Remember you must die.

I discovered this genre of jewelry when a friend brought a glass faced locket with her great grandmothers hair in it to class. I was instantly fascinated. I don't know about you all but I have a serious attachment to my own hair (hence the reason it hasn't been cut in almost a year), so preserving a piece of hair seems like a very intimate thing to do. Shortly after photography was invented many people began to take photos of their recently deceased family members, as a way to morn their death. This type of "momento mori" or remembrance of death, was very common during the Victorian era and out of this grew the use of hair in jewelry as a memorial to the deceased. My grandfather passed away several years ago, and my mom mentioned the other day that she still had a lock of his hair. I think these are a beautiful way to remember a loved one.