral director if they prefer to have someone do it for them.
Is Touching Cremated Ashes Safe?
Human ashes are in no way toxic if they make contact with the skin and it is safe to touch cremains. The cremation process doesn’t involve any chemicals or release toxins into the cremains - remember, they are mostly composed of bones ground down to a small grain. However, touching cremated ashes can be an uncomfortable experience for people, so although it is safe, you can always ask someone else to transfer ashes on your behalf.
Caring For Cremation Jewelry
Once filled and sealed, it’s important to take care of your jewelry to keep it in good condition and well-sealed. Download our Care Instructions for Cremation Jewelry to learn how to properly care for your new or old cremation jewelry.
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