Olympia Silversmith Makes Mourning Jewelry with Hair, Teeth, and Ashes

Hailing from Olympia, Washington, silversmith Angela Kirkpatrick has decided to use her skills as a jewelry maker to dive into a niche market. She can use the hair, cremains, or even the teeth of a recently deceased loved one to make special mourning jewelry.

The tradition of mourning jewelry goes back all to the way to Victorian era when people used to wear lockets containing a small amount of a dead family member’s hair. “It’s not uncommon to ask for a lock of hair, it used to be something done very regularly,” Kirkpatrick said. She works with about 40 clients at a time, walking them through custom designs and since they can be such emotional pieces, sometimes acting like a grief counselor. Some peopled are skeptical of her career choice and believe that it is morbid, but for those that come to her to get specialized mourning jewelry, it is truly very special.

Kirkpatrick is a member of the Order of the Good Death. She also leads the monthly Death Cafe meeting in Olympia, which is an international event that encourages people to get together over tea and cake to talk about death.

See Rachel Belle, Olympia Silversmith Makes Mourning Jewelry with Hair, Teeth, and Ashes, KIRO 7, July 1, 2018; see also here to view the customized jewelry options.

Special thanks to Christine Wakeman (Winstead Attorneys) for bringing this article to my attention.