Ashes and hair can be incorporated into glass in a stunning way. In my studio in The Hague, I handcraft every bead using a technique called lampworking. I melt a small amount of ash or a few strands of hair into hot Italian glass, layer by layer. I send back whatever remains, or keep it, just as you prefer. Below, I explain what happens within the glass and why no two beads are the same.

What happens when ash or hair is incorporated into glass?

When ash or hair merges with glass, a subtle reaction occurs under the influence of heat.

The material essentially comes to life, forming tiny bubbles that settle into the glass like soft trails. A truly unique process, as distinctive as a fingerprint. This is also known as "The Last Breath."

Carbon Energy refers to the role of carbon in this process.
A quiet reminder of how something can change, yet never completely disappear. 🤍

When creating memorial jewelry incorporating ash or hair, glass is heated to a molten, almost breathing state. In that moment, the material can react to the temperature.

After cremation, ash consists mainly of mineral residues, such as calcium phosphates. However, bone in living tissue is never pure mineral; it has always been interwoven with organic structures. That connection does not disappear entirely. When ash comes into contact with the intense heat of molten glass, these remaining organic compounds can react, contributing—along with the unique properties of each material—to the patterns that remain visible in the glass.

Hair works differently. Hair consists largely of keratin, a protein rich in carbon. When this comes into contact with the liquid, glowing mass of molten glass, a reaction takes place. Small amounts of gas, carbon dioxide, and water vapor are created, which do not always escape before the glass cools and hardens.

What remains are fine air inclusions. Soft, organic patterns. Structures that can never be replicated exactly.

Why is every glass memorial piece different?

No memorial piece is ever the same. That is because:

• every bit of ash or hair has a different composition
• the reaction to heat can never be exactly repeated
• the formation of bubbles and structures happens spontaneously

Even when two pieces of jewelry are made in the same way, they will always differ from each other.

Carbon Energy

The term Carbon Energy has a concrete basis, but it also carries a deeper meaning.

It refers to what happens when carbon-containing material, hair, and/or residual particles react to intense heat. Carbon is one of the most stable elements in existence. It endures, it transforms, and it remains visible within the glass.

Where science and meaning meet

What you see in the glass is the result of a physical process. But what it carries goes much further than that.

The inclusions are formed from material that was once part of someone. They were created under intense heat and captured in a form that lasts. Not something that escapes, but something that becomes visible.

Memorial jewelry that doesn't feel like it

Many traditional ash jewelry pieces are immediately recognizable as memorial jewelry. For some, that feels too heavy and too literal. At The Seventh Sea, I have chosen a different approach. Minimalist, refined, and modern 🤍

Jewelry that can be worn like any other piece, while simultaneously carrying a deeply personal meaning.

Discreet, intimate, and visible only to those who know the story.

Wearing a memory

For me personally, this is one of the most special aspects of the work.

That something which feels so intangible can take shape. That you can wear it close to your skin in everyday life. In moments of joy, in moments of longing. Always close by.

 

Looking for a personal memorial piece?

Would you like to have ash or hair incorporated into a piece of jewelry that suits your style and feelings?

At The Seventh Sea, every piece is handmade with care, patience, and respect for the story it carries.

No two pieces are ever the same.
And that is exactly the intention 🤍