Simply put, breast milk jewelry is just like it sounds -jewelry crafted from one's breast milk. Now, I know what you may be thinking -"Won't it rot?!"; "Is it really made from my own milk?"; "Why on earth would anyone want that?!". Well, let's dive a little deeper and break it down a bit, shall we?
The process of creating breast milk jewelery often begins with just 15ml (1/2 ounce) or less. This milk is generally put through a preservation process including being heated to a high temperature to kill bacteria that may alreay be present, along with having special chemical solutions added to help inhibit future bacteria and mold growth.
Typically, once the preservatives have been added and the mixture has thickened enough, then it is ready to be spread out on parchment paper (or something similar) to dry. The drying process can take anywhere from 24-hours to several weeks. This largely depends on the individual artists’ preservation method as well as each client’s unique composition of breast milk.
Once the breast milk is fully dried, it can then be ground into a fine powder. At this point in the process, it is finally ready craft with! Most artists mix the preserved milk powder with some type of resin and cure it to create a unique stone to set into jewelry. Once the breast milk is encased in resin, if preserved properly, should not rot, change color, or release any type of odor.
Now that you’ve had the rundown on the preservation process, you may still be thinking “okay, glad it doesn’t rot…but what’s the point of all this?!”. The short answer: breast milk jewelry is made to be a keepsake item. Breastfeeding is nothing short of difficult; therefore, many women proudly sport their boobie bling as a badge of honor.
Breast milk is jewelry is to commemorate all of the trials and tribulations that come along with breastfeeding. It’s a celebration of motherhood. Sometimes it’s the last tangible piece that a parent has of their child.
While, generally speaking, the purpose behind breast milk jewelry is to preserve a precious moment in time -each individual piece has an incredibly special and unique story to tell.