Lost-tooth pendants

Customised genetic jewellery finds fans in India, with trinket makers helping clients preserve precious DNA and memories to carry around

It was five years ago that Preethy Vijay learned via a Facebook group enquiry about what sounded odd but unique: breast milk jewellery. Her experience in crafts came handy when the Chennai resident launched @mommasmilkylove on Instagram. The idea behind her venture is to create a keepsake using elements that hold an individual’s genetic markers. She also uses the umbilical cord, hair strands, nails and milk teeth for her creations. In Delhi, Preety Maggo runs @the_magic_of_memories, a jewellery line of bespoke DNA trinkets. The idea is to celebrate a moment or a bond by embedding human DNA into a locket or ring. According to the makers of this type of jewellery, DNA can be preserved for thousands of years if stored correctly.

While a few artistes were creating this personalised brand of jewellery in India, Maggo says that the quality of raw materials aren’t up to the mark.  “I import mine from the US. I use FDA [Food and Drug Administration] approved raw materials,” she adds about the ingredients that go into making the trinkets, the most important of which is the quality of resin. 

Pendants that use hair and the umbilical cord

The makers say that their biggest challenge is to ensure that the DNA components are stored well. While one of the processes used is to take a mouth swab, dehydrate it into powder form, and seal it into a cavity in the jewellery, both Maggo and Vijay termed the preservation process confidential and refused to divulge details for this article. What Vijay does say is that the education of a close friend in chemistry came handy because the YouTube tutorials didn’t yield satisfactory results. Maggo, on the other hand, knew the basics thanks to her background in medicine.

The jewellery could cost anything upwards of Rs 3,500, and is usually set in silver, gold and artificial metal, based on the client preferences and design.

Preety Maggo

Both say their clients are largely women and new mothers. Maggo adds that she also gets requests from pet parents who bring her a tuft of hair to turn into a customised piece of jewellery. “When I started, it was only women who seemed interested. Now, I also have fathers calling me to enquire about breast milk jewellery. They aren’t awkward,” adds Vijay.

In fact, normalising and propagating breastfeeding was one of the driving reasons for Maggo to launch this jewellery. She recollects the time that she was a new mother and preferred to breast feed while so many of the young women she knew had resorted to feeding their babies formula milk. “I thought that if I can turn it into an accessory, it might encourage new mothers to realise the importance of mother’s milk,” she tells mid-day.

M Brinda, Preethy Vijay and K.Aruna Madhavi

Earlier this year, K Aruna Madhavi, 34, decided that she would create a keepsake from her elder son’s umbilical cord and a breast milk pendant for her younger son. “I love to keep memories alive,” she says about the motivation. Since both her sons, now aged, nine and two, were rainbow babies, she decided to use the VIBGYOR theme for the two pendants she got customised. The first letter of their names is created using hair, while the rainbow tree uses the umbilical cord. “Our ancestors used to also preserve the umbilical cord, I have heard, and now we have technology that can turn it into a stylish keepsake. It has an emotional value,” Madhavi says, adding that it also helps the person recover the DNA if needed and re-constituted for future analysis.

Bengaluru-based M Brinda got her son’s first tooth preserved inside the cavity of a pendant, with the motif of a tree and his name. 

“I thought it would be wonderful for him to have this when he grows up. This type of jewellery is fascinating and new to me,” she says.

The makers say that sometimes they receive bizarre requests including preserving fresh blood, saliva, human faeces and even a sixth finger that may have been surgically removed. “I also turn down requests to include human ash in jewellery since it’s best that ashes are returned to the earth,” says Maggo.

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