Holiday Gift Giving Guide

Memorial gifts have a long history around the world. For as long as humans have recorded history, they have been memorializing the dead in some form or fashion.

From the Great Pyramids of Egypt to the earliest funeral urns in ancient China, humanity has always honored their dead in tangible, long-lasting ways. Historically speaking, one of the most popular types of memorial gifts have been jewelry keepsakes, also known as remembrance jewelry.

In the Late Middle Ages (1250 to 1500 AD), mourning jewelry became popular once again. At first, rings were bequeathed to a person’s heir after their death. As the practice became more widespread, many wills of wealthy individuals had rings bequest to certain family members, friends, or others in their circle.

While it’s easy to conflate this practice with the much older tradition of “Memento Mori," Latin for “remember you have to die.” This phrase was a reminder of the inevitability of death seen in early Christian art, architecture, literature, symbolism, and jewelry styles. However, memorial jewelry is separate from that in the way it ties the item of jewelry to a specific death and remembrance of a person. 

Mourning jewelry increased in popularity afterward, in part due to the ability to mass-produce items. At this point, it was not only rings but also cameos, lockets, bracelets, pendants, and even hair jewelry. Hair jewelry in particular was considered sacred, largely because it held a lock of human hair inside. These pieces could be anything from watch fobs, rings and pendants, and of course the most obvious lockets. 

In many ways, the late Victorian era was known as “the Cult of Mourning” – in no small part due to Queen Victoria - where mourning entered social conventions, fashion and inspired most aspects of life. However, given that the average life span at the time was 30 to 45 years, it’s also likely that Victorians lived with the shadow of death over them at all times. Indeed, mourning jewelry offered a small solace for those who had lost their loved ones much too young.

Today, our lifespans are longer and memorial jewelry is not as popular as it once was, though it is a trend that’s quickly growing in popularity once more. While jewelry is always a popular choice for any type of gift, there has been increasing interest in other types of remembrance keepsakes as well. 

This is obviously the most frequently included personal information. The person’s full name is generally the focal point of the gift, as it highlights the purpose. If you’d rather, you can always exchange the name for a set of initials. Some people prefer to have them monogrammed on the item to match other décor selections.

It’s customary to add the date of birth and date of death to the gift. Depending on what you select, you may even want to add a birthstone to your item for further personalization.

This option can be tricky, as it depends entirely upon how well you know the person (and possibly the deceased). You could find a gift that represents a meaningful moment in time or a hobby. You can also frame it around a memory that the recipient thinks of fondly, though that may include some familiarity with the recipient.

Personalizing a quotation is another highly personal option, but one that is just as thoughtful. For a spiritual person, this may take the shape of a line or two of scripture or even an inspirational statement that you feel would resonate with the recipient. It can also be a personal quote – perhaps something the deceased said frequently or a few phrases the recipient and deceased said to one another. 

Adding an image of a loved one is another It was popularized originally with the Victorians and has again gained traction in the modern era with specialty photo ornaments and jewelry designed to keep a special photo preserved indefinitely. Even more recently, the practice of engraving fingerprints on memorial gifts has become a trend. After all, what is more unique than a person’s fingerprint?

For children who have lost a parent or other family member, a memorial gift may be a good option to help them grief. This is especially true if you are their remaining parent or guardian. 

On this note, the loss of a grandparent can hit children just as hard as losing a parent. Children are often very close to their grandparents.

As the well-known adage says – a picture is worth a thousand words. This is true no matter whether it's a painting or photograph.

Traditional memorial keepsakes were typically inscribed with personalized information, often stamped or engraved by hand, often taking many hours or days to complete. In other cases, a photograph would be inserted within a locket or placed beneath glass or clear gemstone to protect it from normal wear.

It’s a fantastic way to create a small memorial that you can take with you anywhere. Even better, photo-engraved keepsakes come in multiple shapes and sizes, giving you even more options to choose from. 

Not all gifts must be expensive to be meaningful. Many are just as thoughtful and don’t require any significant funds. Photo collages are one of those. 

These collages can include other paper items as well. Perhaps a pair of tickets from an event the recipient and the deceased went to. Or something personal like a hair ribbon or a small keepsake they cherished. You can add these easily into a collage, especially if you add more artistic flairs into it as well.

Overall, collages are an excellent way to show love and appreciation for a person who has passed.

There are even skilled craftsmen who can take a small piece of handwriting and turn it into a lovely and meaningful piece of jewelry that will last forever. You can have a small phrase or even a name immortalized in a stylish bracelet or a small pendant if that is more your style.

With the Sterling Silver Rectangle Signature Thumbprint Pendant, you can combine a loved one’s signature with their thumbprint for a truly unique gift. Not only do these make great keepsakes, but they can also be fantastic openers for you to reflect on your favorite memories of your parent when someone asks about the unique piece.

Holidays look quite different after you’ve lost a loved one. Long-held traditions may not have the same meaning, especially in the first year that you’ve lost someone. These holidays are often the most difficult time of the year which means it may be the time to consider finding a gift that will bring some solace and perhaps joy.

With a holiday memorial ornament, it gives the recipient a chance to bring their loved one into the holiday in a new way. Perhaps adding a small token dedicated to your loved one on the Christmas tree (or another piece of holiday décor) may be the right way for their family to pay homage to those loved ones. 

If you don’t feel like you have the crafting skills (or material) to create a wreath, you might consider an alternative! Many people choose to make a display in their homes dedicated to the memory of their loved ones.

They are great to hang on a wall or display on a shelf. Alternatively, they will offset larger items like an urn or personal effects dedicated to the deceased.

If you’d like to take a personal touch on your memorial gift, you may want to consider a seasonal offering appropriate for the time of year. Memory wreaths are a great project for you to tackle solo or bring in some of the deceased friends or family.

It can also include the recipient if you feel they might enjoy being part of the creation process. It allows them to go through old photos and the memories they bring.

Unlike urns or larger memorial displays, cremation jewelry can be taken with you anywhere and still be unobtrusive. It is a way to honor your loved one by crafting something that contains or, in the case of ash jewelry, may be created from those remains.

Sometimes, you may run across a person who “has everything” or doesn’t necessarily need or want physical objects. We all have at least one friend or family member like that, right?

If that’s the case, why not do something more of an experience than a gift? Or, specifically, give a gift that keeps giving. That is the beauty of gifting a charitable donation in the name of the deceased, specifically for their living loved ones. It's even more meaningful if it’s something both the deceased and the recipient equally loved or enjoyed together.  

Most organizations offer a way to share news of the donation by sending a letter, often with a photograph or postcard to commemorate the memorial donation. 

Photo blankets are a newer gift item compared to some of our other selections but no less attractive for many. Printed in full color with tons of options, these blankets generally feature a large photo on the front and include personalization of your choice.

You can also choose a photo collage if you’d rather, including multiple images in your final design. These blankets are made of woven cotton or a fuzzy fleece, providing the perfect choice for your needs. 

Overall, this is a warm, cozy gift that will keep the recipient warm long after the holidays and for many years to come.

If the person you are buying for has strong ties to the military or their family does, Memorial Coins are an excellent choice to consider. 

They are a unique alternative to the most common keepsakes with the bonus of specifically being a nongendered gift. 

This one might seem a little far-fetched but we feel it’s filled with just the right amount of whimsy for someone who might have been just a little different. 

As we’ve said, personalized jewelry has been regaining popularity over the last decade and can create a small, stylish piece you can take anywhere. What is more unique (and personalized) than a lovely fingerprint keepsake?

Thumbprint jewelry is, by nature, one-of-a-kind. They combine a person’s unique fingerprint with a customizable, wearable piece of art. All you need to create your own is the fingerprint of your parent (which is generally included in funeral home services) and a little imagination to create your own.