One of my favorite things to do is create sentimental pieces that tell a story. For me personally, jewelry is not as much vanity as it is fond reminders of special people, vacations, or general memories. Some pieces are considered rare and collectable, and I suppose the romance behind that is not lost on me.
Some ideas of sentimental jewelry might be inscribed pieces, birthstones, or by incorporating part of a person or thing into the actual piece. Some examples:
Thoughtfully wire wrapping any sentimental “treasure”. This is wonderful for irregular sized items. I prefer to use sterling silver when doing this.
PMC silver stands for “precious metal clay”, which is a byproduct of catalytic converters invented by the Mitsubishi Corp., and contains 99.9% silver with a flux. When fired, the flux burns away and the silver fuses together creating a solid piece of pure silver. PMC can be used to preserve fingerprints (thought it does shrink with firing), and even used to preserve the likeness of a leaf from a memorial tree.
Memorial leafs are created when someone’s ashes were spread beneath a tree, planted in their honor. When the tree brings forth leaves, one can be snipped, a PMC slip can be applied in layers, dried, then fired. There, the leaf burns away, but the impression of that very leaf is left behind. So much more real and detailed than pressing a leaf in PMC—which is another option.
You might have heard of memorial diamonds. This is where it’s stated carbon, from a loved one’s ashes are used during the HPHT or CVD treatment when growing laboratory diamonds. The sentiment is that the diamond was manufactured using a part of your loved one. Since’s DeBeer’s marketing slogan “A Diamond is Forever” has caught on so well, the belief may be, your loved one is forever with you.
If ever you would like someone to brainstorm some ideas with you to either create a piece, or direct you to a place who can, I’m happy to assist you.