The best memorial jewelry in 2026 blends meaningful design, trustworthy materials, and personalization that feels like your loved one. Start by choosing a symbolic keepsake or a style you can wear daily with comfort and care.

Memorial jewelry has expanded quickly, from classic lockets to 2D photo crystals and fingerprint engravings. Market growth reflects how many families want a tangible way to keep someone close. Below, you will find our curated top 12 picks, personalization ideas that truly resonate, and simple care tips. laurelbox adds something rare to the experience, with thoughtful packaging, personalization support, and gentle guidance at each step.

Back in 2016, we lost our second son Cooper unexpectedly at full term. We were just as shocked and devastated as you can imagine. I received a number of commemorative jewelry pieces that were really special and thoughtful and I bought some other items for myself as I continued on my grief journey. I’ll share below a few of my personal favorite keepsake jewelry picks that brought me comfort in the middle of my heartache. 

• Memorial jewelry is growing in popularity as more families seek tangible ways to honor loved ones.
• The global memorial jewelry market was nearly $500 million dollars in 2025 and is growing at a rate above 12%.
• Symbolic and personalized jewelry options, such as fingerprint engravings and photo keepsakes, offer meaningful daily remembrance while symbols like forget me nots create tender moments for connection. 

Begin with comfort. Memorial jewelry comes in many forms, but all of it is designed to keep memories close in a way that fits your style and daily routine.

Popular styles include necklaces designed for daily wear, bracelets with meaningful charms, rings that offer a constant visual reminder, keychains like this “Custom Keychain with Wooden Charm” for those who do not wear jewelry, and classic lockets for a tiny photo, a hair clipping, or even cremation ashes.

I ran into an old friend at church this past Sunday and she shared that her beloved father, a Navy veteran, had passed away a few months earlier. She tenderly gripped her necklace which was a silver ship’s wheel and compass and told me it carried a bit of his ashes and had become such a precious item that she wears daily. It was so evident how meaningful that memorial jewelry necklace was to her! 

Material matters for longevity and care. Stainless steel is durable and budget friendly, often used in starter pieces with price points around $32. Sterling silver is popular, but it needs periodic polishing to prevent tarnish.

Solid gold resists tarnish and ages beautifully, though it can scratch. Glass or resin inlay pieces can visually suspend tiny mementos, but require gentle handling to avoid cracking or chemical clouding.

If you prefer not to handle physical mementos, look for symbolic choices such as a fingerprint, handwriting, or a birthstone that still feels personal.

Quick material guide

• Stainless steel: rugged, low maintenance, budget friendly
• Sterling silver: classic look, needs polishing, skin oils can slow tarnish 
• Solid gold: highly resistant to tarnish, watch for surface scratches
• Glass or resin: striking visuals, avoid harsh cleaners and impact 

These 12 pieces span photo keepsakes and deeply personal symbolic designs. laurelbox adds a uniquely caring touch, with signature packaging, no printed prices, and hand-packed orders by our Cincinnati team for a unique unboxing experience.

1. Remembered Forever Infinity Necklace

A delicate infinity loop that sits close to the heart, designed for subtle, everyday comfort after a loss. Wear this necklace in memory of the love you shared. This beautiful necklace features an interconnected heart, symbolizing the bond and love you share. Available in sterling silver and brass.

Best for: continual wear without inviting questions

2. Forget Me Not Necklace

An exclusive design for laurelbox, the forget-me-not flower has long been a symbol of remembrance. Available in gold fill or sterling silver charms. Engraving is done skillfully in house. This flower has been long associated with faithful memory and enduring affection. I was given one of these and I loved wearing it in honor of Cooper. 

Best for: gentle symbolism when physical mementos don’t feel close enough.

3. Personalized Pet Pawprint Necklace

A design hand crafted by laurelbox, you can have the name of a special pet engraved on these gold filled or sterling silver charms. A tender tribute for a beloved companion animal, personalized for daily wear. Each necklace includes the pet's name printed directly on the necklace charm. 

Best for: pet loss memorials.

4. Classic Locket for Photo or Hair

A timeless locket is available in many different styles and metals with space for a tiny photo or a lock of hair. This sterling silver one from Kendra Scott is very pretty and has a custom engraving option at checkout. 

Best for: families who prefer photo or hair mementos with their jewelry.

5. Multiple Birthstone Ring

Distinct birthstones to honor multiple loved ones, including pets. They also offer a dropdown menu explaining which birthstones go with each month, if you aren’t sure. 

Best for: honoring multiple memories side by side.

6. Name Stacking Rings

A quiet way to wear your loved one’s name each day. After we lost our second son at full term, I ordered stackable rings and had Cooper’s name engraved on one and our son Trey’s name engraved on another. I actually forgot to choose engraving for a third ring and it came blank. A few months later we miscarried another son and it felt like the blank ring was a sweet memento of that baby. 

Best for: those who want to see their loved one’s name each day

7. 2D Photo Crystal Pendant

A permanent 2D portrait is laser written inside optical glass, creating a vivid, unfading memory. These crystal necklaces are a unique way to remember a loved one. 

Best for: visual remembrance.

8. Fingerprint Memorial Pendant

Deep laser engraving preserves the exact ridges of a fingerprint for a tactile, biometric connection. The finished piece becomes a lasting tribute designed for everyday wear. 

Best for: those comforted by touch.

9. Initial Necklace

A design hand crafted by laurelbox, you can have the initial of a special person engraved on these gold filled or sterling silver charms. Each necklace is engraved in a lowercase font. A beautiful quiet tribute to a loved one. 

Best for: understated remembrance 

10. Handwriting Engraved Bar Necklace

These keep the look of a signature or a short phrase from a note or card so you’ll never be far from their written words of love and affection. 

Best for: preserving a loved one’s unique script.

11. Memorial Jewelry Dish

While not a piece of jewelry itself, this simple yet beautiful keepsake dish becomes a cherished place to rest a ring or necklace. One customer called it a “Tiny Reminder with a Big Impact” writing, “I love that this is easy to keep in my sight, on my nightstand or desk, as a reminder of my love for my loss. When the gold catches my eye, I take a deep breath. Grateful for this piece's simplicity and power.”

12. Personal Jewelry From Your Loved One

No purchase required for this one! If possible, find a piece of jewelry from your loved one and treat it as an heirloom hand-me-down - whether it is valuable or not. I have a variety of rings from both my late grandmothers and they bring me such joy when I wear them. They are unique pieces that I would never have chosen for myself but I love getting questions about them because then it gives me a chance to share a bit about the women behind the rings. 

It really is up to the person which type of memorial jewelry they will connect with. After we lost Cooper, a friend gave me a small gold necklace (similar to this one) that had a large elephant holding the trunk of a baby elephant. It was a really thoughtful gift and I wore it almost every day for months. Another friend gave me the laurelbox Forget Me Not necklace and I wore that also for a long time. All of the jewelry I received or purchased for myself did what it was intended to do, support me along my unique grief journey. 

Personalization helps transform grief into something tangible you can hold. Technology has created numerous options for unique remembrance gifts. Modern engraving preserves exact details from the person you love. Biometric options capture fingerprints, handprints, or footprints with high fidelity, then laser engrave them deeply into metal for a touchable texture. Handwriting engravings keep the look of a signature or a short phrase from a note or card.

Photo keepsakes have evolved too. 2D crystal photo engraving uses a pulsed laser to write millions of microscopic points inside optical glass, reconstructing a permanent portrait that never rubs off - crazy! 

Engraving ideas that fit on small pieces

• Names or nicknames with a date
• Short phrases, for example “Always with me” or “All my love”
• GPS coordinates or a meaningful place name
• A signature closing, for example “Love, Mom”
• An infant footprint for miscarriage or stillbirth remembrance

Now in this section, I will admit it is more of a “Do as say, not as I do.” Since it’s been years since I’ve even cleaned my engagement ring *gasp* I’m going to just present the best practices and let you decide what happens next. It’s a judgement free zone if you have every intention to regularly clean your jewelry but it just doesn't happen… 

The experts say, treat memorial jewelry like a tiny heirloom. Do not submerge jewelry while swimming or bathing, since water can seep through microscopic gaps or weaken seals. Keep all pieces away from harsh chemicals like chlorine, bleach, acetone, and perfume, which speed tarnish and can degrade adhesives.

For sterling silver, frequent wear can help limit tarnish, and a soft polishing cloth keeps the shine between cleanings. For resin or glass, use only a soft cloth and mild soap and water on the exterior, never alcohol, acetone, or ammonia-based cleaners to avoid clouding or damage.

Store jewelry in a cool, dry place, not a bathroom. Keep pieces in separate pouches or boxes. A soft baby toothbrush with lukewarm water and mild, fragrance-free dish soap can help clean exterior crevices on metal settings when needed.

Is it strange to wear memorial jewelry?

No. Social platforms have helped normalize memorial jewelry and open grief conversations, which has reduced stigma around wearing these pieces daily, if any existed.

Can jewelry be made for pet remembrance?

Yes. Families often choose pawprint charms or rings designed to honor a pet’s memory. laurelbox offers a personalized pawprint necklace for pet remembrance. True story, I gave my tween niece a Laurelbox pet suncatcher after her dog unexpectedly died at Christmas and she actually took the name charm off the suncatcher and turned it into a necklace! 

Why is memorial jewelry so popular now?

A cultural shift toward personal remembrance and the desire for tangible connection have expanded the category. The global memorial jewelry market was valued at almost $500 million dollars in 2025 and is growing at a double-digit rate.

Memorial jewelry should feel like a steady hand you can hold. Decide first whether a symbolic piece fits your comfort, then choose a material and style you will gladly wear every day or on especially hard days. The category is expanding quickly, from stainless steel pendants to 2D photo crystals, so you can find a tribute that matches your life and routine.

If you are sending a sympathy gift, laurelbox brings care and empathy to every order. Our team hand packs your gift in beautiful, discreet packaging with a personalized note, so the moment it arrives it brings comfort. Explore our memorial collection, or reach out if you would like gentle help choosing a piece that honors your person with intention. I can attest that the memorial keepsake jewelry I was given in the weeks after loss meant the world to me. They brought comfort and the physical act of being able to touch something with Cooper’s name on it brought me peace and steadiness.