All About Sterling Silver Cremation Jewelry

You love your new piece of sterling silver cremation jewelry. It’s a unique piece that holds a part of an extraordinary person. If you’re wondering more about why sterling silver is such a good choice for cremation jewelry, how to fill your cremation jewelry and what the best ways are to take care of it, we’ll cover it all in this article. 

Why Sterling Silver is a Popular Choice for Cremation Jewelry

Sterling silver has many fine qualities that lend themselves well to cremation jewelry's specific needs.

Precious metal

Any jewelry made with sterling silver is a piece of fine jewelry since sterling silver is a precious metal. Silver is a precious metal, but in its pure state, it’s very soft, making it a poor choice for items like jewelry and dinnerware, which need a certain level of durability to be functional. Sterling silver solves this problem. Sterling silver is silver mixed with other alloys, usually copper, to make the metal tougher and more durable. The ratio for silver and other metals is 92% silver to 8% copper and other alloys. It is highly preferred by jewelers for its beauty and durability and is used to make jewelry, dinnerware, and other fine items. Sterling silver is the choice for fine jewelry, and its durable quality and beauty will last lifetimes. 

Durability

Sterling silver is suitable for daily wear. While we don’t recommend you swim or play rugby with your sterling silver cremation jewelry, we know it will stand up well to normal day-to-day activities. You can be comforted at any time when wearing cremation jewelry, so feel free to make wearing it part of your regular routine. It’s very common for memorial jewelry to be worn daily. Sterling silver makes beautiful heirloom pieces of jewelry, and your sterling silver cremation necklace will retain its quality appearance and shine for generations. And sterling silver is easy to maintain. It polishes in no time, and any scratches or nicks can be easily polished out. 

Examples of Sterling Silver Cremation Jewelry and Keepsakes

There are many kinds of sterling silver cremation jewelry.

1. The most common kind of cremation jewelry is the miniature urn pendant worn as a necklace. The pendant is designed to hold a tiny amount of cremation ash and is worn as a memorial. 
2. Pendants are the most common kind of miniature urn, but small urn rings are also available. 
3. Another option includes fingerprint jewelry, which are pendants, rings or other pieces of jewelry that include your loved one's fingerprint.
4. There’s another type of cremation jewelry made with cremation ash. Jewelers will use glass, like a , or another material like epoxy to mix the ash and incorporate it into a piece of jewelry. The risks for this type of jewelry are that glass can break, and materials like epoxy can wear down and be easily scratched, even if their settings are sterling silver.

Personalizing Silver Cremation Jewelry

You can easily customize your silver cremation jewelry by engraving:

1. Their name or initials. 
2. Your loved one’s dates of birth and death.
3. The coordinates of your loved one’s final resting place.
4. A short sentiment or word like “beloved.” 

Filling Your Sterling Silver Cremation Jewelry With Ashes

When it’s time to fill your cremation jewelry with ash, be sure to take your time. You’ll want to find a time when you won’t be distracted or disturbed. This won’t take very long, but close up curious pets and put the kids to bed before you start. Your necklace came with a fill kit that includes a small screwdriver and miniature funnel. Lay out a soft dry cloth on a clean surface. Place the cremated remains close by. Open the container and make sure you will be able to access the ash easily. Use the screwdriver to open your pendant. Insert the funnel and carefully pour some of the ash into the pendant using a spoon. Stop when the ash reaches the base of the opening. Screw the opening closed and wipe any ash off the pendant. 

Caring for Sterling Silver Cremation Jewelry

Care for your sterling silver cremation jewelry with the same care you’d give to any fine piece of silver jewelry, plus a little extra care. While some sterling silver jewelry can stand up to the more vigorous activities of daily life like working out or playing sports, your cremation jewelry needs a little more TLC.  Since your sterling silver cremation jewelry is a miniature urn, it is more delicate than most jewelry, so it needs more care. Finally, your cremation pendant contains something uniquely precious; in fact, it’s downright priceless. It’s easy for jewelry to get damaged during physical activities, plus the dirt and sweat can scratch or damage your jewelry’s finish. So please take off your cremation jewelry before any physical activities or any time you’re sweating, or exposed to water, and store it safely until later.