Important Information and FAQs

At close by me, we create unique remembrances of loved ones who have passed through our cremation jewelry. Here is how our process works:

  1. Choose a piece of jewelry in our shop.
  2. Select "Yes" if you need us to send you a kit (kit contains a container to ship ashes along with other materials. See our FAQ for other options.)
  3. If you have selected a ring, please be aware of your ring size. Your ring size is best obtained by visiting a jeweler. Once you have this, please move on to the next step.
  4. Place your order -- we ask that you place your order online because it creates a record in our system to track you easily and keep all of your information organized.
  5. You will receive an automated confirmation of your order from our website within 24 hours, and a personalized confirmation directly from us by the end of the next business day.
  6. If you requested a kit, we will create and send it out to you within 2 business days of your order. For kit arrival times, please refer to the FAQs section below.
  7. If you did not request a kit, please send us the ashes using the method outlined in your confirmation email and detailed in the FAQs section below.
  8. We will send you an email as soon as we receive the ashes.
  9. In 3 to 6 weeks (wait time varies by piece), you will receive your order, including any ashes that were not used in the setting process.

Our Frequently Asked Questions appear below. If you have a question we haven't answered, please reach out to ask us!

closebyme@gmail.com

Before You Order...

No! We are happy to honor loved ones of all shapes, sizes, and species. :) All of our pieces can be set with both human and non-human ashes, as well as sand, soil, dried flower petals, and powdered breastmilk. We can also accept hair or fur, and even small scraps of cloth for setting in our pieces. Setting with anything other than ashes will often result in a very different-looking setting than what you see on my website listings. If you would like a piece set with a material not listed here, please contact us to discuss.

Please place your order for your jewelry or your pre-paid kit before you have sent the ashes into my stuidio. This is to ensure that a physical file is created prior to the ashes arrival to serve as their home while they are with me. This file also holds all of the information about your order, shipping information, and any notes related to your order as well. If you plan to send the ashes prior to ordering for any reason, please reach out in advance to discuss this.

Instructions for sending the ashes will be provided in your order confirmation email from closebyme@gmail.com. This will reflect whether you have purchased a kit or not and how to proceed accordingly. Kits are not required, but many clients feel more comfortable using this to send the ashes in. The cost of the kit is reflective only of shipping and includes a ring sizing tool in addition to eveything you need to send the ashes securely.

International clients are not eligible to receive kits as their prepaid labels will not be accepted outside of the US. All of my international clients are required to send the ashes in to my studio directly for this reason. I encourage any international clients to look into shipping regulations and guidelines for their region before placing an order with me.

We can make about 5 pieces out of a tablespoon 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, so if you are ordering multiple pieces with larger settings, please send two tablespoons or more. If you are unsure about the amount of ashes you may need, or if you feel you do not have a full tablespoon to provide, please feel free to ask us at any time.

Additionally, I strongly suggest keeping a small amount of ashes stored away so that they are available should your piece ever need to be reset or replaced for any reason or, for rings, resized. If you do send me all of the ashes that you have, please be sure to let me know this so I am aware and can take extra precautions.

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.

Jewelry Care

Your piece is designed to be worn every day if you like, and is strong enough to travel with you on all of life's adventures. :) All of my pieces are cast in your chosen metal and ring size as a single item for maximum durability and strength. Certain metal types and the settings in each of my pieces requires special care, so please be sure to see this section of my blog for more information:

https://closebymejewelry.com/blogs/news/care-and-cleaning-for-resin-jewelry

Each of my pieces reflects the natural and true color of the ashes that you send in. No color is added unless specifically requested, and no other alterations are made to the ashes during the setting process.

Fingers changing color due to poor quality metals is a common misconception and is not at all related to the material your piece was made from. This effect is also easily remedied and explained:

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 pieces listed in Sterling Silver are cast from solid .925 Sterling Silver and can tarnish if left out, especially in moitsure. If your piece tarnishes very rapidly after you recieve it, this is not normal and should be noted. Please reach out right away if this happens as it could be an allergic reaction in your skin.

Customization

Because 14K White Gold comes from casting with a hint of yellow from its 14K Yellow Gold parent metal, Rhodium is often used to replace this with a high bluish-silver sheen. The cost of my pieces will reflect the addition of this metal. Additionally, brushing a finished 14K White Gold piece will remove the Rhodium Plating from it, so this service is not offered for my 14K White Gold pieces. Please reach out if you wish to omit plating for any reason or have more questions about this.

We are able to set ashes into several different kinds of pieces, so if you have a ring or pendant that you believe may be eligible, please reach out via email with photos of your intended jewelry.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to accept pre-existing precious metals for use in new casting for my items at this time. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to reach out.

I work with a jewelry designer who is able to help my clients create the perfect piece to honor their unique connection through use of a CAD design program. Combinations of existing designs or alterations to them will constitute as a custom commission as well. This process is slightly different than ordering a piece already listed in my shop, so please reach out with photos or a descritpion of your custom request via email to get started.

Problems

Please let me know as soon as you receive your piece that it does not fit you properly. Most of our rings are custom-cast in your size by a jeweler, and some are sized from existing designs, but neither can be altered once the first sizing is complete. If your ring arrives and does not fit you, you may need to pay for resizing services through my jeweler. To avoid this, and any risk to the ashes settings, it is best to be totally sure of your size before confirming. 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. Please avoid using online measurement methods, guides, or tools as these will almost always result in an ill-fitting ring.

If you have placed your order and are unsure of your size, please let us know within 24 hours to see if it can be changed. 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. Some pieces require special sizing instructions as well, so be sure to see individual listings for this information or reach out with any questions.

A ring sizer is also included in the kit that I offer for shipping ashes. It is slightly less accurate, but please feel free to double-check your size if you opt for the kit.

If you have any questions or concerns with regards to the sizing of a ring purchased from me, please let me know.