real life

You can now have your loved one's ashes made into a mug.

It’s difficult to know what to do when a loved one dies and now one company has come up with a creative idea for the bereaved.

The US designer and CEO, Justin Crowe, transforms human ashes into ceramic designs – including jewellery, candle luminaries, coffee mugs, cremation urns and other objects.

“The people who buy our memorial products are looking for a way to keep their memories close to them,” says Crowe.

In response to a recent order, one Chronicle Cremation Designs customer said: “I can hardly wait to have coffee with my sister every morning. I miss her beyond words.”

Another client, Joz Martinez, who also ordered a coffee cup said about his friend who he lost said:  “It’s a way of sharing something with him still.”

Another customer, Colette Slezak, was not sure what to do with her mother’s ashes until she came across Chronicle.

“She wants to spread symbols of her mother across Europe,” says Crowe.

“Rather than carrying physical remains while she travels, we are working with her to create small beads glazed with ashes. She’ll drop the beads in different bodies of water as she travels,” he added.

Her story has inspired the company to add remembrance beads to our regular product line.

A piece of unique jewellery. Image via Chronicle Cremation Designs

"There are a variety of things to do with ashes of passed loved ones, but our products are unique because they help fold memories into daily life," said Crowe.

"Instead of looking at a photograph or cremation urn on a shelf, our products allow people to interact with their memories. The warmth and movement of our candle luminary and the simple act of drinking coffee provide a powerful sensory aspect to remembering."

The first part of the design process is gathering enough ashes to produce the ceramic glaze - normally about one cup.

The ashes are added to a specially developed glaze mixture and form a gloss that is seen on the the surface of the designs.

"When finished, the porcelain design objects are functional and able to exist unchanged for thousands of years," said Crowe.

The most popular item. Image via Chronicle Cremation Designs.

The prices range from $190 USD ($256 AUD) for cremation jewellery up to $849 USD (1145 AUD) for our coupled bottles and each item takes around a month to complete.

Since launching over a month ago, the candle luminary design has become the most popular order and some couple have enquired about pre-arranging the service.

Crowe, who takes orders from around the globe, says he aware of the trust his clients place in the process.

"It is an immense amount of pressure on many levels: to present the products accurately, to keep them safe, and to be clear in our communication, but we are committed to providing a top level of service," he says.

And although they haven't had any damaged products they have a contingency plan if an item is broken.

"We can keep the custom ash glaze for up to three months to replace anything that is damaged."

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