Each piece is just as unique as the mom for whom its made. Therefore, each created stone can have many variations of color, air bubbles, mold lines or marks. These are not to be viewed as mistakes rather inclusions that are all part of breastmilk jewelry. No two pieces will ever be identical and no piece will ever be perfect. Just as the inclusions in a diamond are what make it unique, it is what also makes it 100% yours!!!

Breastmilk jewelry is the use of breastmilk to create a commemorative piece of jewelry that can be worn long after the breastfeeding journey is over. It is a celebration of your unique and beautiful journey through breastfeeding, whether it was a day, a week, or a year and beyond. This piece helps you to cherish all the memories both heartwarming as well as those long lonely nights.

One ounce of milk is needed to create up to three pieces of jewelry. This milk can be fresh, frozen, old, spoiled or any combination. Please NEVER send the last of any of your milk as there have been cases in which the post office may lose your mail and I am human, mistakes can happen.

You will pay to have your milk mailed to me. By following my instructions this should cost around $4-5 within the US. If you are in the St. Louis, MO area, you may drop off your milk. See Mailing Instructions for how to safely mail your milk to me.

All of my pieces are either .925 sterling silver, rose gold dipped, gold dipped or gold filled. Gold filled has a thicker layer of gold used over a solid piece of sterling silver. It is a thicker coating of gold than dipped.

.925 sterling silver can tarnish.  Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper (the addition of the copper is what can cause the metal to tarnish.)  The reason that the copper is added is to provide a stronger, longer lasting piece of jewelry. Pure silver is very soft and not an ideal candidate for a long lasting piece of jewelry.  

The lifespan of plating depends on many factors such as body chemistry, amount of wear, and if you follow the care instructions. The pieces that are plated will wear down to expose the sterling silver underneath. You are paying for the sterling silver core and not the plating. In most cases, wear will happen where there is the most amount of body contact. This is an inherent risk taken when ordering any plated item.

First, let’s talk about ways to prevent it from tarnishing.  WEAR YOUR JEWELRY! With regular wear your piece will not accumulate tarnish as quickly.  When you are not wearing your jewelry you should store it in an airtight container and out of sunlight.  You should also avoid exposure to harsh chemicals and perfumes.

The easiest and safest way to remove any tarnish is to use a polishing cloth.  These are very soft pieces of cloth that with a little elbow grease can remove tarnish from your piece and keep it looking beautiful for years!

When your milk arrives I inspect it to ensure that it is safe and intact.  To begin the process, your milk will be preserved using heat and a special ingredient to ensure that it does not yellow over time.  Then it is then dried for over 24 hours and ground into a fine powder.  That powder is set into a mold with jeweler’s grade resin and cures for over 24 hours.  Once fully hardened your stone is strong and water resistant! It is then set into your selected piece of jewelry and in most cases another protective layer of resin is placed on top. 

This is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that your jewelry will be enjoyed for years and years to come!

Remove before showering or bathing: I encourage you to remove your jewelry before washing your hands, showering, bathing, or swimming. Your breastmilk stone is strong and water resistant but not waterproof. Prolonged exposure to water can affect the strength of the prongs in your ring.

Avoid exposure to UV and heat: do not store your jewelry in direct sunlight or wear it for a prolonged time in the sun. Heat can cause your resin to become weak.

Avoid chemicals: Always remove your jewelry when working with any type of harsh soaps, hand sanitizer, perfume, creams, or cleaning products. Exposure to chemicals may dull your piece of jewelry or rough the surface of your piece.

Remove before bed: I didn’t realize that you are technically not supposed to sleep in ANY jewelry until starting this business (whoops). I recommend removing all pieces prior to bed to ensure they are in great shape for a long time. Oils in our body can cause the jewelry to dull over time not to mention the amount of pressure that is placed on jewelry while laying down!

Check your stone: From time to time it is always good to do a little wiggle test on your center stone to ensure that it is secure in the setting!

Turn around times vary based on demand and the time of year. This is a one woman show and still have a toddler at home.   My usual turn around time ranges from 6 – 7 months from when your milk is checked in.  I do have longer lead times around Mothers Day and Christmas Day. Again, these are simply estimates and will vary. 

I assure you that I take the utmost care and pride in every step of my process. When you checkout you will be assigned an invoice number, this will follow you throughout every step of your design process.

The best way to find out an accurate size is to go to a local mall jeweler and have them size you for free. I can only get WHOLE sizes so be sure to find the correct WHOLE size before ordering.

Yes!  See my add ons for a full list of your options.

I am happy to use more than one milk whether it be from different babies or from different times in your breastfeeding journey.  There is an additional charge of $25 in order to process that additional breastmilk that can be added at checkout.

I keep any extra preserved powder on hand!  This way if something should happen to your stone or you want another piece I have it already processed.

Your breastmilk is preserved to ensure your piece lasts a lifetime. Your precious keepsakes should not discolor due to preservation of the inclusion. If a piece of breastmilk jewelry is going to discolor due to a milk preservation error, it will happen within the first 3 months.  For this reason, I offer a 3 month guarantee on the breastmilk stone. It is very important to follow all of our jewelry care instructions such as not bathing or showering with your jewelry on, exposing it to direct sunlight or prolonged heat, chemicals, or submerging it in water. Your breastmilk jewelry is coated in a high quality jeweler’s resin which is a hard plastic.  Mistreatment and improper care of your precious jewelry can lead to discoloration or warping of the piece. If your jewelry becomes discolored before 3 months from the time your order was finished, I will be happy to examine the jewelry.  If in my professional opinion, the milk jewelry has discolored as a result of a milk preservation error and not due to improper jewelry care, I will remake the piece for you at the cost of shipping. 

Any requests to change an order must be done within a 24 hr time frame after the order was placed. Once the 24 hr time frame has passed we do not allow changes. Settings are custom ordered.  I DO NOT keep settings in stock.

I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY RETURNS OR EXCHANGES OF ANY KIND.  EACH PIECE IS UNIQUE AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE RETURNED. PLEASE BE 100% SURE ON RING SIZE BEFORE ORDERING AS A REFUND OR EXCHANGE WILL NOT BE ISSUED IF YOU ORDERED THE INCORRECT SIZE.  Note that variations such as small air bubbles within the piece, mold lines, evidence of hand forming and hand sanding, bead caps not sitting 100% flush, and other small imperfections are all within the normal range of handmade jewelry. By purchasing from LOVE BY THE OUNCE, you understand that your piece will not be 100% “flawless”.  Exchanges or remakes are not covered by LOVE BY THE OUNCE, LLC. if it has been longer than three days since you received your jewelry and failed to promptly notify us of your concerns or if the designer has determined that your jewelry concerns fall within the normal range of handmade variations.  You must send your jewelry back to us and have it in our hands within TWO WEEKS from the date issue was addressed with us (14 days) of reporting the faulty jewelry to us.  If you have shipped your breastmilk and we have begun the process of preserving your milk or creating your jewelry, there is no refund available. If you have not sent your items in yet, you have FIVE (5) Days from your purchase date to cancel your order with a 20% convenience fee deducted from the total cost of your order.  After 5 days past your order date, orders are non-refundable whether you send in your items or not. This is because so many of our designs require us ordering supplies for your design such as sized ring settings.  When you place an order, you are essentially reserving a spot for a custom creation.  To take that spot and then not utilize it is to take the opportunity of that reservation spot away from someone else. Please be mindful of this and only place orders you intend to fill.

If your breastmilk stone falls out of a ring setting and you are able to locate the stone, we will repair it for free for 60 days from the time you received your original order (you are responsible for shipping charges). After the 60 day mark a $10 (plus shipping) resetting fee will be in place even if you still have the original stone. If the stone is lost we can make and set a new stone (you may need to ship more milk).Please contact us through email, kelly@lovebytheounce.com or through our Facebook page to set up the repair BEFORE shipping the jewelry. You are responsible for shipping the jewelry and any costs associated with shipping.

Yes, I do offer gift certificates. If you would like to order one click here.

No, there is no limit.  I suggest sending it in within 30 days of ordering so that I can start on your beautiful keepsake.  Also since I do not hold any inventory settings do sometimes get discontinued.  If this happens, you will be issued a store credit for the exact amount paid and you can reselect a new setting that is equal to or greater to the original price.

You can either message the facebook page or send me an email at kelly@lovebytheounce.com

Please be aware that by purchasing a keepsake from LOVE BY THE OUNCE, LLC. and sending in your breastmilk that you free LOVE BY THE OUNCE, LLC., the owner/designer, KELLY BROWN, and all estate and associates of KELLY BROWN from any liability of your breastmilk.  It is requested above that you DO NOT send the very last of any of your breastmilk and that you reserve some at home.  For breastmilk that you send, we are released from ALL liability or legal pursuit for any accidents or loss to your breastmilk including a fire, flood, studio robbery, Act of God, or other accidents.  Your order and sending of breastmilk implies your agreement and understanding of this policy. 

LOVE BY THE OUNCE, LLC. is not, under any circumstances, responsible for loss and/or damage in shipping.  We do not take responsibility for other businesses and their handling such as the United States Postal Service and other mail carriers. 

You can find the full Terms and Conditions here.