How to Honor a Loved One Who Has Died - Mourning Jewelry

When my sister Donna died suddenly at the age of 31, I was shell shocked and at a complete loss as to how to honor her. As my best friend and closest sister, nothing seemed adequate, and I was aghast at how few options the funeral home offered. We ended up choosing a simple silver pendant that held her ashes and hair, and I remember thinking how much she would have hated it! 

When we lose someone in our lives, regardless of the circumstances, it shuts us down and often we can feel so heavy both with the loss and the inability to do something that feels meaningful. For me, it took me nearly a decade before I made a jewelry piece to honor Donna - that many years were needed to heal and process what had happened. 

Why It is Important to Grieve

Recently I had a customer create a custom daisy memorial ring in honor of her mom Judy whom she lost to cancer several years ago. We worked together for many months, and talked often about how grief can stay in the body if not processed. I remember at one point she said to me "there's a healing nature to creating something physical out of the grief. The process of making jewelry - something material - mimics the physical/material nature of the pain that is often unseen." 

Moving through grief and allowing space for it to unfold is necessary for the living. For a decade I was paralyzed and defined by the loss of my sister; I felt survivor's guilt and was not truly living my life. Creating the "There is a Light that Never Goes Out" ring allowed me to actively grieve, and to begin healing. 

What is Mourning Jewelry? 

Mourning jewelry is any jewelry object which allows you to feel connected to your loved one whom you lost. Every time you wear it, you are reminded of that person. 

Each piece in the Memoir Jewelry line provides a way for you to not only tell your story, but to experience the healing that comes through the process of artistic expression.  You become the designer when you choose your enamel colors, gemstones, or engraved words, and in doing so, you take part in a ritual of grief and healing. 

Creative Ways to Honor A Deceased Loved One

The Memoir Jewelry line offers a range of designs to help you express yourself and honor your loved one. Each piece is made entirely by hand on Jeweler's Row in Philadelphia: 

• The ring that started it all: the enamel "There is a Light that Never Goes Out" mourning ring available in sterling silver or gold. You choose the enamel color, with or without a gemstone.
• The forget-me-not flower love token, with hand-enameled flowers and a hand engraving of your choice. Your loved one's name can look beautiful on this piece.
• The dainty and delicate forget-me-not flower enamel charm with a powerful phrase of mourning and love on the back. This everyday piece can be layered easily.
• Many women each year experience miscarriage and baby loss, and the rose necklace honors this loss. Available in several styles and with or without enamel.
• Often losing fur babies can hurt as deeply as losing the humans in our lives. The custom pet memorial ring in silver or gold allows you to change the wording and the enamel to match what you miss most about your pet. You can also add a diamond.

Whatever path you choose to remember that special person you lost, please know you are not alone. Any steps you take to experience and process the grief is a beautiful testament to the love you shared.