How much ash goes into a piece of jewellery?

Very little - between 0.1 and 1 gram, depending on the piece. A typical hollow setting holds roughly a knife-tip; a memorial diamond requires considerably more ash (see Memorial Diamond). The ashes are taken after cremation by the funeral home, in consultation with the family.

Is ash jewellery legal in Germany?

Legally delicate - ashes are subject to the obligation of cemetery burial (the burial acts of the individual federal states, backed by §168 of the German Criminal Code on violation of the peace of the dead). Keeping the entire quantity of ashes in a piece of jewellery would not be permissible. Removing small quantities for keepsakes is tolerated in practice, but should be documented in the funeral instructions (see Burial Laws and the Ashes of the Deceased (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)).

Are the ashes visible in the jewellery?

That depends on the construction. Hollow setting beneath rock crystal: the ashes are discernible, usually as a fine light-grey powder. Embedded in synthetic resin: the ashes shimmer as a translucent cloud inside a clear cabochon. Sealed capsule without a window: the ashes are not visible and the piece carries them purely functionally. Whether or not to show the ashes is a personal decision.

Can the piece be passed on as an heirloom?

Yes. Ash jewellery is typically conceived as a family piece and handed down across generations. What matters is a workshop certificate documenting the person, the material and the occasion - otherwise the provenance is lost within two generations. If the piece is later interred in a family grave, it can be placed in the grave.

Ash Jewellery

Ash jewellery is a modern memorial piece in which a small quantity of cremation ashes is permanently enclosed - usually in a hollow setting with a rock-crystal window, or embedded in synthetic resin.

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