How to Order + FAQs

We do prefer to have an order first. We use your order to create a file for you which lists all of your information, holds your piece, and serves as a home for the ashes while they are with us. At checkout, there is a section for notes that you can use to provide additional information. Having said this, if you would like to send the ashes first this is perfectly acceptable as well.

We can either mail a kit to you to send them in or you can send the ashes directly to us.

The kit comes with a small screw-top container, ring sizer, an information card, instructions and a pre-addressed envelope to send it back to us. The kit takes about 4-5 days to ship each way domestically and 10-15 days each way internationally.

To send the ashes to me yourself, please double bag them, letting out all the air, and label them with your name and or the name on the order, the order number, and the name of your loved one. Sending them in a padded envelope is best as it provides the most protection during shipping, but this is not required, please send them in whatever envelope makes you most comfortable. Please ship the ashes to the address below:

Close By Me Jewelry

4952 Warner Ave. Suite 320

Huntington Beach, CA 92649

We can make 4-6 pieces out of a teaspoon of ashes. Any and all unused ashes are returned with your order once it is complete. The size of the setting does affect this slightly. If you are ordering multiple pieces with larger settings, please send two teaspoons or more. If you are unsure about the amount of ashes you may need, please feel free to ask us at any time.

Other than the information that is required to place your order, we do not require that you provide anything unless you are totally comfortable. We try to personalize each order as much as possible, so we’re happy to hear any additional information you are willing to share. This includes the name of your loved one, their relationship to you and/or the recipient(s) of the pieces as well as any personal stories you would like to share. We completely respect our clients’ need for privacy and, as your comfort is our highest priority, we never ask for anything you are not comfortable sharing.

Once your order is placed and the ashes arrive, it can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks to receive your piece/s in the mail. Please note that all gold pieces take a minimum of 2 weeks and up to 6 weeks to arrive back from my jeweler after casting. Once we receive the ashes, it takes 7-9 days for the setting to be complete before mailing.

We are able to ship orders both internationally and domestically. If you have concerns about the shipping of your order to a specific location, please contact me for more information.

We do ship internationally but have found that mailing from the UK is a bit tricky due to the different regulations for the shipment of ashes overseas. Some of our clients have experienced delays or other issues when shipping their ashes, and some have claimed their packages as something other than ashes, like makeup, powder, or sand.

Also, please note that there is a chance that you can be charged a VAT tax and delays can be caused by orders being held in customs. We have had this happen only a handful of times, but would prefer that all UK clients have all of the information they need before ordering. I do my best to avoid this by marking orders as $20 items, to lessen the risk and cost of this tax, but unfortunately, I do have very little control over the packages once they leave the US.

All the jewelry we use is very sturdy. Each piece is cast from a mold for strength and durability, unless otherwise stated in the description. The jewelry can be worn every day and in the shower; my only suggestion is that you don't wear the jewelry when using harsh chemicals or while in the pool. Chemicals like chlorine can take away the high shine of the setting and give it more of a matte finish, but will not damage the ashes setting.

Please note that the materials used in the construction of the setting are porous and can absorb skin lotions, oils, soaps, etc. which may also cause the setting to be altered slightly. Yellowing or discoloration can occur, but this is not a sign of damage to the setting and is only a product of the porous nature of the materials. Please contact us if you have any concern about the appearance or feeling of the ashes setting.

Ashes are like fingerprints. Typically, there is no color added to them during the setting process. We set the ashes in a clear solution that solidifies them and brings out their natural color. Finished, it will look close to glass or stone.

Getting the ashes wet will give the best representation of what the setting will look like when it is done. The color range tends to be from light beige to a dark gray (which can appear black). But over time, we have noticed different hues like chocolate brown and burgundy. If you have any questions about how to customize the color of your setting, please feel free to contact us at any time.

This is easily remedied; before we send out pieces, we buff and polish them for shine, and then clean them so that they arrive in the best-looking state possible.

Sometimes, the agent that we use to buff and polish the pieces leaves residue that the cleaning does miss. We clean the pieces several times before sending them out but sometimes even that isn't enough to remove the residue that causes the reaction in your skin.

Fortunately, this is fixed by cleaning the ring with mild soap and water, up to a couple times if it doesn't work completely the first time. If you have tried cleaning your ring multiple times and it is still causing a reaction on your skin, please let me know as soon as possible and I will contact you with further instructions.

All silver does tarnish over time and does require cleaning and polishing to stave this off. We include a polishing pad and anti-tarnish bag with every order to keep your jewelry in to help with this as well. I have noticed that the more I wear my silver pieces, the less they tarnish as contact with your skin does act as a sort of polishing.

All of my white gold pieces are rhodium-plated to give them that high bluish-silver shine that they have in the photos. White gold naturally has a more yellowish cast to it which is not as desirable. So, the color you are seeing on the white gold pieces is actually rhodium, which can be added to any piece for an additional cost, but is not permanent. It does last a very long time, even with everyday wear, but will eventually rub off to reveal the color below.

We are able to set ashes into several different kinds of pieces, so if you have a ring or pendant that has an open bezel, please contact us directly to see if we are able to set it for you.

If you have jewelry that you would like melted down and recast into a new piece from our shop, this is possible as we have worked with clients in the past using their own material, but it is a bit more of a process. The metal has to be melted down, re-cast into an existing mold, and finished. Because of this, the cost of using your own material does end up being about the same as if you were to buy the piece outright. Please know that because of the casting process, gold may lose some of its purity.

If you want to let me know which pieces you are interested in, we can take them into my jewelers and ask him how much gold, by weight, you would need to send in. Then we can get a quote from our jeweler for the cost.

We do not hand-make my own jewelry, all of it is cast by our jeweler or supplier. We chose this primarily for strength and durability. However, we do work with several jewelers that often take commissions for custom pieces for our clients.

Please note that custom pieces are more expensive and take much longer to receive than the pieces we carry in our shop. Please contact us with any questions about this and for more information on how to create a custom piece to honor the unique connection you have shared.

Please let me know as soon as you receive your piece that it does not fit you properly. All of our rings are sized out of the office as a service provided by our jeweler and built in to the initial cost of your piece. For this reason, any resizing that is the fault of the client will incur a re-sizing fee. For more information, please see my ring sizing statement below:

I always recommend that my clients visit a jeweler to obtain an accurate ring size as this is the best way to ensure the perfect fit of your ring.If you have placed your order and are unsure of your size, please let us know within 24 hours of placing your order so that we do not order your piece in the wrong size. If we have indication that you are unsure or need to double-check your size, we will hold off on ordering or sizing your piece until we receive confirmation of your size.

We do send a ring sizer along with our kit. Though this is slightly less accurate, please feel free to double-check your size using this, but if you notice a discrepancy in the size on the sizer and the size that you have ordered please notify me as soon as possible via email or phone.

If we fail to receive notification about the change in your ring size in the 24 hours after placing the order, we will have already had your ring custom sized by the jeweler and the piece will have to be taken back in and resized appropriately, which will add an additional week to the wait time of your piece and an additional cost. If this is the case, please purchase the ring resizing listing and we will contact you with further instructions.

If you have any questions or concerns with regards to the sizing of your ring, please feel free to contact me.

If you have any questions or concerns with regards to the sizing of your ring, please feel free to contact me.

Unfortunately, we are not able to work with hair at this time. We have tried this in the past and our process does not allow for hair to set properly into our pieces. If you have material other than hair and ashes that you would like to discuss with us, please contact us for more information.