FAQ

What is breast milk jewelry?

Breastmilk Jewelry is preserved breastmilk designed into a jewelry piece. It is a beautiful way to cherish your breastfeeding journey with your baby. Customers choose pieces to celebrate milestones, remember joy, celebrate a hard journey, honor a loss, heal the soul and more! We use a small amount of breastmilk, preserve it, and turn it into a precious jewelry keepsake. All of our pieces are custom made with your milk and/or other inclusions and hand crafted at our home studio in Southern Maryland aka SOMD.

How is breast milk jewelry made?

We heat and preserve your milk, dry it out for 48 hours, and hand-grind it into a powder using a mortar and pestle, and then create your one of a kind piece with resin.

How does ordering work?

Visit our SHOP page to select and order your piece. You will be able to select your inclusions and provide us with the details you want in your piece.

You’ll receive an order confirmation and milk/inclusion(s) shipping/drop off instructions within 72 hours of placing your order.

How do I get my milk/inclusion(s) to you?

After placing your order, you will receive a confirmation email within 72 hours with detailed instructions on how to mail or drop off your milk. Please ship your milk/inclusions within one week of ordering, or if local, arrange a drop-off with our team.

What inclusions may I have in my piece?

All listed inclusions must be shipped to us and labeled with your order number.

Breastmilk, Lock of Hair, Dried Flowers, Dehydrated Placenta Powder, Umbilical Cord Powder, Ashes (Human or Animal).

Breastmilk can be old; as long as it’s not moldy, it’s fine. Refrigeration isn't necessary when sending it to us. All inclusions, except breastmilk, must be completely dried. If you have a request for an inclusion not listed, email us, and we'll try to accommodate it!

How will I know when you have received my milk?

Our team processes milk intake once a week. During this time, we open packages, log your milk into our spreadsheet, and place it in the queue. The same process applies to dropped-off milk. We will email you to confirm your milk has been received and logged. The turnaround time for your order starts the day you receive this email. Please note that once you receive this email, no changes can be made to your order.

What are flakes?

Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold flakes in resin jewelry are small pieces of metal that are embedded in resin to create a shimmering, luxurious effect. The colors are listed below. Note the flakes are ground up to the size you prefer them.

 

If you choose to have flakes, make sure to send your inspiration photo or explain in detail how you want them placed.

What is the turnaround time, and when should I expect to receive my finished custom jewelry piece?

Our turnaround time is 12-18 weeks from the date you receive the email confirming your milk has been received and logged.

This timeframe ensures we deliver a high-quality, custom piece. When we receive your milk, we order your jewelry piece from a blacksmith who creates your custom metal frame. Since we only place metal orders twice a month, it may take up to 2 weeks to place your order.

During the approximate 6-week wait for the metal frame, we preserve your breast milk. Once the frame arrives, we meticulously create your piece according to your specifications. After creation, our team conducts a rigorous quality inspection, photographs the piece, packages it beautifully, and mails it to you.

Please note that our team members work full-time jobs outside of SOMD Milk and prioritize our families, which can affect processing times. Based on this, we estimate a 12-18 week turnaround time to give you a realistic expectation.

How do I know it’s my milk?

As a registered nurse and Mom, Ashley adheres to the highest standards in following procedures to ensure you receive your baby's breastmilk/inclusions. SOMD Milk has internal standard operating procedures that guide our team, ensuring your milk/inclusions stay with your order form at all times. We would never jeopardize the trust you've placed in us. Our standard operating procedures guarantee that you'll receive a piece with the inclusions you've sent to us.

How do I care for my jewelry?

Here are Jewelry Care Requirements to ensure your piece lasts a lifetime:

Do not get your jewelry piece wet

Remove jewelry before washing your hands, bathing/showering, doing dishes, exercising, swimming, sunbathing, sleeping, and applying any lotions

Store your jewelry out of direct sunlight, in a cool, dry place

If your piece begins to tarnish (this may happen with gold and silver jewelry over time and is normal) you may use a polishing cloth on the metal only, avoiding the stone

Do you have free shipping?

Absolutely, orders over $100 USD qualify for free shipping.

Can you make my jewelry exactly as the inspiration photo I sent to you?

No, we cannot replicate pieces exactly since each piece of jewelry and every inclusion is unique. When you order, you trust that we'll create a completely unique piece specific to you. You can be as specific as you'd like on your order form or give our team creative freedom with some guidance from you. We cannot guarantee how a piece will turn out, and we cannot remake jewelry at no cost if we follow your instructions to the best of our ability. Artistry is not an exact science, and we find beauty in that uncertainty.

May I see my order before it is shipped?

We do not send photos of your piece before shipping it out. However, you may be able to see it on our social media pages before it arrives, depending on our content queue. Pieces are never shared on social media content with your name attached. Additionally, we aim to preserve the wow factor of opening our beautiful package for you.

Do you keep my preserved milk on file for future orders?

Yes! We keep all preserved breastmilk on file for future orders. During the checkout process, you can indicate if you'd like us to use milk we have saved on file. You can also choose to combine on-file milk with new milk or inclusions.

Note that we do not keep other inclusions on file. If anything is left over, we ship it back to you.

How do I know what size ring to purchase?

Please provide a ring size when ordering. For accurate sizing, visit a local jewelry store. Home sizing is at your own risk. Ring sizes can vary up to a quarter size. Handmade rings allow for some flexibility. If in-between sizes, sizing up is safer. We do not recommend resizing rings due to the risk of compromising the stone's integrity. The resizing process involves heating the ring, which could damage the stone. It's crucial to ensure the most accurate ring size initially. If you opt to have a jeweler attempt resizing, it's at your own risk.

We’re happy to accommodate ring size or style changes before we receive your milk. A $50 convenience fee applies for these adjustments. Once your milk has been received, we’re unable to make further changes to your order.

Do you have a warranty?

All Breastmilk Jewelry pieces come with a 1-year warranty. If you encounter any issues, please email a detailed message and photo to ashley@somdmilk.com

Do you issue refunds? Can I cancel my order?

If you haven’t sent your milk yet and need to cancel your order, you may do so within 24 hours. A $50 convenience fee will apply. After this period, cancellations are no longer available, but you can request store credit for future purchases. Store Credit is non-refundable.

Can I make a change to my order once my order is placed?

We can accommodate order changes for free within 24 hours of placing your order. After 24 hours, changes incur a $50 fee per piece. No changes can be made once your milk has been received.