How Our Ash-Inlay Memorial Rings Began

I started Jewelry by Johan in 2008 with a lathe in my garage, turning wood rings for people who wanted something they couldn't find in a chain store. The memorial side of what we do came a year later, and it started almost by accident, at my own birthday dinner.

A Horse, a Birthday, and an Idea

On January 19, 2009, my family came over to celebrate my birthday. Somewhere in the evening the conversation turned to a horse we'd lost. Back then I had a habit of taking whatever someone brought up and asking myself the same question: could I turn that into a ring? A horse doesn't become a ring. But keeping something of the horse, that I could picture.

The Ring I Made Just to See If It Would Work

Ashes In the Ring, Not In a Capsule

The Same Care, Whether Pet or Person

The early orders came in slowly, and most were for pets: dogs, cats, and other animals whose families wanted to carry them on their hand instead of keeping them on a shelf. Over time, more people asked me to do the same for a person they'd lost.

I have never treated one as weightier than the other. Whether the ashes belong to someone's grandfather or someone's dog of fifteen years, the material is irreplaceable, and there is no second chance to get it right. I approached every piece that way from the start, and as I made more of them the work became a real craft: how much ash a ring actually needs, how to set it so it stays put, and how to seal it so it survives years of daily wear.

How an Ash-Inlay Memorial Ring Is Made

Every memorial ring we make is still built by hand. The short version: we take a small amount of your material, arrange it into a channel cut into the band, and seal it permanently under a clear protective layer that is polished flush with the rest of the ring. The ashes or fur sit inside a smooth, finished surface, with nothing exposed and nothing that can spill, loosen, or pop open the way a capsule clasp can.

What You Can Have Set Into a Memorial Ring

Far more than ashes. We regularly inlay cremated remains from both people and pets, along with fur, hair, feathers, dried flowers, and the occasional unusual request, including horse hair and even a little ground hoof. If it mattered to you, we can usually find a way to set it, which is part of why no two memorial rings we make are quite alike.

How We Make Memorial Jewelry Last

A memorial ring gets worn every day, so it has to hold up. We set the inlay into durable metals such as titanium, tungsten, ceramic, or gold, depending on what you are after, then seal it under a clear protective coat that takes the wear so the ashes never have to. If that surface ever needs refreshing years down the road, we re-coat it. You can read how we care for and re-coat memorial rings over time by reading our lifetime guarantee.

Why People Trust Us With Something Irreplaceable

Mailing us ashes or a clipping of fur is a leap of faith, and we never lose sight of that. It shapes how we work. Some people come to us with the whole piece planned down to the inscription; others only know they want to keep someone close and have no idea where to begin. Either way, our team takes the time to answer every question, walk through each step, and make sure the material is cared for from the moment it arrives until the finished ring ships back. We return whatever ashes or fur we don't use, every time, without being asked.

That care may be why our memorial rings are reviewed more often than anything else we make, and we work with some unusual materials, from meteorite to dinosaur bone to antler. Not everyone leaves a review. But our memorial customers nearly always do, and what they send back says it better than we could:

“The process was simple and the product is beautiful. The ring is great quality and very comfortable. Know that JBJ will return any unused ashes and fur when they send your completed piece. Every time I spoke with anyone, they were patient and provided excellent support.”
- Lindsay

“Rarely does anyone stumble across such a company so full of compassion, kindness and artistic expression. I would not, could not, trust any company more.”
- Kathleen

If you are considering a memorial ring but aren't sure where to start, that's normal, and it's the part we're best at. You can see what to expect during the memorial ring process.

Still Made by Hand in Oakdale

Since 2008 we have handcrafted over 210,000 pieces of every kind, from wood and titanium to meteorite, dinosaur bone, and antler, and the memorial work grew up right alongside all of it. Every piece is still made by hand, now out of our shop in Oakdale, Minnesota, and still backed for life.

The whole memorial line traces back to a horse that came up at a birthday dinner and a ring full of soil I made the next morning just to see if it would hold. It did, and we have been making them ever since.