Ashes in Glass Jewellery: Why Does the Colour Look Different in Different Lighting?
If you're choosing ashes in glass jewellery, you may notice something when looking through photographs of different glass colours: the same colour can appear surprisingly different from one photograph to another.
The ring pictured here demonstrates this perfectly.
Every photograph shows exactly the same ashes in glass ring.
In one light, the glass appears soft lilac. In another, it's a cooler lavender. Move into brighter light and pink and violet tones begin to appear, while in lower light the same stone becomes a deeper, smokier purple.
The colour of the glass hasn't changed.
It's simply one of the characteristics that makes glass ashes jewellery so beautiful.
Why does ashes in glass jewellery change colour in different lighting?
Glass interacts with light very differently from an opaque material.
Light can travel through the glass, reflect from its surface and move through the different facets of the stone. Change the strength, direction or type of light and you'll change the way your eye perceives its colour.
Our ashes in glass jewellery is made using hand-faceted glass stones. Once the ashes have been incorporated into the glass, each stone is individually cut and faceted to give it the appearance and sparkle of a traditional gemstone.
Those facets don't just create sparkle. They allow the stone to interact with the light around you.
As you move your hand, your ashes glass ring can reveal different tones, reflections and details.
How do ashes look inside glass jewellery?
The ashes are incorporated directly into the glass rather than simply sitting underneath the stone.
Their appearance will vary naturally from piece to piece. You may see small pale areas, delicate flecks or more concentrated details within the finished stone depending on the ashes themselves and how they settle within the glass.
This means every piece of cremation ashes jewellery we create is completely individual.
When coloured glass is chosen, the ashes become part of the overall appearance of the stone while remaining visible within it.
If you prefer a completely natural look, crystal-clear glass allows the ashes themselves to become the main feature. Alternatively, adding colour can create a finished stone that looks much more like a traditional coloured gemstone.
Why does my ashes ring look different indoors and outside?
Different types of light have different colour temperatures.
Natural daylight can bring out cooler, clearer tones, while warmer indoor lighting may make the same glass appear richer or deeper.
Direct sunlight can make an ashes in glass stone considerably brighter and reveal details within the glass that are much less noticeable in softer lighting.
In shade, the same stone may appear deeper or more muted.
Your surroundings can influence its appearance too. Glass is highly reflective, so colours from your clothing, walls and other objects around you can sometimes be picked up in the stone.
That's why an ashes ring photographed outside may look quite different from the very same ring photographed indoors.
Which glass colour should I choose for ashes jewellery?
When choosing the colour for your ashes jewellery, it's better to think about the overall colour family you love rather than trying to match one exact shade from a photograph.
A purple glass may move between lavender, violet, pink-purple and deeper plum tones.
A blue glass may appear pale and bright in direct sunlight but considerably richer indoors.
Greens, pinks and other coloured glasses behave in much the same way.
Photographs are therefore a useful guide to our glass colours, but no single photograph can show you every way your finished jewellery will look.
Phone, tablet and computer screens can also reproduce colours differently.
We recommend looking at several examples of a colour before deciding which you'd like for your own piece of memorial jewellery made with ashes.
Does the glass colour fade or change over time?
The difference you see between these photographs isn't the glass changing colour permanently.
You're simply seeing the same glass under different lighting conditions.
Our memorial glass is created to be a durable alternative to resin for those who want their ashes incorporated into a gemstone-style stone. Glass will not yellow over time, so the appearance isn't affected by the yellowing that can occur with some resin materials.
The stone you see looking lilac in daylight and deeper purple that evening is still exactly the same stone.
Every ashes in glass stone is unique
There is no way to create two completely identical pieces of ashes jewellery.
The ashes themselves are unique. Their placement within the glass is unique. The way each stone is individually formed and faceted creates further tiny differences.
Even once it's finished, you'll continue to notice different details depending on the light you're standing in.
For us, that's part of what makes ashes in glass jewellery particularly special.
It isn't intended to look like a flat block of colour.
It's a piece of jewellery designed to be worn every day: catching the light, sparkling as you move and revealing different tones in different surroundings, while keeping something incredibly sentimental within the glass.
At Cumbria Life Casting, we create ashes in glass rings, necklaces and other memorial jewellery, with a choice of crystal-clear or coloured glass and precious-metal settings.
The result is beautiful jewellery you're proud to wear, with the meaning held within it known only to you unless you choose to share it.