From Ashes to Art: How Your Memorial Comes to Life
Learn the step-by-step process behind our handmade glass cremation jewelry. From receiving your ash kit to flame-working molten glass, Locked In Art creates each memorial with accuracy, transparency, and heartfelt craftsmanship.
Creation of Your Memorial
At Locked In Art, every memorial is treated with the same respect and care we would give to a member of our own family. From the moment your ashes arrive, to the final polish of your handcrafted jewelry, each step of the process is designed to ensure accuracy, dignity, and lasting beauty.
Storage of Ashes
When your ashes arrive, they are immediately cataloged and stored securely in the order they are received. Each set of ashes is placed in a dedicated bin containing:
Your labeled vial
A printed invoice
Your unique order number, which is also written directly on the vial
This ensures your memorial remains clearly identified throughout the entire creation process. Production time begins once we receive your kit and typically takes 4–6 weeks to complete.
Ensuring Accuracy in Every Order
Each morning, we prepare a detailed work schedule outlining the memorials to be made that day and the order in which they’ll be completed.
As each piece is crafted, it’s placed on an individual shelf within our digitally controlled glass kiln. The first order of the day occupies the first shelf, and each subsequent order follows in sequence.
When the kiln is unloaded the next morning, every finished memorial is carefully returned to its designated bin, along with:
The matching invoice
Any unused ashes or glass rods remaining from the process
This step-by-step tracking ensures that your loved one’s ashes are never mixed, misplaced, or confused with another order.
One Order at a Time
We work in very small daily batches — no mass production, no shortcuts. While a few memorials may be annealed in the kiln on a given day, each is created one at a time at the workbench.
Your memorial remains with its unique bin until it is fully completed. The next piece of jewelry will never begin until the previous order is finished and returned to its secure container.
This practice ensures every piece receives the individual attention and care it deserves.
Incorporating ashes into glass
All Locked In Art memorials are made using the time-honored technique of glass flame-working, also known as lampworking.
Here’s how the process unfolds:
We bring your individual bin to our glass workbench.
Using a torch, we heat a rod of borosilicate glass (Pyrex) until it reaches a molten, honey-like consistency.
The glowing glass rod is gently dipped into ashes, which adhere naturally to the molten glass.
This “ash rod” is then stretched, shaped, and later applied to the colored glass base you selected.
The design is encased in crystal-clear glass to permanently seal the ashes within.
Finally, the piece is carefully shaped, cooled, and annealed in our digitally controlled kiln to ensure lasting strength and clarity.
At this stage, the ashes have become forever fused into the glass — an eternal part of the memorial itself.
Returning Unused Ashes
If any portion of the ash-infused glass rod remains after your memorial is complete, we’ll return it to you. The remaining material is melted down into small glass teardrops, each containing trace ash.
These teardrops are sent back with your unused cremains, and we recommend returning them to the urn if you wish.
Every part of what you send to us is handled with respect, care, and completeness.
