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Ashes to ashes, dust to... jewellery, fireworks and tattoo ink

creative ashes of love ones feature

No-one likes to think about death, but when it comes to keeping memories alive after a loved one has passed, these creative options might inspire you.

The only two certainties in life are death and taxes.

And when it comes to death, it’s usually a choice between burial or cremation.

(Let’s ignore the eccentric millionaires who’ve been cryogenically frozen in the hopes of being revived when scientists eventually work out how to do that.)

A recent study* of more than 1,000 Australians showed about 58 per cent of people would choose a cremation if creative options for the ashes were available - such as being pressed into a jewel, placed in a firework or mixed with ink for a tattoo.

And while there's nothing wrong with sprinkling ashes in a river or keeping them in an urn on the mantelpiece, sometimes you just want your loved ones to feel closer.

It turns out there's already a thriving market in putting loved one's ashes into rings and pendants, turning them into meaningful tattoos or sending them off with a bang as fireworks. And not just relatives but our loving pets who've crossed the rainbow bridge too.

It's not as morbid as you think either. (Okay, maybe the Christmas tree one is.)

Here's some ways to remember your loved one (though we hope you don't have to think about these options too soon.)

Jewellery

Putting your loved one's ashes into jewellery is a way to keep them closer wherever you go, from rings to pendants and even a Christmas decoration (which is basically jewellery for a tree, right?).

Some pendants open up so you can spoon some ashes into it yourself, while other rings are made by actually mixing the ashes into the resin with stunning results.

It's particularly popular for pets.

For one bride-to-be, adding her father's ashes to a ring was a magical way to have him at her wedding.

@treeofhopecreations Her “Something Blue” #ashes #daddysgirl #memorialjewelry #wedding #loss #cremains #somethingblue #ashesring ♬ You Are The Reason - Birger Heimdal

 

Tattoos

Tattoos have long been used to remember special moments and people, and now this can go a step further with some tattooists willing to mix your loved one's ashes directly into the ink.

Fireworks

We use fireworks to celebrate many things, so why not life too? Journalist Hunter S. Thompson famously shot his ashes out of a cannon in 2005, so like him you can go out with a bang but with a bit more colour and fanfare.

But why stop at ashes?

It seems all kinds of DNA are ripe for memorialising.

And yes, death is serious but it helps to have a side of humour

Though we think make-up might be going a bit too far?

 

*The study was by Antenna Strategic Insights.