Titanium Cremation Jewelry - A Perfect Pet Cremation Urn
by Wendy Jacobson
Image: Phoebe's pups*
“When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.” – Unknown
Kaiser’s remains filled a box in the corner of our dining room. Neither my husband nor I were familiar with cremation, and we weren’t sure what to do with the remains. Although Kaiser was gone, we wanted to treasure his memory. While it’s true that some may think, “He was just a dog,” he was our dog, and a very special one.
We looked around for cremation products online, and discovered that we knew one thing for sure. We did not want to put Kaiser’s remains in a pet cremation urn to place on a mantle.
Choosing between spreading or sharing cremation ashes
We thought of spreading Kaiser’s ashes around his favorite places in town, but we also wanted to keep some for ourselves so that he would always be with us. He was a beautiful Airedale puppy that we treated like a child. Kaiser was a rock star; he was gorgeous, smart, and he made people smile wherever he went. He was loyal, caring and a wonderful companion, and we thought he would grow old in our home.
Sadly, cancer riddled Kaiser’s body when he was just three-years-old and we had to put him down at a much earlier age than we had ever anticipated. About a week after we said good-bye to our sweet boy, the vet called to let us know his cremated remains were available for us to pick up. We finally decided that we wanted to find a way to take Kaiser’s cremains with us wherever we went.
It has been several years since Kaiser's cremation, and as I write, Kaiser’s box of ashes is untouched in our dining room. I began writing for OneWorld Memorials, and naturally my search for pet cremation products began anew. My husband and I decided to look at cremation jewelry to house Kaiser’s remains.
Titanium cremation bracelets and necklaces
Cremation jewelry is exactly as it sounds. It securely holds ashes and can be worn or displayed. We were surprised to find many designs available in various materials.
Rather than gold or silver, we looked at titanium cremation jewelry. Titanium caught our interest because:
- it’s lightweight
- it’s hypoallergenic
- it’s incredibly resilient
- we like how titanium looks, although it can easily be colored
As we browsed the online products, the Embracing Heart cremation necklace caught my eye. I wondered if the heart-shaped urn with a gold inlay and diamond accent, although stunning, was perhaps a bit too much for the remains of a four-legged friend. A human loved one for sure, but something a bit more understated would better suit Kaiser.
What’s more, my husband and I realized that we wanted to have the same piece of cremation jewelry as each other. Before we had children, we had Kaiser. Our time with him represented a different, but special time. And we wanted to stay connected to Kaiser the same way, together. We found the beautiful titanium bracelet that suits both men and women.
We also discovered that’s it’s easy to transfer a portion of the ashes to bracelets and necklaces. Reading directions in the planning guide alleviated any fears that we’d mess up when moving Kaiser’s ashes from the plastic bag to a small piece of jewelry.
Now, we have children and a new dog. Although Kaiser is gone, he is not forgotten, and by storing his ashes in the bracelets he can come along with us wherever we go.
*Image by Marilyn Peddle can be found here: http://bit.ly/29PIbxc
Wendy Jacobson is a freelance writer living in Minneapolis with her husband, two kids and dog. She helped market her mother’s book, “Hands Off My Hope: Life Lessons on my Journey with Breast Cancer” at the request of her mom, who died two weeks after publishing it in 2008. She also is the editor of Minneapolis Happening, a digital lifestyle magazine about what’s happening in Minneapolis and the surrounding area.