Breast milk ring with birthstone

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Best Breast Milk Jewelry

• Best Breast Milk Necklace : Lait Sous La Lune Large Milkdrop Necklace
• Best Breast Milk Ring : Little Memories DNA Jewelry Zander Halo Ring
• Best for Moms of Multiples : Indigo Willow Birthstone Stacking Breast Milk Ring Set
• Best Breast Milk Bracelet : The Milky Way Jewelry Breast Milk Bangle
• Best Breast Milk Jewelry Kit : Marky Baby Milk Jewelry Vintage-Style Oval Breastmilk Ring

If you chose to breastfeed, you may have experienced some hurdles on your journey: cracked or sore nipples, a too-strong letdown, a fussy newborn with latch issues or other common nursing issues. But you likely also experienced some of the most tender moments you can have with a baby, like that happy, milk-drunk look and snuggling after a good feed.

Because breastfeeding brings up strong emotions and can seem like such a hard-earned win — whether you’ve been doing it for a week or year — many women choose to turn their liquid gold into a permanent keepsake in the form of breast milk jewelry.

Breast milk jewelry has been a trend since at least 2013, coinciding with a growing movement to celebrate breastfeeding. It has since taken off with dozens of different custom jewelry makers offering moms the chance to preserve their breast milk for posterity. “Moms often want something preserved to honor and memorialize motherhood,” says Brittani Beals, owner of Made With Love Keepsakes, an online jewelry business based in Grand Junction, Colorado specializing in handmade breast milk jewelry.

Types of breast milk jewelry

As with other forms of jewelry, there’s a wide range of breast milk jewelry you can have created. Those include:

• Rings. A breast milk ring is exactly what it sounds like: a ring where the "stone" is actually made of preserved breast milk. These rings come in many different shapes and sizes, and you might opt to add colored glitter or metallic flakes for a unique look. Some companies also incorporate other substances into the jewelry, such as powdered placenta or crushed umbilical cord.
• Necklaces. Your liquid gold can be turned into a pendant that you can wear on a chain as a necklace.
• Earrings. Prefer to wear your breast milk on your ears? A jeweler can turn your breast milk into studs or something similar for you to sport.
• Bracelets. Just as with wearing your breast milk on a necklace, it can be incorporated into a pendant and then worn on your wrist.

How is breast milk jewelry made?

After you choose the design and color you'd like for your breast milk jewelry, the designer will tell you how much milk they need in order to create the piece. This is actually the easy part (the tough part is deciding from one of the many gorgeous designs).

“Mamas are nervous that it’s a big process to send out milk, but it’s not,” says Beals. Since the breast milk won’t be consumed, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated or frozen when shipped. Plus, while the amount needed can vary among companies, many need just 1 teaspoon to 1/2 an ounce of milk, depending on the item you're ordering. That’s good news, because it makes breast milk jewelry all the more accessible for moms who aren’t overproducers.

Next, the jewelry designer will get to work on preserving your milk. It’s usually boiled to sterilize it, and then a special preservative is added to zap moisture and turn the milk into a hard material that won’t rot or grow bacteria, Beals says. After that, she pulverizes the "rock" into a fine powder, adds a resin and drops in requested colors or shimmers. Beals also includes a pearl shimmer to enhance the appearance of the breast milk, which can sometimes appear dull on its own.

The length of the process differs by jeweler and the type of piece you're ordering. Companies may need eight weeks or longer, so make sure you clarify with the jeweler how long the process will take before you order.

The best place to shop for breast milk jewelry is at a reputable store or online retailer that specializes in these custom pieces. Beals suggests looking for a jeweler that will be upfront about their process and let you know how they keep samples separate to eliminate the risk of a mix-up. Reviews can also be helpful, particularly on Etsy.

Final word of advice: Follow the care instructions for your new piece exactly as advised. A breast milk ring is different than one made of precious stones, and you want your new jewelry to stay with you for a lifetime.

How we made our picks for the best breast milk jewelry

We found the best breast milk jewelry by looking at the most popular options on the market, including What to Expect readers’ favorites. Those were narrowed down to the ones with the best ratings and product reviews. Then, we looked for items with unique features that really stand out.
Here, we’ve rounded up the best breast milk jewelry to help you remember this special time forever.

Best Breast Milk Necklace

Lait Sous La Lune Large Milkdrop Necklace

Buying Options:

Lait Sous La Lune

$70 and up

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Pros: Simple, eye-catching, customizable

Cons: Resin may discolor over time

Why We Love It

This teardrop-shaped necklace is a total statement piece. It features your milk with your choice of add-ons, including foil, flakes, glitter and shimmer. (You can also include baby hair, dried placenta or ashes, depending on what you’re commemorating.) Moms appreciate how well the seller communicates during the process, and how receptive they are to answering questions about your piece. Pieces also come with a limited one-year warranty in case it wears prematurely.

Materials used: Gold or silver

Milk required: 10 milliliters

Dimensions: 18 x 25 millimeter pendant on 18 inch chain

Best Breast Milk Ring

Little Memories DNA Jewelry Zander Halo Ring

Buying Options:

Little Memories Keepsakes

$200

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Pros: Classic ring style, super customizable, fast turnaround time

Cons: More expensive than some other brands

Why We Love It

Looking for breast milk jewelry that fits in nicely with the rest of your pieces? Check out Little Memories DNA, which makes gorgeous custom rings, necklaces and earrings out of breast milk and ashes. This ring lets you customize the color of your ring stone to look like traditional milk, a birthstone or a special color of your choosing, and you can add in crushed opal or flakes for extra sparkle. The company also has a fairly fast turnaround time of eight weeks maximum.

Materials Used: Cubic zirconia, silver, opal

Milk required: 1 ounce maximum

Dimensions: 6.5 millimeter stone; ring sizes 5.5 to 9

Community Reviews

“Just got my breast milk jewelry and I’m in love! I heard about these after I was done breastfeeding with my first so I knew I wanted to get one this time and I was also able to add in my dogs ashes that I’d been holding onto for so long so I always have a piece of her with me too.” 

- someoneexpecting

Best for Moms of Multiples

Indigo Willow Birthstone Stacking Breast Milk Ring Set

Buying Options:

Indigo Willow

$200 for set of 2

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Pros: Multiple rings in one, easy to wear, different colors

Cons: Stone is small

Why We Love It

This set of dainty stacking rings can be uniquely customized. Choose your child's birth stone and stack it with a breast milk-only ring, or mix your breast milk into the stone. If you have more than one child, you can purchase additional rings for an additional $17 each. You can add additional shimmer or “fine pink sparkle,” along with things like formula, placenta, ashes, or other items. However, it may take a bit to get your finished pieces — up to 16 weeks after your breast milk is received — but happy moms say the products are worth the wait.

Materials Used: Sterling silver

Milk required: Around 30 milliliters

Dimensions: Each band is 1 millimeter thick

Community Reviews

“I got one done through Indigo Willow. I never really worried whether it was my breastmilk. Her website details all of the steps she goes through to match samples with orders, but I guess I am also trusting in that regard… getting to one year of breastfeeding was one of the hardest things I've ever done to achieve a goal. So I wanted to mark the occasion.”

- Project_Bookbag

“I used indigo willow. It took forever but came out great! I had a pearl made and absolutely love it.” 

- BabylonMom

Best Breast Milk Bracelet

The Milky Way Jewelry Breast Milk Bangle

Pros: Timeless style, lightweight

Cons: Longer wait time than most brands, limited customization

Why We Love It

This chic bracelet is a great option if you’re looking for a simple, subtle piece of breast milk jewelry. The small white breastmilk stone adorns one end of the delicate bangle, which can be either silver or rose gold-plated. The company also stores breast milk indefinitely, so you can order additional pieces with the same batch of breast milk if desired. (Just expect to wait 10-12 weeks before receiving your order.)

Materials: Sterling silver, or sterling silver plated with rose gold

Milk required: 0.5 ounces

Dimensions: 8 millimeter stone

Community Reviews

“I wear it every day and it's held up great. I don't think it's weird at all. No one would ever even know it's breast milk.”

- maryqueenoftots

Best Breast Milk Jewelry Kit

Marky Baby Milk Jewelry Vintage-Style Oval Breastmilk Ring

Pros: Classy look, statement piece

Cons: Requires a little work on your end

Why We Love It

FYI: Etsy prohibits its vendors from selling products made with bodily fluids or human remains, so any breast milk jewelry you see on the site will be the DIY variety. Marky Baby makes some of the best kits, and this beautiful ring is no exception. With an oval breast milk stone in the center surrounded by starburst-style sparkly stones, this ring is a true statement piece. Choose from a silver or rose gold band and setting for a look that fits in with your style. All kits come with preservation kits and detailed instructions. Moms say it was easier than expected to follow the directions for preserving breast milk and making the jewelry, and note that the customer service was excellent.

Materials Used: Silver, rose gold

Milk required: 20-30 milliliters

Dimensions: N/A

• Brittani Beals, Owner, Made With Love Keepsakes, Grand Junction, CO.

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