To record memories of breastfeeding days, many American women seek services that turn breast milk into stones to make jewelry.
Alma Partida’s breastfeeding journey ends in June 2021. She breastfed her daughter, Alessa, for nearly 18 months, longer than most mothers in America.
When giving birth to Alessa in February 2020, Partida had to have an emergency cesarean section. Waking up after surgery, the 29-year-old woman struggled to breastfeed her baby. By the time she was discharged from the hospital, Partida still had many difficulties raising her child.
“It’s been a long journey,” said Partida, who now works as a speech pathology researcher in Watsonville, California.
Wanting to do something to mark the challenges she had overcome, Partida scrolled through social networks and accidentally discovered a strange souvenir: A white stone necklace whose main ingredient is breast milk. Partida decided she had to have one.
Alma Partida wears her heart-shaped bracelet made from milk. Photo: New York Times
This is not the first time a human part has been used as jewelry. In the 19th century, earrings and brooches made of human hair were very popular. In recent years, Western countries have emerged offering diamond making services from ashes.
To make a necklace for herself, Partida sent 10 ml of breast milk to a company called Keepsakes by Grace. About a month later, she received a white heart-shaped necklace in the mail.
Brooklyn-based weaning consultant Freda Rosenfeld says she understands the urge to document the breastfeeding experience. “For many people, breastfeeding is a particularly important time, so when their children are weaned, they feel sad,” Rosenfeld commented.
Sarah Castillo, owner of Keepsakes by Grace, said her customers often order commemorative jewelry because they have experienced many difficulties in their breastfeeding journey.
“They also may not be ready to wean their baby,” reveals 25-year-old Castillo, who lives in Tucson, Arizona.
Castillo opened a company making jewelry from breast milk in March 2021 after seeing similar products on Instagram. After months of self-experimentation with her own milk, she found a formula to turn breast milk into powder and then mix it with resin to form ice. The price of each product made by Castillo ranges from 60 to 150 USD (about 1.3 to 3.4 million VND).
“Jewelry inherently holds a lot of emotion. When made from breast milk, they are truly a souvenir,” Castillo said.
Ann Marie Sharoupim has a doctorate in pharmacy and currently lives in Rutherford, New Jersey. She founded Mamma’s Liquid Love company, which specializes in selling earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings made from breast milk, priced from 90 to 1,500 USD. In 2021, every day, Sharoupim sells nearly 4,000 products.
“Nowadays, people want meaningful jewelry,” said 34-year-old Sharoupim.
In addition to necklaces, breast milk can also be made into rings, earrings, and bracelets. Photo: New York Times
Sharoupim recommends that customers take care of jewelry made from breast milk such as pearls, which means keeping them in a dry place and avoiding contact with chemicals. When receiving orders, Sharoupim also sends instructions for shipping breast milk to customers so that the raw materials maintain the best quality.
For some parents, jewelry made from breast milk is a way to cope with loss.
Rebecca Zuick, a female software development student in San Antonio, bought a ring made from her milk in February 2017 to end her breastfeeding period and commemorate her child who died in July 2015 before she could. born.
“For me, jewelry made from breast milk helps preserve the memory of the child I did not have the opportunity to raise. Because breast milk is what the child will enjoy if he is still alive,” 31-year-old Zuick confided.
