How pet ashes jewellery is made: our ring-making process
At Fur & Forever, we make pet ashes rings by carefully setting a small amount of cremation ashes into a metal ring, building up clear resin layers and shaping and polishing the finished piece. The process begins with logging your ashes when they arrive at our Brighton workshop.
Our maker, Jack Lockyer, explains the stages below. There is an important difference between the metals: we work from cast silver rings, while Jack builds our gold rings by hand. This account describes our ashes rings, rather than a single method for every type of memorial jewellery.
1. Recording the arrival of your ashes
When your ashes arrive, we immediately enter them into our intake log. That entry triggers an update email to you. The ashes are then checked and placed in our workshop safe until it is time to make your ring.
If you are still preparing your parcel, our guide to sending fur, hair or ashes explains the arrangements for UK and international customers.
2. Preparing the silver or gold ring
For a silver ring, Jack chooses a cast silver ring from stock to work from. For a gold ring, he builds the ring by hand. Gold rings are also hallmarked before any inclusions are set.
The sterling silver Ashes Keepsake Ring is one example of this design. Its channel holds the ashes and resin within the band.
3. Grading and selecting a small amount of ashes
We grade the ashes to select a suitable mix of coarse and fine particles, then separate the small amount we will use for the ring. We keep the remaining ashes to return with your finished jewellery.
Only a small amount is needed. Follow the instructions supplied for your chosen piece, and contact us before sending anything if you have very little available or are arranging several pieces.
4. Setting the ashes and any agreed inclusions
We slowly add the selected ashes into the ring's channel, using an industrial-grade dual-curing UV resin. If your order includes agreed opals or other inclusions, we add those at the same stage.
While setting the ashes, we take care to catch loose grains that fall from the ring. These are added back to the remaining ashes for return.
Once the ashes and any agreed inclusions are in place, we build up layers of crystal-clear jeweller's UV resin. These layers are then shaped and polished as part of the finishing process.
5. Engraving, shaping and polishing
If engraving is part of the agreed order, we add it before delicately sanding the resin back into a uniform shape. Engraving availability depends on the ring, so check the options on the product page before ordering.
The ring then moves to the lathe for further shaping. We use extremely fine polishing to give the resin a glass-like finish. This describes its appearance: the inclusion is set in resin, not glass.
Finally, we clean up the metal and polish it to a mirror finish. The resin and metal are worked in separate stages to finish the complete piece.
6. Returning your ring and the remaining ashes
Once the ring is finished, it and the remaining ashes are transferred to a postal box, ready to be packaged for dispatch. Any unused inclusions are always returned with your finished jewellery. You do not need to request this.
How long does an ashes ring take?
Allow 2 to 4 weeks from receipt of your inclusions to dispatch of your finished jewellery. For gold jewellery, allow four weeks. Delivery time is additional.
This is the overall order timescale, rather than the duration of an individual setting or polishing stage.
Choosing and caring for your ring
Browse our cremation ashes jewellery collection to choose a design before sending anything. The options available on your chosen product page determine what you can order.
Once your ring is with you, follow our jewellery care instructions. Remove it before swimming or cleaning, keep it away from harsh chemicals and protect it from heavy impact. Our guide to wearing memorial jewellery every day explains how to fit those precautions into your routine.
Based on Jack Lockyer's account of the Fur & Forever workshop process, supplied on 5 October 2026.
