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Shop Popular, Ready to Ship StylesHow Cremation Ash Jewelry Is Made
By Johan Rust, Founder & Master Jeweler
Published
Every piece is made by hand in our workshop in Oakdale, Minnesota. This page covers how ashes are set into a ring, how much we need, how to get them to us legally, what happens to them while they're with us, and what comes home to you afterward.
Making something for a pet? That's covered on our pet memorial jewelry education page.
Jump to a section:
- How much ash we need
- What can be set alongside the ashesWhat can go alongside the ashes
- How to start a custom cremation ringStarting a custom ring
- How to send us cremation ashesHow to send us ashes
- How we handle your loved one's ashesHow we handle the ashes
- Is cremation jewelry waterproof?Is it waterproof?
- Cleaning cremation jewelry at homeCleaning it at home
- How long cremation jewelry takes to make and shipHow long it takes
- Cremation jewelry FAQFAQ
Set into the ring, not sealed in a capsule
Most cremation jewelry hides the ashes. A capsule screws shut, a compartment seals behind a plate, and what you wear is a container.
We machine a channel into the ring, set the ashes into that channel, and seal them under a clear, hard coating. There is nothing to unscrew, nothing that can work loose, and nothing to open by accident. The ashes become part of the ring rather than cargo inside it, and you can see them.
Johan worked this method out in January 2009, after someone asked whether ashes could go into a ring at all. He tested it the next morning with fine dark soil, sealed under a clear layer, and it held. The full account is in how our memorial rings began.
We started in 2008 with a lathe in a garage. Since then we've made pieces for more than 200,000 customers.
Solid 14k gold surrounds the ash inlay of this wavy memorial ring.
Any memorial design can be crafted in either precious or non-precious metal
Black ceramic and colored enamel can bring a bit of bold color to the design
How much ash we need
Two tablespoons, roughly 30 grams. That's the same whether you're ordering a ring, a pendant, a bracelet, earrings, or cufflinks.
It's more than the piece will hold. We ask for a working margin so that machining, setting, and finishing can be done without ever running short partway through. Everything left over comes back to you.
If you don't have two tablespoons, tell us and send what you have. If there isn't enough to fill the channel alone, we can lay colored enamel behind the inlay so no bare metal shows and the ashes are still what you see.
What can be set alongside the ashes
Ashes are gray, which suits a modest look for a keepsake. It's quite common, however, to add something extra that means something special to you and the person you're remembering.
Stones and color
Crushed birthstone, or a stone in a color they were known for. Colored enamel behind the ashes lifts them and gives the inlay depth.
Something of theirs
A string from their guitar. Wood from a tree on their property. Sand from a place they loved. If it can be cut, crushed, or laid flat, it can usually be set into the piece.
Meteorite, dinosaur bone, wood, or antler
Something from one of their special interests. These sit in their own channel alongside the ashes, sometimes divided by a thin metal pinstripe.
Metal or Black Ceramic
Titanium, tungsten, black ceramic, black zirconium, gold, or platinum. There is no metal or material we can't set ashes into.
Text engraving
Text engraving on the sleeve of the ring, up to 25 characters. We can also engrave the back of pendants and cufflinks.
Image engraving
Image engravings are also available. We can either engrave your own design or a fingerprint.
Combining ashes from more than one person
Two parents. A husband and the dog he raised. A grandparent and a grandchild. Send each person's ashes in a separate, labeled container inside the same box, and tell us how you'd like them arranged.
We commonly do separate channels, a metal pinstripe between them, or both sets blended into one inlay.
Funeral Flower Petals
Dried flower petals from their funeral, their grave, or their garden can be set into your memorial ring. We've built a full matching set of cufflinks and rings from a funeral bouquet of yellow roses for an employee's family, and they turned out beautifully.
While you can request a ring with both ashes and flower petals together, some people choose to use petals alone as an alternative to ashes. This can be a great choice if you either don't have ashes, or if you'd prefer not to ship them.
If you'd like to send us dried flower petals, we only need a handful. We'll return whatever we don't use.
How to start a custom cremation ring
Nobody expects you to arrive with a finished design. Some people send a photo of something they've seen and ask whether we can do it differently. Others have been thinking about it for months and know exactly what they want. Both work.
The fastest route is to find a piece close to what you're picturing in our cremation and memorial jewelry collection and click "Customize or Ask a Question". That opens a conversation about your design. All jewelry can take an ash inlay, not only the ones listed as memorial pieces, so don't feel limited to that collection.
Otherwise, you can email us what you have in mind, or book a free consultation and talk it through with our specialists.
Phone and text (1-651-321-9267), or live chat are open as well.
When your custom design is finalized, we'll send you an exact price quote to approve or make changes to.
There's no customization fee. Designing your own cremation ring doesn't add any arbitrary fees.
How to send us cremation ashes
Cremated remains are the one material with legal shipping rules attached. The five steps below cover the whole process.
Step 1: Find your order number
Once your order is placed, your order confirmation email will include your order number along with these same instructions for sending ashes. That number is how we match your package to you, and you'll write it on the box at the final step.
If you haven't placed an order yet, use the button below to request a Return Goods Authorization (RGA) number instead. It does the same job.
I Don't Have an Order Number
Step 2: Sign our waiver
Download the JBJ Liability Waiver and sign it. Either:
Option A: Print it, sign it by hand, and include it in your package.
Option B: Sign it digitally and email us a screen capture.
The waiver is what allows us to legally receive, handle, and work with cremated remains.
Step 3: Pack the ashes
Place the ashes inside two Ziploc bags, one inside the other. Put the bags inside a sealed plastic container.
Step 4: Ship your package
You are legally required to use USPS Priority Mail Express with Signature Delivery domestically, or USPS Priority Mail Express International with Signature Delivery if you're shipping from outside the US. No other carrier or service may move cremated remains.
The box also has to be marked. Three ways to do this:
Option A: Order a free cremated remains kit from USPS. It arrives already printed with the "Cremated Remains" label on every side, so there's nothing for you to add. Availability at local post offices is inconsistent and can take weeks, so order it well before you need it.
Option B: Ask a nearby funeral home. Most keep spare cremated remains shipping supplies and will give you one.
Option C: Use your own box and mark it yourself. Every side that does not have the shipping label must have the words "Cremated Remains" written on it prominently.
Place the sealed plastic container inside the labeled box of your choice from above. Surround it with bubble wrap or crumpled paper.
Step 5: Address your box
Write the name and order number on the line above our address, like so:
C/O (Jane Doe / 9876543210)
Here's the full address format for sending us ashes or any other materials:
JBJ
C/O (First and Last Name / Order Number or RGA Number)
553 Hayward Avenue North
Suite 200
Oakdale, MN 55128
Note: St. Paul is where we receive mail, so don't be concerned if USPS says it'll ship there.
We'll contact you within 1-2 business days of receiving it.
Jewelry by Johan Headquarters in Oakdale, MN
How we handle your loved one's ashes
People want to know what happens between the post office and the finished piece. This is it. Nothing is opened until we know whose it is.
When a package arrives we match the name against our order and email records first.
Once open, the ashes are labeled straight away. The container gets a tag, and the outside is taped with the name and order number. We photograph what arrived and file those photos to the customer record, so there's a dated visual record from the moment it entered the building.
Storage is a locked room. Materials leave it only to be photographed, measured, worked on, or shipped, and go back as soon as that's done. Nothing is left out on a bench overnight.
Every movement is scanned against the job order number, so we can see where a set of ashes has been, where it went next, who handled it, and when.
Our office and our production floor are in the same building in Oakdale, Minnesota. Ashes are never moved between sites. They arrive, they stay, and they go home.
What comes back to you
When the piece is finished, everything we didn't use goes home in the container you sent it in, packed in the same box as the jewelry. Not disposed of, not kept, not shipped separately at your cost.
How durable is cremation jewelry?
Every ash inlay is sealed under Ring Armor, a transparent protective coating that guards against water, knocks, and scratches. It's the reason an ash ring can be worn every day instead of kept in a drawer.
If the coating is ever damaged, we repair it for free, that's our lifetime service guarantee. You cover shipping both ways and we cover the work. We also clean and refinish the ring before sending it back, so it returns looking the way it did the day it arrived.
In the rare case that a ring is damaged beyond repair, we'll remake it at half the current price. We'll always try to repair a piece before suggesting that.
Is cremation jewelry waterproof?
Ring Armor is water-resistant and built for daily wear, so rain, handwashing, and showers are fine. You can submerge it briefly, but take it off before a long soak or a swim. Fingers change shape in water and a ring can slip off without you noticing.
Cleaning cremation jewelry at home
While you can send us your piece at any time for us to clean and refinish it, you're welcome to take care of it at home. Cleaning an item with Ring Armor is simple.
What you'll need
- Clean, warm water
- Mild dish soap
- A soft cloth
- A small dish
How to Clean Memorial Jewelry
Mix a small amount of mild dish soap into warm water. Take a soft cloth, dip one corner, and squeeze it out until it's barely damp. Wipe the surface of the piece. Then use a fresh corner dampened with clean water to lift off any soap, and dry it with a dry corner.
The coating is quite tough, so routine care really is just cleaning the surface. If it ever starts to look worn, don't try to touch it up with varnish or wax. Send it to us through our repairs request form and we'll repair it, polish it up, and send it home like new at no cost.
Care guidance for every material we work with is on our jewelry care page.
How long cremation jewelry takes to make and ship
Production time
Once we have your ashes and your finger size (if it's a ring), production takes about 20 business days before the piece ships.
Every product listing shows its own turnaround: Processed > Shipped > Delivered. Processed means we have everything from you that we need to begin.
Domestic shipping time
USPS Priority Mail Express typically delivers in about 3 days domestically, including Sunday.
International shipping time
USPS Priority Mail Express International typically delivers in about 4 business days.
How we get your ring size
Rings include a free, two-step sizing program. Step one gives us an estimated size. Step two sends you custom sizers made to the actual width of your finished ring, which is what makes them so accurate.
Wear the sizers through a normal day or two to find what genuinely feels right. Order as many as you need. We'll make the ring to whatever size you confirm. If the size somehow doesn't match what you confirmed, we'll remake it at no cost.
Cremation jewelry FAQ
Can you really put ashes in a ring?
Yes. The ashes sit in a channel machined into the ring and are sealed under a clear coating. They're visible, not hidden inside a compartment.
How much ash do you need for a ring?
Two tablespoons, about 30 grams, for any piece. Anything we don't use comes back to you.
What if I don't have enough ash?
Send what you have. We can lay colored enamel behind the ashes so no bare metal shows.
Is it legal to mail cremated remains?
Yes, by USPS Priority Mail Express with Signature Delivery only. The box has to be marked "Cremated Remains" - the free USPS kit comes pre-printed, or you can mark your own box.
How do I mail ashes internationally?
The same process, using USPS Priority Mail Express International with Signature Delivery, with the box marked "Cremated Remains".
Certain non-US countries do not allow you to mail cremated remains. You can check the USPS website to see if you're allowed to ship cremated remains, and if Priority Mail Express International is available.
Do I get the unused ashes back?
Yes, in the plastic container you sent them in, in the same box as the finished piece.
Can one ring hold ashes from two people?
Yes, in separate channels, divided by a pinstripe, or blended into one inlay.
Can I send ashes and something else, like a guitar string or wood?
Yes. Put each item in its own labeled container inside the same box and tell us how you'd like them arranged. If ashes are in the box, the whole package has to travel under the ash shipping rules.
Why does Jewelry by Johan's shipping address default to St. Paul?
That's expected. St. Paul is where we receive packages, it's our postal center.
Tell us who we made it for
If we built something for you, we'd like to know who it was for. Write as much or as little as you want, and add photos if you have them.
Some of these become stories on our blog, always with your permission first. You can read them on our jewelry stories blog.
Learn more in our education center, or browse cremation and memorial jewelry and ash jewelry.