Heart Locket for Lily

I was blessed to receive a gorgeous new necklace free of charge in exchange for writing an honest evaluation/critique on it. The company who gave me my necklace is called Jewelry Keepsakes. They have a HUGE selection of memorial and cremation jewelry, offering many different lovely pieces at ranging prices - really something for everybody.

I was able to choose any piece of jewelry that I wanted from the website. I took my time in searching through all the different options. The Sterling Silver Daisy Heart Keepsake is what I kept coming back to. I have always wanted an old-fashioned looking silver heart locket. I especially like that this locket has a flower on the front, which is appropriate for Lily, "my little flower." Hearts are special to me and remind me of Lily as well because I had a Valentine's-themed baby shower on February 13th, 2010. I prefer the look of silver to gold.

my new locket in the box it came in

Anyways, not only do I love how beautiful this heart locket is, but I really like how it incorporates several things into it. Some pieces that Jewelry Keepsakes offers are cremation pieces, some incorporate photos, and some have engraving... well this locket has all three!

When the locket is opened, Lily's picture is on the left (I wanted just her face. I chose my favorite picture of her) and there are words that I chose to be engraved on the right in script font (there were different fonts to choose from). I have other pieces of jewelry with her name and birthday engraved, so I wanted to do something different with this locket.

Lily's photo and the custom-engraving

I chose a phrase that is very special to me - "Forever and a day sweet Lily." I had thought about including this on Lily's headstone but didn't because there was only so much space to work with. They are lyrics from mine and Lily's song called "Forever and a Day" by Jewel (you can listen to the song below or by clicking on this link). I listened to it all the time during my pregnancy and Lily would just dance and dance. Forever and a day, I will love and miss Lily. Forever and a day, I will carry her with me. Forever and a day, she will be my first-born child.

I had trouble figuring out how to get Lily's photo small enough for the locket. I am still not pleased with it and am going to get a photo even smaller to replace the existing one (I don't want her hat cropped off in the photo). The easiest thing when placing a photo in this locket is to go to a place like Staples or Office Max and get them to resize and print the photo for you. Then you can cut it out and place it in the locket, which was simple enough. I took a hard copy of the photo with me to Office Max, but they could only get it so small that way. The guy who works there told me to bring back a digital copy and they will be able to get it even smaller. That should take care of it.

There is a secret compartment on the back of the necklace where I am going to place some of the dirt from Lily's burial site. I had thought of doing something like this a long time ago, but completely forgot until I saw it suggested on their website. This is the description of the necklace:

"This gorgeous heart cremation locket would make the perfect gift to a dear friend who has lost someone they loved. Each heart has been crafted of sterling silver and will hold one small photo of your choosing in addition to some cremains or cremated ashes, some ground from the site of burial or even a lock of hair to show your devotion."

I thought the cremation pieces of jewelry wouldn't work for me since Lily was buried, not cremated, but this is such a special idea! I don't have the ground to add to the necklace yet, but on my next trip to Virginia to see Lily's stone, I will get it. There is a small screw that seems like it will be easy to remove when I'm ready to add the burial ground. The ground where Lily is buried is holy and to be able to wear it on a necklace means so much to me. And because I live in a different state than where Lily is buried, it will be extra meaningful to have a bit of that ground with me. The necklace came with supplies and directions for adding the remembrance of choice to the necklace. Keep in mind that you can include other things in one of these pieces of jewelry even if your loved one was not cremated.

I received an 18" premium silver chain which is really pretty and sturdy. The chain works well with some of my other pieces of jewelry as well. :)

I was so excited and surprised when the necklace arrived at my home the day after I decided what I wanted! It is even more beautiful in person than online. It looks and feels like very high-quality. It is smaller than I thought it'd be.

The locket next to a nickel for size comparison

I only have a couple "complaints," except they are not really complaints. When the locket first arrived, it wouldn't close all the way and there was an open gap where it should snap shut. I let the company know and they immediately said they were sorry and that they would send out a new necklace with a return label for the broken one. That necklace arrived with overnight shipping as well. I had a bit of trouble opening that one at first, but my dad helped me and it loosened up and is now working great. I was impressed with how kind the lady who I worked with was and how quickly she handled this.

I have many pieces of jewelry that I have either gotten myself or received as a gift in honor and memory of Lily. Each piece is unique and meaningful to me. I can already tell this locket is going to be one of my favorites that I will wear often. This is a special piece with multiple things incorporated. I like that it is private so nobody has to know who the necklace is for or what is included unless I choose to tell them. It feels like something between my girl and I. :)

If you are looking for a high-quality piece of remembrance jewelry that can be personalized, for yourself or for a loved one, I highly recommend looking into Jewelry Keepsakes. If you are wanting to order something for a special event or day but don't have much time, the fast shipping is excellent! The customer service is also wonderful. The lady who I worked with is named Hallie and she was very patient and kind with me and answered all my questions quickly and thoroughly. It was nice to work one-on-one with somebody. I can tell she truly cares about offering this jewelry to the bereaved. Hallie can be contacted by email at hallie@jewelrykeepsakes.com.

Thank you so much again Hallie! I love my locket! :)