Where to Buy Breast Milk Jewelry to Preserve Precious Memories
Jewelry that celebrates motherhood is nothing new. From birthstone push presents and initials-engraved jewelry to baby picture lockets and “mama” nameplate necklaces, there are a myriad of keepsakes that commemorate your status as Mom. For some, though, even the most dazzling bling doesn’t quite capture the essence of motherhood. That’s where breast milk jewelry comes in. These mementos, made from your own breast milk, lets nursing and pumping moms celebrate their breastfeeding journey with baby in a truly unique way. So how exactly is breast milk jewelry made, and where can you find the best pieces? Keep reading for a full explanation, plus our favorite picks for breast milk jewelry.
You might be surprised to learn that that beautiful piece of jewelry you spied on a fellow mama was made with a sample of her own breast milk. That’s right! Often mistaken for opal, given its similar creamy and milky hue, a breast milk stone is a unique, coveted charm that can be crafted into a ring, necklace, bracelet or pair of earrings. The color is typically white or ivory, but that can vary depending on the color of the collected breast milk and the pigment it’s set in (some companies offer a pure-white pigment to brighten the look of the milk). For added luster and aesthetic, many brands also allow you to add shimmer powders or statement-making gold flakes to your stone, while others let you send in your own personal inclusions (like dried flowers, fabrics, sand or DNA elements like a lock of hair, placenta or umbilical cord powder and even cremation ashes). While breast milk jewelry has been around for several years, it’s becoming more of a widespread trend these days, and the number of brands that now sell breast milk jewelry has made it significantly more accessible.
Whether you breastfeed, formula-feed or do a combination of both, choosing how to best provide nutrition for your growing infant is a decision that’s sure to bring up a whole lot of feelings. “Breastfeeding and pumping can be a massive part of your life for days, weeks, months or even years, depending on how you feed your child,” says Rachel O’Brien, IBCLC, a lactation consultant in the greater Boston area.
If you’re a breastfeeding mom, you might find that a piece of jewelry that lovingly showcases your own breast milk is a meaningful symbol of the commitment and perseverance you’ve shown. “On the days when you question everything, you can look down to see a physical and tangible reminder of the incredible love and dedication you’ve shown your baby,” says Maria Mengel, owner of Milk + Honey Jewelry. Breast milk jewelry also offers a way to honor and celebrate the life of an infant who has passed.
Once you reach the weaning phase, you may experience a sense of mourning (even if you’re prepared and ready for it). Breast milk jewelry can commemorate this significant time in your life and help preserve memories of sweet, snuggly feeding sessions.
While each breast milk jewelry artist has their own approach to collecting the milk and minting your jewelry, the process typically involves sending a specified amount of breast milk (always defer to the brand’s shipping instructions/requirements, usually called out in their FAQs) in a sterile breast milk storage bag, to be preserved and carefully crafted into your tailormade token.
Mengel explains that upon receiving a sample, their team “preserves the breast milk” (or formula, if that’s your preferred method of feeding!) for posterity and then dehydrates it until it no longer contains moisture. Next, they use a mortar and pestle to grind it to a very fine powder before mixing that powder with resin to create your one-of-a-kind breast milk stone. Finally, depending on what type of jewelry you order, they’ll “set /[the stone(s)] into a ring, craft a pendant or bracelet or attach to earring studs.”
It’s only natural to wonder if the jewelry you’ll be getting back is, in fact, made using your own breast milk, but the teams (usually made up of several mothers) who make these deeply meaningful keepsakes have developed fail-safe protocols to avoid mixups. “If there’s one thing we care about, it’s our customers,” assures Mengel. “We’ve created systems to guarantee that you will always receive your jewelry with your milk. Every step and tool in the gem-crafting process has a label. Every piece of jewelry has a label. Your milk is both labeled and cataloged, and we only preserve one batch of breast milk at a time, to avoid confusion.”
Your breast milk jewelry can last a lifetime, as long as you follow all of the proper care instructions recommended by the company you purchase from. If you have the budget, choosing an heirloom piece that’s set in solid gold (yellow, white or rose) is the most durable and long-lasting, but gold fill (which is a much thicker and resilient option than gold plating) is comparable and much more affordable.
Even though your breast milk stone will be preserved and won’t mold or rot, there are a few things “you can do to protect the integrity of the resin both physically and aesthetically,” assures Mengel. You’ll want to avoid soap and water (remove your jewelry before showering and swimming, and slide off your rings if you’re washing your hands or doing dishes), avoid prolonged sun exposure and wearing your jewelry while you exercise, and refrain from using chemical-laden lotions, tanners and perfumes. If you’re looking for a special piece you want to wear daily, Mengel agrees that “ordering a necklace or earrings is the way to go—removing your ring for hand-washing isn’t always easy to remember.”
Most pieces start at around $100 and can be as pricey as $700 (especially if you’re ordering heirloom-quality, a solid gold band or diamond accents). And since the personal nature of breast milk jewelry makes it mostly non-returnable, many brands advise having your ring size professionally measured at a jeweler before ordering.
The average turnaround time to receive a piece is eight to 16 weeks from the order date (once an order is placed, you’ll still need to wait for mailing instructions from your breast milk artisan, ship everything to them and await all the processing and production time); some companies even have an intimidating wait list—up to two years long! So, if you’re hoping to receive your breast milk jewelry by a certain date, we recommend ordering as soon as possible or looking into a breast milk jewelry DIY kit to make your own keepsake at home.
If you love the concept of breast milk jewelry but prefer to take things into your own hands, a DIY breast milk jewelry kit can be a fabulous option. Not only do kits tend to be more budget-friendly, but they also save you the hassle of having to send out your breast milk and wait months to get your hands on your cherished pieces. Plus, you can be 100 percent sure that it’s actually your breast milk in your jewelry.
DIY Breast Milk Ring and Necklace Kit
This DIY breast milk jewelry kit comes with all the basics you need to create not one but two precious keepsakes from the comfort of your own home: A gorgeous halo pendant necklace and matching ring. The kit comes with the necklace setting and chain as well as ring setting (in sizes 5-9), available in solid sterling silver or plated rose gold. You’ll also get measuring cups, a syringe, stir sticks and spatulas, epoxy resin, milk preservation powder as well as shimmer powder, toothpick tools, a mold and glue, plus a detailed set of crafting instructions to help you create the liquid gold jewelry set of your dreams. Note that you’ll need 5 ml of your breast milk for the 6x8mm and 8x10mm oval milk stones.
DIY Eternity Breast Milk Ring Kit
There’s something effortlessly timeless about an eternity ring band—particularly fitting when you’re preserving memories to last a lifetime. This breast milk jewelry kit features a sterling silver ring band (in sizes 4 through 10) that can easily stack with your wedding band or other rings. In the box you’ll also find solvents, milk preservation powder, mixing cup and spatula and thorough instructions. (Psst—if you’re not quite ready to tackle a DIY project, you can find a ready-to-buy lookalike ring below!)
DIY Oval Breast Milk Ring
We’re loving the sparkly wing setting of this oval breast milk ring! Like many breast milk jewelry kits, this offers a ring setting in either sterling silver or plated rose gold—although ACX Design Co also does custom sold 18K gold orders too! Aside from basic kitchen items, you’ll find everything you need in the kit to make the 6x8mm stone: milk preservation powder, mixing tools, epoxy resin, a mold and step-by-step instructions. They even send a ring box!
Not up for DIY? No worries—there are plenty of companies that will happily make your breast milk jewelry for you. Shop our favorite ring options below.
Heirloom Oval Ring
We blame Hailey Bieber for sparking our obsession with oval rings—the style is classic and refined, and totally worthy of all the yearning stares. This one from Milk + Honey (also available in a horizontal oval edition) comes in solid 14K yellow, rose or white gold, and sterling silver. It’s available in sizes 1-16 (half sizes included) and, beyond the required 15ml of breast milk, can incorporate locks of hair, dried flowers, ashes and more.
Glowing Halo Ring
Halo rings definitely have a glow to them, and this one from Mamma’s Liquid Love is no exception. We love the look of the 14K solid rose gold setting, but you can also choose 14K white gold, yellow gold or sterling silver for your unique ring, which is available in sizes 4-11. You can keep the 29 cubic zirconia stones as-is or have them customized in baby’s birthstone color. Beyond the multiple shimmer or gold flake inclusions, you can also opt for a “white stone,” which means your breast milk (half an ounce or 15ml needed) will still be used, but a colorant will be added to produce a brighter white stone.
Infinity Ring
How about an infinity band as a breast milk ring to complement your engagement or wedding ring? This band—available in rose or yellow gold-plated sterling silver—features alternating cubic zirconia and breast milk accent stones. You have the option to send your breast milk (two tablespoons of breast milk are preferred, but the artisan is happy to work with smaller quantities if your milk supply is lower) or use your own saved breast milk from a previous order or donor milk. You can even add a second ring for a lovely stacking effect. But our favorite part has to be the personalized video you can get of your keepsake being made from start to finish; it’ll set you back $59, but it’s well worth it for the sentimentality.
Keep those precious breastfeeding memories close to your heart with one of these stunning ready-to-buy necklaces.
Drop Crown Necklace
With “crown” in its name, this breast milk necklace was obviously meant to hang around the neck of a true breastfeeding queen, don’t you think? Not only is the milk drop a stunning symbol of that liquid gold, but it’s the perfect pendant to personalize and accessorize, from gemstone and crystal inclusions to baby photo sneak-ins—you can even add a supporting charm engraved with baby’s name. What’s more, Precious Mammaries has a unique jewelry-making process that extracts your milk’s proteins and sugars (you’ll need one to two teaspoons of your breast milk for the pendant) and places them in shatter-proof glass. The glass is completely natural, non-toxic and made of sand, and it won’t melt in direct sunlight or yellow over time. Win-win!
Keepsake Bar Necklace
Bar necklaces have such a modern, minimalist vibe, which make them a great choice for everyday wear. This piece by The Empowered Mama transforms 1 oz. of your breast milk into a dynamic pendant connected to your choice of chain—sterling silver, 14K gold or rose gold-plated. And with more than 20 color flakes and shimmer options, you can create a super trendy druzy-style look that’ll work amazingly with whatever you’re wearing.
Tend to wear your heart on your sleeve? Shop our favorite breast milk bracelets below, so you can be reminded with every glance of your wrist of your incredible breastfeeding journey.
Breast Milk Bangle
Bangles might be a really low-maintenance piece of jewelry, but that doesn’t make them any less fashionable. If you’re looking for something that incorporates your precious breast milk but doesn’t look too “novelty," then this baby hair and breast milk bracelet from Jewelry Memories is a fabulous choice. And no, you don’t have to include baby hair; you can fill the beads with breast milk only (30ml or 1 oz. is requested to make two to three pieces of jewelry). Your admirers will probably have zero clue that what you’re rocking around your wrist is made from breast milk, but you can certainly give them the details when they start asking (and believe us, they will)!
Celebration Bead
Breast milk jewelry can be pricey, but it doesn’t have to be if you already have jewelry that can be paired with a simple bead or keepsake stone. That’s why we love the idea of a breast milk bead (requiring two tablespoons of breast milk) that’s compatible with the ever-popular Pandora charm bracelet. With KeepsakeMom’s celebration bead, you can customize the bead’s hue with baby’s birth month color, opt to keep the stone as-is or add a pearlescent effect with shimmer powder and also choose a silver, yellow or rose gold core. Make it even more special by adding your child’s name and/or birthday (you can send as many as four different breast milk packages, if you want to include milk samples for each of your children). And if you don’t have a Pandora-style bracelet at home, no worries—you can tack a dark brown waxed cord bracelet onto your order for just $10 extra.
Heart-Shaped Breast Milk Bracelet
Does anything say “love” more than a heart design? We’re head over heels for this sweet heart breast milk pendant. It uses 10 to 15 ml or 1 oz. of breast milk (with the option to include other organic items like dried umbilical cord or a crushed placenta pill) to create your special momento. Though the sterling silver, 24K gold or 18K rose gold-plated chain is simple, you can pump up the heart with a variety of foil and glitter flakes or color shimmers, or keep it clean and uncomplicated and build your arm party with other stretchy beaded bracelets.
If you’re concerned about keeping your breast milk jewelry away from soap, water and lotions that could potentially harm your stones, earrings are the perfect solution. Browse our top picks below.
Keepsake Studs in Solid Gold
This boho-inspired Australian brand, which launched in 2013, can include breast milk, placenta and bits of the umbilical cord in whimsical “DNA jewelry” pieces like this stunning pair of solid gold keepsake studs. Seriously, the milk and gold shimmer is beautiful together. You can choose from 14K yellow, white or rose gold for the setting, but you only have the option to add “light opal” or “milk opal” flecks to your breast milk (10 ml of it, to be precise).
Vine Earrings
Founded by a pharmacist who crafted a thank-you piece of jewelry for her daughter’s breast milk donor, Mamma’s Liquid Love is overflowing with jewelry that celebrates life and all the joys that come with it. These vine of life breast milk earrings are the most dazzling reminder that your breastfeeding is doing so much to nourish and foster baby’s growth and development. All of the leaves on the climbers are solid gold (14K rose, white or yellow), with the exception of one, which is filled with your breast milk (15 ml of it, to be exact). It’s subtle, yet so powerful.
About the experts:
- Rachel O’Brien, MA, IBCLC, is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in the greater Boston area who holds a master’s degree in human lactation. She’s worked with over 2,000 families in person throughout Massachusetts, as well as virtually across the country.
- Maria Mengel is a co-owner of Milk + Honey Jewelry. She holds degrees in both music education and educational policy, and was most recently a doula before leaving her job in 2020 and selling her childbirth business to focus on Milk + Honey.
Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.
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