Making breast milk jewelry

A piece of jewelry made from breast milk is unique and special. Combining breast milk with epoxy makes it possible to create a tangible memory that symbolizes the special bond between mother and child.

Why breastmilk jewelry?

Breastmilk jewelry offers nursing mothers a beautiful way to celebrate their breastfeeding journey with a tangible reminder. Not only does this jewelry serve as a reminder of the dedication and hard work that breastfeeding requires, it also symbolizes the emotional bond that breastfeeding strengthens.

A breast milk jewelry is a unique way to honor and remember this achievement while celebrating the bond between mother and child.

How to make jewelry from breast milk?

Making a piece of jewelry using your own breast milk is something unique. Make sure you don't do this with your 'last bit' of breast milk. If the project doesn't work, you could lose breast milk that you can't get back. Therefore, practice with whole cow's milk until the project is successful.

Supplies:

Breast milk: 10-20 ml breast milk (fresh or frozen)
Preservative powder (or freeze-dry the milk)
UltraEpoxy casting resin
Silicone mold or charm pendant (the frame for the jewelry)
Mixing cup , stirring spatula and gloves
Possibly decorations such as gold foil
UV Blocker to prevent yellowing of the breast milk jewelry.

With a little patience, you can create a beautiful breast milk jewelry with epoxy. The goal is to transform the liquid milk into powder form. You can achieve this by mixing the milk with special preservation powder or by freeze-drying the milk.

In this example, we zoom in on the use of preservation powder. You start by mixing the breast milk with preservation powder (you can order this powder online). Often you only need a small amount of this powder. Follow the steps in the manual or on the packaging of the products carefully.

Then briefly heat the mixture of breast milk and powder in a pan, so that it thickens a bit. This makes it easier to process the breast milk into the epoxy later. Be careful when heating the milk. If you heat the milk at a high temperature for a long time, you may get a yellowish/brownish color at some point.
After it has dried completely (100% moisture free) it can be ground into powder. After this you can mix the powder with a high quality resin like the UltraEpoxy to make jewelry. With a set of 160 ml UltraEpoxy you have more than enough epoxy in house to make 15+ jewelry.

Add decorations to breast milk jewelry

You can further personalize a breast milk jewelry by adding unique decorations. You can choose glitter, gold foil or for example a lock of hair. At itsOkay you can order high quality decorations. Suitable for special projects like this one.

When adding decorations, pour the breast milk epoxy first and then add the decorations. It is important to place the decorations on top of the breast milk so that they remain visible. If you were to add the decorations first and then add the breast milk, the milk could cover the decorations and make them less visible.

There are two ways to add gold foil or other decorations such as glitter, dried flowers or text to the epoxy resin:

Mixing the epoxy: Mix the decorations directly into the epoxy before pouring it on top of the first layer of breast milk in the hanger .
Manual Addition: Pour a thin layer of epoxy into the jewelry and then add the decorations. Place the decorations in the desired place using tweezers.

Which epoxy for breast milk jewelry?

Because this is a unique and special creation, we naturally go for quality. Our experts recommend Ultra epoxy for making breast milk jewelry. This is a high-quality synthetic resin. Ultra epoxy is very UV-resistant, has the least air bubbles and is crystal clear. In addition, Ultra epoxy is very easy to use.

How much breast milk is needed for a piece of jewelry?

The amount of breast milk you need to make a breast milk jewelry depends on the size of the jewelry. In general, you need a small amount of breast milk: usually between 5 and 10 milliliters.

Prevent discoloration of your breast milk jewelry

Of course, you want your breast milk jewelry to retain its color in the long term. However, there are several factors that can lead to discoloration of a breast milk jewelry. Our epoxy experts will be happy to tell you more about this and how you can prevent this.

Can breast milk discolor jewelry?

Yes. This is due to the composition of breast milk and has to do with the proteins and fats that are in breast milk. The sun can make the jewelry a little creamier or yellower. There is nothing you can do about this: it has purely to do with your own unique breast milk. However, you can add an additive that ensures that the color is retained.

Use a UV Blocker

The UV blocker ensures that the breast milk jewelry does not discolour in the long term due to exposure to (UV) light. The clarity and colour of your jewelry is also retained.
You only need 1 gram of UV blocker for 100 grams of epoxy. So it will last you a very long time. You can measure exactly the right amount with the included free syringe and add it to the epoxy and breast milk mixture.

Breast milk jewelry maintenance

Of course you are super careful with your new precious jewelry, so that you can enjoy it for as long as possible. To keep your breast milk jewelry in optimal condition, it is important not to wear it while swimming, showering or washing dishes. Although the breast milk jewelry is waterproof, the resin can react to substances in the water, such as chlorine and other harsh chemicals. This can lead to discoloration of the resin.

Important tips:

Do not swim or shower with your jewelry on
Before going to sleep, remove your jewelry
Do not wear jewelry during exercise
Do not wear the jewelry in direct sunlight (heat wave)
Creams, perfume and make-up can affect the jewelry

More information?

Do you have questions about making art, jewelry or other objects? At itsOkay, several experts work with their own expertise. We are happy to help you.
Please contact itsOkay customer service or take a look at the Epoxy knowledge center .