fragile as leaves in fall

I've been scanning pictures from my family photo album, and I find myself charmed by the actual photos themselves - the faded borders, folded corners, even the yellowed glue on the back. With everything now digitized, we're losing the presence that actual photographs have - instead of being objects to hold, they're now only images to observe. What can be done?

Luckily, I came across these fabric brooches and necklaces via Poppytalk and was instantly smitten. And you can see why! Created by jewelry designer and stylist Miranda van Dijk at Puur Anders in the Netherlands, these leaves are created by imprinting digitized images on unbleached cotton. Their tactile, faded quality is part of their charm - they remind me of sentimental flowers pressed in old book. Fragile yet precious.

Although these pieces are part of a collection called "Hidden Memories", Miranda is also taking custom orders. These would make a thoughtful gift, especially for Mother's Day!

random acts of remembrance

I honestly don't know how graveyards came to be perceived as places to dread. My neighbor recently buried his mother in a nearby cemetery, and in my opinion he summed it up perfectly when he said that cemeteries are places filled with love. Everybody there was cherished by their family, with hopes that their memory will live on.

These Memento Mori pieces by Lady Lavona capture that sense of magical remembrance. Each tintype is a portrait of a different person. Who were they? How were they remembered by the ones who loved them? And how does our looking at these portraits - remembering them even though we've never met them - bestow upon them a certain immortality? Are they thankful to be remembered?

Modern Relics by Alix Bluh

Like a grieving goldilocks, I've been searching for the perfect mourning jewelry. Not too goth, not too sweet. Not too retro, not too trendy. Modern Relics, a line of jewelry created by Alix Bluh, is right on cue - timeless yet modern, and always gorgeous. Her handcrafted necklaces, rings and bracelets feature memorial icons like hearts, anchors and skulls. I'm especially intrigued with her reliquary glass pods, which lend their contents an aura that's both precious and mysterious.

This Eyeris necklace below has a talismanic quality, yet it's also reminiscent of miniature eye portraits that began in the 18th century. Whether it was a deposed king or a forbidden lover, miniature eyes were a way to keep a secret portrait close to one's heart without causing scandal. So romantic and intriguing! (Thanks to Hayden Peters at Art of Mourning for this excellent blog entry on the subject.)

But my favorite piece? This commissioned mourning necklace for a cat who passed away. It's powerful, talismanic, and reminds me of a religious relic.

If you live in San Francisco, reward yourself with a visit to Alix's Modern Relics atelier near the De Young Museum and Academy of Sciences. Her store features lots of beautiful pieces, including the gorgeous work of ceramicist Diana Fayt. In the meantime, please take a look at my interview with Alix!

You are as pure beside me

Here's a lovely little remembrance bracelet by Brass Isaac. I like the way the words are separated yet together, seems poetic and fitting.

These are shrinky dinks, by the way, and can be custom ordered with any kind words you prefer.

Family Tree

Although this blog is about mourning, it's also about remembering. Time eventually separates us all, but there are ways to keep the sentiments alive and part of our daily lives.

Soul Peaces creates some gorgeous custom lockets that allow you to turn your precious family photos into keepsake jewelry. These handcrafted pieces are both delicate yet rough, modern yet antiquated. They're made from a variety of materials, from recycled sterling silver and brass to semi-precious gems - even unexpected yet completely appropriate materials like worn leather in this photo book below:

I also adore this Family Tree piece, a silver branch with leaves to represent each member. What a charming way to keep your family close to your heart!

Mourning McQueen

Who else made memento mori so stylish?

With his skull-adorned scarves and jewelry, Alexander McQueen reminded us that fashion is pure vanitas - a temporal luxury soon to pass. Like life, fashion is fleeting. In time, youth, beauty and wealth will abandon us. Only death waits for us in the end. For most of us, skulls evoked some kind of biker chic, a toughness that gave any outfit an edge. But for McQueen, there was nothing ironic about skulls on clothing. With him, it was always a grim memento mori disguised as style.

I am terribly saddened by McQueen's death, and particularly by the circumstances of it. His grief could not be sustained - even before his mother's death. His work seeped with grief. He was caught in a continuous Danse Macabre, yet through some strange alchemy turned the concept of decay into something beautiful and elegant. I will miss him.

This hologram of Kate Moss is so ethereal and angelic, perhaps McQueen's concept of what remains when all else is gone. I hope he has met his angels.

Time Flies

Here's a modern memento mori necklace by Butch's Baubles. Clocks have long been a symbol of our fleeting mortality, and this timepiece pendant, along with the hearse and wing (time flies) will remind us that life is indeed short and precious.

Memory Locket

Here's a sweet heart to keep close to your own heart. This daisy heart locket by Lanyapi Designs is made with antiqued brass, and opens up to keep a beloved picture inside.


For men who mourn, here's a keychain with a heart and wrench. It's called Love Takes Work, and I think it can also be appropriate as a symbol for a heart that's in need of mending.

Remembrance Necklace

This beautiful, three-piece silver necklace by Trudie Davies is one of my favorite pieces of Remembrance Jewelry. I love the way the rings stack upon one another to create a unified ring, but also open up to reveal three unique customized inscriptions. A name, a date, a heart ... almost says it all.

Keepsake Pins

With silver-toned frames, swarovski crystals and delicate ribbon, these keepsake pins by Galsfly2 are a sweet, contemporary interpretation of Victorian mourning jewelry.

Galsfly2 writes, "I wanted to take a small gift-token to a friend or loved one, and just couldn't find the appropriate gift, especially when they had a family member that had passed on and flowers didn't seem to be the right thing. I've even gave them to friends to wear on Mothers Day or Fathers day. A gentle reminder that they are missed."

Flowers Become Beads

What can you do with the flowers after a service? They typically overstay their welcome because we feel too guilty to throw them away. Here's a brilliant solution from JNJ Keepsakes - you can turn those flowers into jewelry!

JNJ takes custom orders, so just send the flowers and they will be returned as a necklace, earrings or bracelet. What a wonderful way to hold on those sentimental flowers! This would also make a thoughtful gift for a woman who's recently lost someone - ask for a few of the funeral flowers, and return them as a keepsake that will last forever.

Repurposed Jewelry

I have bags of meaningful jewelry, from costume trinkets to special pearls. But I rarely wear them as is - they are either falling apart, or I feel more like I'm playing "dress up". Repurposing this jewelry - taking the best and making something even better - is a great way to honor my family's fabulous taste with a new twist that's specifically my own.

I found Voleur de Bijoux on Etsy, a designer who upcycles vintage jewelry into gorgeous items. I especially love the charm necklaces. She captures the spirits of specific eras, from Boho Chic to Americana Classic. Check out this Nefetia Mata Hari Vintage Bumble Bee with Turquoise necklace:

Or this Margo Edwardian Couture Vintage Brass Leaf with Crystal Prism Necklace:

This Roxy London Glam Antique necklace is especially exquisite. This ravishing neckace has a narrative, a point of view that captures a specific time and place.

Voleur de Bijoux understands how collected pieces put together can tell a unique story. I'm gathering some pieces to have transformed into a signature piece that captures my glamorous grandma's 1940's style, yet feeling modern enough for me to wear everyday. I'll be sure to post a "before & after"!

Flight of the Soul

I'm on a search for imagery that conveys the idea of passing lives that's neither musty nor morbid. Nothing against angels, but I feel that they've jumped the shark. And honestly, while I like the concept of angels, the image of pudgy, curly-haired babies with wings isn't exactly what I picture.

The one image that seems to keep coming up for me is that of a bird. According to mythology, birds have long been associated with the coming and going of spirits or souls (is it any coincidence that storks bring babies?) On a personal note, I have this secret hope that the people I've love and lost come back as birds to check up on me - sometimes when I see a bird lingering in a tree I think "Is that you, Nana?" It makes me happy to think of her that way : )

As I gather images that feel appropriate, I'll begin with birds as a new symbol. I love this simple bird shapes by Kuss, a contemporary jewelry designer. A bird pin for a more sophisticated woman,


hummingbird cufflinks for a gent,

and this adorable necklace for a younger woman. Something for everyone!

Knit Brooches

Leah Sutton Knits has created some lovely brooch/corsages with a combination of knit and macrame, with a mixture of angora, wool, cashcotton and lurex. These are a wonderful alternative to a traditional corsage for two reasons - they will last forever, and they can also hold a small portrait to remember someone by. I also see these as precious little frames, a warm and cozy alternative to metal.



Leah Sutton Knits also takes custom orders through Etsy, so these beautiful brooches can be created in any color combo.

Although this last piece doesn't have much to do with remembering (unless you were raised in California in the 1970's like I was!) I just had to include this knit camper van!

Beautiful Locket

One of the reasons I started this blog was to find mourning jewelry that wasn't dark or gothic. Although I can understand why so much memorial jewelry is dark - it embodies the shadowy cave we feel relegated to when we've lost the "light in our lives" - I think we can also remember our loved ones with light, happiness and warmth. This gold Victorian locket from the wonderful collectibles website Things Gone By is a surprisingly light and gracious token from a usually gloomier era. According to the website, the turquoise symbolizes "Remembrance". Inside the locket is room for a keepsake. Very sweet!