The first time Robyn Moore learned about the practice of making jewelry with stones created from breastmilk she was skeptical. Then, after experiencing difficulties breastfeeding her third child, she finally understood the appeal.
“With my third I struggled the most,” Moore recalled. “She was the smallest, so it was much more crucial to me. There was just a whole journey with her. She was a surprise and I got COVID… and things just hit differently with her. I was like, now I get this! What an achievement.”
To commemorate her experience, Moore began searching for a jeweler who could make her a ring but was unable to find exactly what she was looking for.
“But I’ve always been crafty,” Moore said. “So, I started researching and experimenting.”
Six months later, Moore had her first ring – and a business she coined, Once Upon a Memory Jewelry.
“I do rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings,” Moore said. Each has a custom resin stone created from either breastmilk or cremation ashes.
“I’ve had multiple people who have used children’s ashes,” Moore said. “And that’s always kind of hard. But it’s also really special.”
Utilizing only an eighth of a teaspoon of ash – which she retrieves herself from the urn – Moore then customizes each stone with the specific colors and shapes of the customer’s choosing.
“I recently did a ring for a daughter that didn’t make it to two years,” Moore said, describing the diamond stone she set into a halo band that, “when it reflects in the sunlight, reflects a rainbow,” especially appropriate now that the mother is expecting a “rainbow baby”.
“With the cremation jewelry it’s a unique way to keep them with you that’s not obvious,” Moore said. She often wears a necklace commemorating her father. “It’s something that bonds you.”
In business for just under a year, Moore is continually looking for ways to grow her clientele including “half now, half later” payment options and special goodie bags for breastfeeding moms.
“With the breastmilk I have a process where I convert it to a paste, dry it and then grind it by hand into a powder,” Moore said, describing the unique process. “Then I mix it into a UV resin and make it into a stone. I also have a three-year protection plan so if there’s leftover powder, I attach it to the order form.”
That powder gives moms the chance to order more jewelry or replace lost or damaged items.
“I have it for three years, then I give them the option of giving it back to them or discarding it,” Moore said.
The protocol is different for cremation ashes.
“What I don’t use I send back,” Moore explained. “I have a heart mold and I send that back to them. I will not discard anything; it seems disrespectful to me.”
Moore also tries to meet her clients in person – both before and after the jewelry is finished – to diminish the chance of items getting lost in the mail.
“I’m pretty particular about meeting face to face,” Moore said. Whether it’s breastmilk jewelry, cremation jewelry, or simply something custom made, she is focused on meeting her customers’ needs.
“I absolutely love it,” Moore confirmed. “I love the whole aspect of it – the sense of pride when I see a ring turn out really pretty. I always thank people for trusting their loved one with me.”
For information visit www.ouamjewelry.com.
