FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For jewellery items we need approximately 1 teaspoon of ash.

For furnace/ornamental items, we would need approximately 2 teaspoons of ash.

We return all remaining ash back to you with your completed keepsakes. 

Yes, at the high temperature which the ash is infused into the glass, the ash turns pure white and often makes bubbles with the remaining oxygen left in the memorial ash. Our glass artist phrases it so beautifully "It is like the last bit of air from your loved one is breathed into the glass." 

We have 2 options: 

1.) You can deliver your loved one's ash personally by booking a consult to visit our showroom in Rynfield, Benoni. 

2.) We will arrange a courier to conveniently collect the memorial ash from your preferred address and they will deliver it to us. This comes at a cost of R145 per trip. 

We work on a 4-6 week lead time (once we have the memorial ash in hand) which may increase to 6-8 weeks at times (load shedding dependant). 

If you would like to place an order, you can do so online (recommended) or alternatively you can contact us to have a consultation and a more personal journey, if that is what you need in this difficult grief journey. 

Once you have placed your order, we will confirm your order with an invoice which you will need to approve, and once approved, will need to make payment. 

We will then be in contact with you to arrange for the collection of ash via our reliable courier service, or we will arrange a date and time for you to drop it off if that is your preference. 

We will then get started with your precious keepsakes and will inform you as soon as they are ready for delivery/collection from our offices.  

We want to ensure that your memorial ash arrives safely and just as you packaged it. 

To help us ensure this, we ask that you place the suitable amount of ash (depending on what and how many pieces you are ordering), in a secure container or a sealed ziplock bag. 

Place the container/sealed ziplock bag with ash, into another sealed ziplock bag and ensure that it is secure as possible. 

Place this into a sealed envelope and clearly indicate your name and order number so that we know whose ash it is when it arrives with us. 

If you are memorialising more than one loved one, we ask that you do the above for each loved one SEPARATELY and table the envelopes clearly with whose memorial ash is in each envelope. 

Sterling silver may tarnish if exposed to harsh chemicals and household products, perfumes or other everyday chemicals. They may also tarnish if left unworn and exposed to oxygen without being cleaned naturally through baths or showers. If tarnishing occurs, this is not permanent and can be cleaned with the jewellery cloth provided with your completed keepsake. If there is excessive tarnishing, we recommend buying a Silver Polishing Liquid such as the one provided in the link below:

https://bellaluna.co.za/collections/connoisseurs/products/connoisseurs-silver-jewellery-cleaner

Exposing this item to moisture or wearing it while participating in activities such a gym workouts or swimming is not recommended. Please consider removing extra links to avoid hooking your keepsake onto clothing or other items during day-to-day wear.

Avoid placing keepsakes on the edge of high surfaces. Keep away from children and animals. Clean your keepsakes with a gentle cloth and Windolene to keep them clear and sparkly.

The only thing that can survive at the high temperatures when making glass, is memorial ash. Therefore, we use resin to help you preserve and memorialise items which cannot withstand the high temperatures used to make glass, such as breastmilk, hair, flowers, feathers etc. 

We need 110mls of fresh breastmilk to make a keepsake. We suggest storing the milk in a suitable sealable milk pouch.

Your milk must be delivered or sent to us frozen to ensure it remains fresh.

We need a decent lock of hair specifically cut and NOT from a hair brush.

• The lock of hair needs to be tied securely with a piece of string to ensure that it does not separate or tangle.
   
• The hair can be placed into a small plastic ziplock packet to ensure its safety.
   
• We can accommodate any length, however aesthetic thereof will differ; longer strands can be wrapped and spiralled within a keepsake, but short hair will be placed precisely within the composition of your precious piece.

Although we use a high quality durable resin, it should be kept out of direct sunlight and away from harsh chemicals.

We use any textile from your loved one, such as an old favourite shirt, a blanket they loved etc. and we make a precious memorial textile piece from your chosen textile item. 

It is difficult to give a fixed timeline for these keepsakes. It depends on a number of factors such as: 

• Material provided 
• Design
• Embossing/Embroidery design
• Among others 

We will need to provide a timeline for you once we have all these details. 

Avoid placing keepsakes on the edge of high surfaces. Keep away from children and animals. Clean your keepsakes with a gentle cloth and Windolene to keep them clear and sparkly.

Sterling SIlver

Sterling silver may tarnish if exposed to harsh chemicals and household products, perfumes or other everyday chemicals. They may also tarnish if left unworn and exposed to oxygen without being cleaned naturally through baths or showers. If tarnishing occurs, this is not permanent and can be cleaned with the jewellery cloth provided with your completed keepsake. If there is excessive tarnishing, we recommend buying a Silver Polishing Liquid such as the one provided in the link below:

https://www.takealot.com/connoisseurs-silver-jewellery-cleaner/PLID55543425?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw48-vBhBbEiwAzqrZVOC4FK0rtjCTOzkxTWz8BlFdYC96eI-4caneUKYShp818ZsBGuXDAxoCBssQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Faux Leather Jewellery

Exposing this item to moisture or wearing it while participating in activities such a gym workouts or swimming is not recommended. Please consider removing extra links to avoid hooking your keepsake onto clothing or other items during day-to-day wear.

Activity

Please remove your chains and jewellery when engaging in sporting, and manual work which could add risk of your jewellery catching on something and breaking.

Although we use a high quality durable resin, it should be kept out of direct sunlight and away from harsh chemicals.

Yes, we do. We are still in the process of developing an online gift voucher. In the meantime, please contact us directly at info@glashdesigns.co.za or 0832266519 and will gladly assist you with a voucher. 

As each item we make is so precious and unique containing your loved one's memorial ash, we cannot exhange your products. However, on the rare occassion that you are unhappy with your product or there is something wrong, please contact us within 7 days of recieving your order and we will absolutely do our best to ensure your satisfaction. 

Please contact us at info@glashdesigns.co.za and we will call you to arrange delivery or collection. 

Do not ask any other jewellery to attempt alterations or repairs on your jewellery, we are here to assist you with any concerns. Should another jeweller assist you, we cannot be held liable for any breakage, damage or loss of your keepsake.