subject: Ancient Kauri Wood Cremation Jewelry [print this page] Cremation jewelry is made by highly skilled artisans using the finest natural and man-made materials available. From polyester resin to 14 karat gold, the choices are virtually endless. Nothing compares, however, to the rich, natural warmth and ageless beauty of urn pendants crafted from ancient kauri wood.
The Story of Ancient Kauri Wood:
The ancient kauri wood that is used to make cremation jewelry is no ordinary wood. Eons after wooly mammoths mastodons and saber tooth cats walked the earth, and long before the glaciers slid across North America to form the Great Lakes, magnificent kauri wood forests grew in New Zealand. The kauri forests grew, that is, until an unexplained natural phenomenon caused the ancient forests to be buried under a peat bog. No one knows just how this came to be, but the real mystery is how the wood was so perfectly preserved. Modern excavators who harvested the kauri trees used in making ancient kauri wood cremation jewelry were amazed to discover the wood was in excellent condition after 2,000 years buried in a swamp.
Ancient Kauri Wood Memorial Jewelry:
Today, ancient kauri wood is used to make boats, furniture, and other durable items, including cremation jewelry. Artisans like working with ancient kauri wood because it is easy to work with and results in a product of exquisite beauty. Each ancient kauri wood cremation necklace features an inner chamber that is designed to contain a tiny amount of cremated remains, soil from a grave site, or dried and crushed ceremonial flowers. The cremation keepsake contained in the memorial pendant could also be a lock of a loved one's hair.
Ancient Kauri Wood Cremation Jewelry's Incomparable Beauty:
Every ash pendant made from ancient kauri is a one-of-a-kind original creation, hand-turned and hand-polished. Kauri wood's natural grain has a captivating three-dimensional appearance, as well as an amazing quality known as chatoyance. It is this quality - chatoyance - that gives the ancient kauri wood cremation jewelry a lustrous, shimmering appearance that changes with the direction of lighting and the viewing angle.
Only Sustainable Practices Used in Making Ancient Kauri Cremation Jewelry:
Only fallen wood is used to make ancient kauri cremation jewelry, and great care is taken in harvesting to assure that no live or standing trees are disturbed in the process. The ancient kauri trees are large and heavy, but although heavy machinery is required to remove the ancient kauri from the wetlands, those responsible for harvesting the wood take great care to leave the environment in pristine condition.
