FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Thank you for interest! Once you find the piece you’d like on the website and order it, you will get instructions in your e-mail on how and where to send your milk (and/or other materials) to me. Basically I just need 2 tsps of milk per stone, in a double zip loc bag and labeled per instructions. It’s very easy! You will send me the tracking number, and I update you from there. Let me know if you have any other questions! I’m happy to help. Feel free to take a look at my Instagram for ideas, to see what add-ons look like with milk, and to see what I’ve made for others: https://instagram.com/yourbreastmilk

You should receive an e-mail to the e-mail address you entered upon ordering with the complete instructions on how and where to send in your breast milk. If you do not receive anything, please make sure of two things:

  1. You completed your order, no payment is pending, and you receive confirmation of your order through your e-mail.
  2. The e-mail hello(at)yourbreastmilk(dot)com did not go to your Spam folder

Here are the instructions below. Address where to send is in the e-mail you receive after ordering.

You will need to send 1-2 tsps of your breast milk per jewelry pendant and/or 1tsp per large soap via USPS First Class Mail / Priority Mail (if within US) using a milk collection bottle or double zip loc bag. Please thaw milk first before sending. If you have very little milk, I can use what you have. If you’ve got drops, you can use a cotton swab to absorb it and put the swab inside a baggie. No need for dry ice packs. USPS allows sending liquids, but just make sure the breast milk does not spill.

Please label the outside of the bag with your order #.

USPS First Class Mail will suffice for shipping as it should only weigh less than 1oz. Do not choose to do signature confirmation to prevent delay. Please reply back to me with your tracking number. Other shipping carriers or options are fine (FedEx, UPS, DHL, USPS Priority, etc.) as long as the package is trackable. International orders are accepted. I will send your final order insured, but the breast milk you send to me does not need to be insured, unless you prefer.

Within the US: Please allow about 30-40 business days for your breast milk jewelry to be completed, shipped, and delivered to you once I receive your breast milk in the mail. During holidays, please allow up to 40-60 days, unless you purchase expedited or holiday shipping.

Unlike other breast milk jewelers, Precious Mammaries is the only store that extracts your very own breast milk’s unique imprint, displaying a “thumbprint”-like pattern that is completely unique to you, the mom and the quality of your milk at the time you expressed your milk. This means that no two breast milk stones are alike, and other moms who might order the same piece of jewelry will not have a stone that looks like yours!

This is great news for you because this assures that your very milk is used in the making of the jewelry and is truly authentically unique.

To make this happen, a clear magnifying shatter-proof glass covers the imprint like a dome, and this is what makes up the stone.

My process is proprietary, but rest assured that your breast milk will not discolor, rot, or mold throughout the years. As long you follow the care instructions, including not submerging your jewelry in water, it will hold up fine.

Because my process is efficient, all I need from you is 2 tsps of breast milk per jewelry pendant or 1tsp of milk per large soap. If you can only give or etract less, I can work with what you have. Even if it’s just a drop, you may use a cotton swab to collect it.

For the most part it will look like how it’s pictured, unless you specifically ask for a custom jewelry piece made. Also, your breast milk is unique to you. The preservation process from Precious Mammaries is different than any other store, so do not expect it to look like other breast milk jewelry in the market.

Your stone will not look like a bead. Instead, your preserved milk will be encased under clear, shatter-proof glass. You will be able to see your breast milk’s imprint, or “thumbprint,” completely unique to your DNA.

Do not wear around water or condensation. Do not swim, bathe, shower, be in a sauna, or exercise in your jewelry. This is very important not just for the metals but also because DNA is organic material and can mold with overexposure to water.

Keep your jewelry away from direct sunlight and heat. Store in a cool, dark place like a jewelry box. It’s best to keep in an air-tight Zip loc bag.

Do not apply topical products on it such as lotions, creams, powder, essential oils, household cleaning products, etc.

Take off when doing heavy chores, cleaning, gardening, or at the beach where small particles can get stuck in small crevices of your jewelry.

Keep children and animals away from your jewelry where they can pull and tug.

Your breast milk does not have to be fresh at all. It can be previously frozen. The color of your breast milk will affect the look of your breast milk jewelry, so send in breast milk that isn’t already completely rancid. Please send in thawed milk however and not frozen to avoid possible condensation inside your package.

You send your milk in to be made into jewelry. I currently do not sell or plan to sell breast milk jewelry DIY kits in the near future.

Yes, I accept custom orders. Just send me an e-mail!

Etsy does not allow the sale of certain items such as human bodily fluids. This means breast milk jewelry made from human breast milk is not allowed on Etsy.

If you take your jewelry apart and get to the bottom layer of the stone removed from its setting, a DNA test should confirm that it is your breast milk. However, I do no provide this test.

Every order with its DNA materials are separated and organized by customer and date. A mix up is very unlikely.

If your jewelry has been made: Rest assured if you need any breast milk jewelry fixes, Precious Mammaries comes with a lifetime guarantee. We want you to be happy with your keepsake for a lifetime, as long as Precious Mammaries is in business. You may return your jewelry to be complimentary repaired or exchanged if the damage is due to the creation process or to no fault of your own, otherwise a small fee is charged according to the severity of the damage. More details will be found in your package’s care instructions on how to properly care and store your jewelry. Contact me directly to discuss more.

If you have not sent in your package/DNA material(s),

you can get a full refund within 7 days of ordering on everything except for rings; 50% refund within 30 days of ordering; 25% refund within 60 days. Thereafter, it will be refunded as credit towards a future purchase from our shop. Rings are subject to 10% restocking fee at all times.

If you have sent in your package but have not received your jewelry, you can get a full refund (+ restocking fee of 15%) within 3 days of receiving your package. 50% refund within 14 days. Thereafter, it will be refunded as credit only towards a future purchase from our shop.

If you purchased a gift card without using it and would like a refund for the gift card,  we are no longer offering full refunds due to the non-refundable fee policy that our third party gift card processor has. All gift cards are subject to a 10% cancellation fee if within 14 days of purchase. If your purchase was over 14 days but less than 30 days, you are subject to a 15% cancellation fee. If your purchase was over 30 days, your are subject to a 20% cancellation fee.

I no longer return milk due to the complications of it possibly spilling and making the package where your jewelry will be have an odor. I only need 2 tsps, so you can make sure to give me what you can spare. I can take less. I can only return unused dried materials such as hair, placenta, and umbilical cord upon request. Just make sure to include that in your notes at checkout.

I normally hold on to DNA materials for about 2 weeks after an order is shipped for US customers and about 4 weeks for international customers in case packages get lost in the mail and a redo is necessary. This very rarely happens if ever. All my years making jewelry, this has never happened. After that e period of time, you can expect to receive back your materials.

Yes, every piece of jewelry automatically comes with a lifetime warranty. This warranty covers damages that are at no fault of yours. Each order comes with care instructions, so you will need to follow these to avoid damage.

For damages caused by you, you will just need to pay for the shipping both ways and a small fee as low as $10 for minor repairs.

Yes, you may! Just see the drop-down options for “Add-Ons” in each product page. If you have a specific material in mind that isn’t listed, just send me an e-mail beforehand to ask.

Physical/digital gift certificates are available to be purchased and sent directly to the recipient or to you. Gift wrapping options are available at checkout should you choose to pick the item yourself.

I can consider your request through e-mail. Please provide proof of your organization, event, website/social media, and steps in promoting Precious Mammaries in exchange for the donation.
No problem! All packages I send out will be in a discrete plain box with the sender being “PM.” She will have to open the package to find out. The charge on your card will also come up as under my name and personal e-mail (Paypal), not the shop’s name or e-mail. Many of my customers are husbands trying to surprise their wives!
The pendants (crown style) are 24k gold plated or 24k rose gold plated Sterling silver, which is also called vermeil and uses plating technology that is very durable and does not tarnish easily. The chains that go with these are 14k gold/rose gold filled, which do not tarnish under normal wear. Gold/rose gold filled contains a certain amount of real gold as required by law.

The 14k Simply Gold Filled Round pendant is gold filled.

There are also solid gold pieces that do not tarnish in 14k yellow gold, 14k white gold, and 14k rose gold. They are marked as “SOLID” gold.

I’m located in Essex, MD. However, I currently only sell online through https://yourbreastmilk.com I make all my breast milk jewelry in my home. I occasionally meet with my customers however in person when they prefer to drop off their milk/pick up their finished pieces in our mailbox. Just contact me directly to arrange this ahead of time.
There is no deadline to get milk to me if you don’t need your jewelry on a certain date. If you do, the deadlines will be posted on the website’s homepage or you can calculate based on the turnaround time from when I receive your package.
Unfortunately, I cannot make and sell just the stone, because the stone is permanently affixed to the bezel. Attempting to take the stone out will most likely result in it getting destroyed. Removing the stone from the setting also removes the warranty. Thanks for asking , and I hope you find a setting you really like from my shop!
Right now, I am not offering a way to engrave on the back of any pendants or rings. You may take your finished jewelry to be engraved somewhere locally however! The pendants can be paired with an add-on engraved charm, which you will have to purchase by choosing the option for separate engraved add-on charm on the product page itself.
Basically in appearance, gold filled looks shinier and brighter. It hardly tarnishes. Gold-filled is legally required in the US to contain 5% or 1/20 real gold by weight. It is a more affordable alternative to solid gold.

Gold stainless steel also does not ever tarnish. It’s durable and will last longer than gold filled. It’s duller and darker in appearance compared to gold filled. Real gold is applied as a thin layer over stainless steel. It is hypoallergenic.

If you’ve not used chemicals around your jewelry or worn around water frequently, this can happen. This does happen with a very small percentage of my customers using either gold/rose gold vermeil or gold/rose gold plated stainless, which is not an issue with the ring itself but with body chemistry, humidity, or chemicals. I do suggest taking it to a local jeweler to be replated. An easy hack will be to coat it with clear nail polish after cleaning/replating.

All Sterling silver will tarnish eventually but can be restored easily with a polishing cloth.

Here is a product that seems to be very popular with cleaning off the tarnish from gold pieces:
https://amzn.to/39caZBE

For cleaning silver pieces:
https://amzn.to/2J4c7fO

Here are some articles to help with vermeil:

www.leaf.tv/articles/what-to-do-with-tarnished-vermeil/
blog.analuisa.com/vermeil-jewelry-cleaning-guide/
gemandi.co/blogs/gemandi-lifestyle/why-your-rings-turn-your-fingers-gree…
tinyzenmemory.com/blogs/the-blog/your-guide-to-gold-vermeil

If you have a question not listed here, please send me an e-mail! 🙂