History of Cremation Jewellery

Cremation jewellery, a discreet way to keep a loved one close, has a history stretching back thousands of years. The forms have changed enormously, but the impulse behind it, to carry a piece of someone we love, has stayed the same. This guide traces how memorial jewellery evolved.

Quick answer: Memorial and cremation jewellery dates back thousands of years, with early cultures keeping locks of hair, and some tribes fashioning keepsakes from a loved one's remains. It grew through the 16th to 19th centuries as mourning jewellery, becoming hugely popular when Queen Victoria mourned Prince Albert. Today it takes modern forms like self-fill pendants, rings and bracelets with a small chamber for ashes or hair.

Ancient beginnings

The exact origins are unknown, but memorial keepsakes are believed to predate the Egyptians, reaching back thousands of years. Early cultures kept all manner of mementos to remember the dead, gradually settling on locks of hair as the keepsake of choice. Some tribes in regions of Myanmar and India fashioned jewellery from a loved one's bones, both to remember them and, they believed, to ward off sickness.

The 16th to 18th centuries

By the 16th century, mementos of loved ones were made not for grieving but for prayer and quiet remembrance. In the 17th century, following the death of Charles I, jewellery made to remember the dead grew more popular, and pieces designed to hold a keepsake became more common. By the 18th century, memorial necklaces had become a genuinely emotional part of mourning.

The Victorian era

The 19th century was the golden age of mourning jewellery. When Queen Victoria mourned Prince Albert, she had mourning jewellery worn at court, and the wealthy followed, commissioning memorial pieces, including jewellery containing locks of hair. This is also when families would gather for a commemorative photograph as a keepsake for future generations.

Cremation jewellery today

Modern cremation jewellery keeps the same spirit in contemporary forms: pendants, rings, bracelets and lockets, often with a small sealed chamber for a pinch of ashes or a lock of hair. Some can be engraved, or set with a gemstone chosen for its meaning. Our ashes jewellery includes self-fill pendants and rings in silver and gold finishes, with a range of gemstones each carrying its own significance. To understand how it works, see our guide on self-fill ashes jewellery.

Frequently asked questions

How old is cremation jewellery?

Memorial keepsakes are believed to predate the Egyptians, dating back thousands of years. Early forms used locks of hair, and some cultures fashioned keepsakes from a loved one's remains, long before modern ashes jewellery.

Why did mourning jewellery become so popular in Victorian times?

When Queen Victoria mourned Prince Albert, she had mourning jewellery worn at court. The fashion spread among the wealthy, and jewellery holding locks of hair became especially popular through the 19th century.

What is modern cremation jewellery?

It is a pendant, ring, bracelet or locket with a small sealed chamber that holds a pinch of ashes or a lock of hair. Many are self-fill, so you can fill them at home, and some are set with a meaningful gemstone.

What can cremation jewellery hold?

Usually a small portion of ashes, but the chamber can also hold a strand of hair, so anyone can use it whatever keepsake they have. The rest of the ashes stay with you.