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Personalizing your Pet Memorial Jewelry
Once you have decided which pendants, or combination of items you would like to have WITH you, I would be honored to help personalize them for you and your beloved pet.
The photo above is how I have chosen to keep Whisper with me. (A close-up picture of Whisper's pendants on the right.) On a 30", 2mm, 14K Gold Box Link chain, I have a sterling silver heart shaped bottle, (urn pendant) filled with his beautiful white fur. (I chose a 30" chain, because it is the perfect length to hold onto, especially while sleeping.)
On the same chain, I added a 14K Gold heart shaped tag. (I tend to prefer gold jewelry, so when I hung the Sterling Silver bottle on my 14K Gold chain, it needed something to tie it all together.) Adding the little gold tag made the combination perfect. I'm so glad I did since, when hanging together, the two pendants make a lovely jingling sound which reminds me of Whisper's collar.
Because I also needed to see his beautiful face, I wear a 14K Gold heart shaped locket on a shorter 24" 1mm 14K Gold Box Link chain. Inside, I have reduced two of my favorite photos of Whisper.
Hopefully, I have selected items for the W.I.T.H. Collection that will suit your taste and personality. Either gold or silver, masculine or feminine, large or small, I hope you will find something perfect, to help keep your beloved WITH you.
MEDIUM HEART
14K Heart Tag |
TOWER
Round Tag |
14K HEART BOTTLE
14K Sm. Heart Tag |
PUFFED TEAR
Oval Tag |
RECTANGLE
14K Rectangle Tag
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The photo above shows a few of my favorite combinations of Bottles / Cremation pendants and Tags. Originally, I was trying to tie in the gold and silver, but once I heard the sound the combinations make, (Whisper's collar) I was just as pleased with how it sounded, as how it looked.
Most of the items in the collection have a smooth, high polish finish, which can easily be engraved on either side. A few of the pendants have etching or detail, which may make it difficult for engraving. I would suggest using the Tags for personalizing those pendants. For example:
Of course, if you have a trusted jeweler, any of the engraving or gold plating can be done by them. But, I would be more than happy to have everything done for you. So when the package arrives, all you will have to do is open the little pouch, and put them on - hanging close to your heart.
Personalizing Ideas
Berkeley, aka: The Berkinator
(Engraved locket with photos, engraved bottle, etched tag)
(click on ^Berkeley's^ memorial pendants for a larger view in a new window.)
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Hand Engraving
($15.00 per name)
A sample of Script and Block lettering.
I have the hand engraving done by Mr. A, a very skilled jeweler in San Francisco.
(A lost art!)
I would strongly suggest hand engraving for the urn pendants, since the commercial engraving machines tend to dent the little bottles. This is a sample of some of Mr. A's beautiful work.
(He is an artist!)
Hand engraving of Whisper's face.
Paw Prints Angel Heart
'Mo Murph
Patichka Dragonfly
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Digital Engraving
($125.00 per photograph)
Digital Engraving of Wonder's beautiful face.
The digital engraving is done by another highly skilled jeweler in San Francisco.
Mr. G is able to exactly reproduce your beloved pet's face from a photograph.
~
Please be sure to let me know if you have a special request for your engraving. I can almost guarantee my jewelers will be able to accommodate anything you have in mind. For your special requests, please allow extra time.
Depending upon the detail, a hand engraving from a photo has been averaging between $80 to $100 dollars. (If you are able to send an email attachment of your angel, I would be happy to ask Mr. A what he would charge.) The hand etchings of the Paw Print designs, averages $15 dollars per paw print.
With the computerized / digital engraving, Mr. G has been charging and average of $125.00 per photograph.
Please don't worry, your treasured photos will not be harmed.~
Please e-mail me at: Lin, Whisper's Mom -
whispersmom@earthlink.net
for information or questions about photos or specialized designs.
Please print your beloved's name as clearly as possible, and let me know how each item is to be engraved. For example:
ITEM ENGRAVED WITH BLOCK / SCRIPT
14k Gold Heart Tag Whisper Script
On the order form, please be very specific on how you would like each item personalized.
Since once it's done, we won't be able to un-do it!
(I am unable to accept returns on engraved or altered pendants.)
Glass Lockets
I have recently added these beautiful Antique Glass (not perfectly clear - almost a slight greenish hue) and Sterling Silver Lockets to the collection because of the many requests to be able to see the contents. There is a small ball / ring at the top, which screws down to close the two sides together. The glass is fairly thick (approximately 1/8 inch each side) with a small space in between. (I could easily fit a dime inside when closed.)
The glass faces are slightly curved, so when using a photograph, it tends to distort the picture a bit.
These lockets are not designed to be air or water tight. In fact, in the photograph above, you may be able see some of Whisper's beautiful white fluff starting to peek through. If you need to permanently secure the sides of the locket together, I would suggest dabbing adhesive (like Krazy Glue) to the silver frame of the locket.
To personalize the Memorial Antique Glass Lockets with your beloved's name, I have just added option of computerized / digital engraving. ($30.00 per name) Or, please select one of the Tags to help make your beloved's pendant perfect.
Once again, although strong and beautiful - these lockets are made of glass, thus breakable.
Settings
(click on photo for a larger view in a new window.)
To personalize your beloved's memorial pendant, my jeweler (Mr. A) will be able to set any stone (precious, semi-precious, synthetic, etc.) in the bottles using an Inlay or Pave' setting. (flush to the surface of the pendant.) Or, for the smaller pendants, a Bezel setting (the stone sitting on the surface of the pendant) would be lovely.
This example is a tiny 3 point diamond set in the Sterling Silver Medium Heart bottle. Perhaps it would give your beloved's pendant special meaning, if a birth (or wingday) stone was added. Since each pendant will be a 'one of a kind' for your angel, pricing will depend upon the size, quantity, and quality of the stones you wish to use.
(This particular example was $125.00 added to the cost of the Heart pendant.)
Please be sure to contact me at:
Lin, Whisper's Mom
if you have any questions, or if I can help in any way.
PHOTOGRAPHS: $10.00 per photo
If you would like to have your favorite photographs reduced and placed inside your locket, please enclose them with the order form. (Take special care when you send them to me, so they aren't bent or damaged.) Of course I know how important your angel's pictures are, so I will safely return them to you, with your order.
All of the 14K Gold Lockets have acrylic covers that snap on, protecting the photos inside. A mystery to me, is why none of the Sterling Silver Lockets have that same protection! (The photos fit inside perfectly, but there are no protective covers.) The Sterling Silver Photo Frame Pendants each hold 2 photos, (back to back) with the exception of the Heart Frame, which displays a single photo. But, (the nice thing is) the Sterling Silver back of the Heart Photo Frame Pendant is engravable.
If you have any questions, or prefer to e-mail your photos, please don't hesitate to drop me a note at:
Lin, Whisper's Mom
GOLD PLATING: $35.00 per item
All of the sterling silver items may be gold plated. Because the process of plating is simply a thin layer of gold electrically charged on top of silver, (Vermeil) I suggest having the engraving done before the gold plate is applied. If the engraving is done after, the silver underneath will probably show through. Also, please be aware that the gold plating will probably not last a lifetime. Consistant rubbing against your clothing or skin, may cause the gold layer to thin over the years.
Rhodium plating is also available for those of us with allergic or sensitive skin.
CARE
With simple care, your memorial pendants should last a lifetime. (Just like the memory of your angel.) Since I always wear my pendants close, I find I need to polish them occasionally. So, I have enclosed a small polishing cloth with your order. A quick buffing once or twice a month keeps them looking beautiful.
Filling the little urn pendants is a heartbreaking, yet comforting task. {{{hugs}}} I have never been able to do it myself, (which is why I have Whisper's fluff inside my pendant) but from what I understand, the cremated remains are rather beautiful. (some ashy, some crystaline) If you are able to fill the bottle yourself, I do carry a tiny little funnel, listed in the with-ellaneous section of the Keepsake Page. Or, some folks are able to create a funnel from paper or foil. If you need a little assistance, the crematorium or Veterinary staff are usually very loving, and willing to help.
To permanently seal the little bottles, (or even the antique glass lockets) a little dab of something like Krazy Glue (which is removable with heat) should keep the contents safe. Or, to be extra secure (especially with the smaller bottles, which don't have as many screw threads) I would suggest taking the bottle to a trusted jeweler, and having it permanently soldered closed. It would break my heart, if anything were to ever happen to your beloved's pendant. The most important thing for me is that it's safe and secure, just like the cherished memories in your heart.
To this day, even after ten years, I still need to have my Whisper with me. The only time I ever remove his pendants is when I shower. Please take special precautions against getting them soaking wet. (I don't even want to think about getting Whisper's pictures wet, which are inside my locket!) The little bottles are very tightly sealed, but I just can't take any chances. The memorial jewelry itself won't be harmed, it's what's inside that matters most to me.
If you need any help, or have a special request in the selection or personalization of your pendants, please let me know. If you are having a difficult time with your selection, I would be honored to take a sample photograph for you, to help with your choices. (I understand how important it is for your beloved's pendant to be perfect.) Please believe me, I know how difficult this time is, and I will do everything I can to help. I sincerely hope this will help you feel closer to your beloved angel.
If I can help in any way, please e-mail me at: Lin, Whisper's Mom
In one of the stars
I shall be living
In one of
them
I shall be laughing
And so it will be
as if all the
stars
were laughing
when you look
at the sky at night
--The Little Prince
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery
...and there is sweetness
in the laughter of all the
stars...
and in the memories
of those you love
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