FAQ

How do I send my breastmilk, umbilical cord, ashes, hair or fur?

Following your order, you will be sent an 'inclusion kit' within 7 working days of your order. For breastmilk, this will contain a tube for you to send 5ml of breastmilk. For other inclusions, you will be sent a small tub. The kit will contain full instructions. The inclusion kit is a large letter size box, please open this box carefully as you will need to reuse the box when you return the kit to me.
You are responsible for the return postage of the inclusion pack, it is recommended that you send this back tracked, however this is your choice.

What happens to my unused milk/ash/hair/fur/cord?

I will keep any unused preserved milk for 3 years following your order, this in case of any failures in my pieces or the need to repair/replace.

Any unused ash/hair/fur/cord/placenta will be returned to you with your completed piece. Please keep this safe in case you need them again in the future.

How fresh should my breastmilk be and how much milk/ash/hair cord do I need?

Any milk is ok, as long as it is not spoiled when you send it. Frozen milk is also ok.

I will need around 5ml of milk (if you have less that is ok, but I may need to add a little water in order to preserve it effectively).

I will send a small pot for the cremation ashes, cord or placenta. 
I asked that hair is wrapped in tissue to keep it in the best condition for working with when it arrives.

For cremation ashes, one small spoon.
Hair/fur - a good curl. If you have less thats ok, but it may not be as visible.
Placenta - one capsule
Cord - a pea size piece.

What happens if I lose my stone or I break my setting?

At Afallon DNA Jewellery we understand how precious your keepsake jewellery is, and how upsetting it would be should you lose your stone. Like any jewellery, your keepsake piece is likely to suffer wear and tear over time, you may accidentally have it come in contact with a chemical, or may scratch or knock the stone out for example.

Understanding how important these pieces are, where possible I make a spare stone. This is often the case with rings as the stone is set within the ring and I use a double mold. The spare stone will be sent to you, and you can keep it safely should it be needed in the future. Where this is not possible, which is the case with most charms, necklaces and some rings, I recommend you keep back some of your inclusion, e.g. your loved ones ashes or hair. This would enable the stone to be remade in the future.

With milk, I keep the remaining preserved milk for 3 years in case of failures with the product.

Jewellery Care

Your jewellery will be made from resin, it is hard wearing and can last for a lifetime but it needs to be cared for. Following this care advice will help you keep your jewellery looking its best and avoid it needing to be repaired or replaced. If your jewellery piece gets broken or scraped, I am happy to help if you contact me, and can provide a quote for a repair or replacement.

- Do not store your item in direct sunlight, UV exposure can cause your resin piece to discolour. It is recommended that you bare this in mind when using UV light at nail bars, and remove any jewellery that may come into contact with the UV rays.

- Do not submerge your piece in water, you should remove your piece when bathing, swimming and washing your hands. Resin is water resistant but it is not waterproof.

- You should avoid your resin piece coming into contact with hand sanitiser, this will cause your resin piece to tarnish and discolour.

- Chemicals such as polish, perfume, cleaning solutions and nail polish remover for example, can damage your resin piece.

- You should remove your resin piece when using tanning solutions.

- Prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke may cause your resin piece to yellow.

Sterling Silver:

All of our pieces are sterling silver, they may tarnish over time. Please take care with your jewellery piece, and avoid bumps and scrapes.
You may use a silver polishing cloth on your item, however please avoid contact with the resin. If you take your jewellery to a professional for cleaning or relating, please advise them that the stone is resin.

How long until I receive my order?

Please allow up to 10 weeks from the date of us receiving your inclusion kit.
Many items will be ready before then, and a time is indicated on the item description, however as stated above, please allow UP TO 10 weeks. This is because of the handmade nature of the items, and many settings are ordered as required from an external source.

The settings for most of the rings which aren't 'adjustable' are ordered direct from the supplier in your size following your order, this adds extra time. With bespoke orders, an indication on timescale will be provided when we discuss your design.

How do I know what colour?

There is a colour chart attached to every listing to help with choosing the base colour of your piece. If you'd like some samples or examples, please get in touch. I can also add opal flakes, coloured flakes in various colours and gold, silver or copper style flakes. I can provide examples if requested. 
Please bare in mind that when mixing a colour with breastmilk, the colour will be lightened by the milk. The colour will be different each time, depending on the amount of pigment used and the natural colour of the breastmilk.

When mixing colour with cremation ashes, bare in mind that each persons or animals ashes are individual, and vary in colour. Each completed piece will look different and I cant guarantee an end colour.

With hair, fine, light hair may not be as viable with some colours. Please bare this in mind when picking a colour.

I don't know my ring size

There is an option on all sized rings to add a ring sizer to your order so please don't worry! You can either email me your size or add it to the form in the inclusion pack.

I am worried about sending my precious inclusions

We understand how important your inclusions are to you. Whether it be breastmilk, or your loved ones ashes, we promise to treat them with dignity and respect. I only work with one piece at a time, and conduct all my work with pride and care.
We do ask that do keep some of your inclusions back, and not send us all you have left in case of any losses in the post.
Any remaining breastmilk is kept by us for 3 years in its preserved form. All other remaining inclusions will be returned to you with you finished piece.

If you'd like to tell us a bit about your breastfeeding journey, or your loved ones whos ashes we are casting please do, you are welcome to include some written information when you return your inclusions to us. We like to know your story, why you decided to have a keepsake, or a little about your loved one.

Where do you ship to?

We ship to the UK, shipping is £4.50. You are responsible for the return postage of the inclusion kit. 

Can I have the colour on the listing?

Colours on the listings are examples of previous orders. As stated above, the end colour can vary depending on the inclusion. I can do my best to colour match, however no piece will be identical and will all have differences. 

Many colours can be achieved, I have a vast array of pigments, and can include some sparkle though glitter or flakes if you'd like. Opal flakes are very popular among my customers and look beautiful with all colours.  

I have changed my mind, can I cancel?

For information regarding our return and exchange policies, please click here