A PENRITH jewellery firm has experienced a surge in sales as demand increases for 'memorial jewellery' - especially bespoke pieces of jewellery made from cremation ashes.

Hand on Heart is based at Hackthorpe Hall Business Centre in Penrith. The firm was founded in 2009 by Amanda Dixon and her sister, and has since grown to employ a team of twelve, together with a move to bigger studios.

The team have created more than 250,000 unique pieces of jewellery over the last twelve years.

The company has recently experienced a surge in demand for memorial jewellery. These are pieces typically commissioned by families to represent and remember their lost loved ones.

The memorial jewellery can take the form of fingerprints, handwriting, or cremation ashes.

Amanda Dixon, managing director, said: “Memorial jewellery is a fascinating concept. It’s something that might’ve seemed unusual years ago, but there’s no doubt it’s growing in popularity as word begins to spread.

"We’ve received lovely feedback from customers looking for unique ways to remember a loved one.

"They didn’t realise jewellery that incorporates either cremation ashes or their loved one’s fingerprints or handwriting is a possibility.

“For example, we’ve seen a huge increase in demand for jewellery made from cremation ashes, in particular. We offer two different types of ashes jewellery at Hand on Heart. The first is self-fill lockets, which customers can do themselves at home.

"The second is jewellery made from the ashes, and they are set into glass appearance resin to create a hard-wearing material that will last forever. The ashes are delicately layered to create a sparkling floating appearance.”

Hand on Heart is partnered with funeral directors around the UK who offer their memorial jewellery services and will also take fingerprints of loved ones in order for the team to create a unique design for customers.

Each piece of jewellery is handmade made by the expert jewellery design team based at the Penrith studio.

Amanda added: “We’re pleased to see that the word is spreading about memorial jewellery. It’s incredibly rewarding to hear feedback from customers who say that the jewellery has helped them through their grief.

"As a team, we’re proud that we can offer comfort during a difficult time in their lives and help them treasure the memories of their loved ones.”