If you are reading this, you have probably lost your mother, or you are trying to find the right thing for someone who has. There is no object that fixes that. What a memorial necklace can do is smaller and more practical: it gives you something to put your hand on during a day that is hard for reasons nobody around you can see.
This guide sets out what the different styles mean, what can and cannot be personalized on each, how long a piece takes to make, and what to write. It also answers the question people ask most and get the least straight answer to — whether a photograph can go on the pendant.
Key takeaways
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What is the main style here? | An angel wing memorial necklace: a hand-polished coin engraved "Mom" with black enamel, paired with a polished angel wing tag, from $39.99. |
| Can I add her name to it? | Not on the angel wing pieces — the coin carries the fixed word. For her name in metal, choose an engraved or script name piece instead. |
| Is there a photo memorial necklace? | No. TreasuredTale does not print photographs onto pendants, and the memorial range is engraved metal only. |
| What is it made of? | Polished 316L surgical-grade stainless steel, or the same steel with 18K gold plating. The plating is a durable layer, not solid gold. |
| How long does it take? | Made to order in the USA: 2 to 6 business days to make, then 2 to 6 business days in US transit. About two weeks door to door. |
| Where does the wording go? | On the printed message card that comes in the box at no extra cost. Each design in the range pairs the same pendant with a different card. |
On this page
- The styles, and what each one means
- What can be engraved, and what cannot
- Photo memorial necklaces: a straight answer
- Birthstones, crosses and other requests
- Materials, chain and wear
- How long it takes to make and arrive
- What to write
- If you are buying it for someone else
- Frequently asked questions
The styles, and what each one means
The angel wing pendant
This is the form the Remembering Mom range is built on. A small hand-polished coin, 0.5 inches across, carries the word "Mom" in engraving filled with black enamel; beside it hangs a polished angel wing tag of 0.625 inches. It sits on an adjustable 18–22 inch cable chain with a lobster clasp, and it starts at $39.99.
The wing is the oldest piece of shorthand in memorial jewelry: a presence rather than an absence. Because the pendant is fixed, what separates one design from another is the card that comes with it. Your Guiding Hand suits someone whose mother was the person they asked for advice; Somewhere in Heaven suits someone who takes comfort in that idea and not in others; Half of My Heart is closer to the raw early months; In Loving Memory is the plain option when nothing more elaborate feels right; and Because Someone We Love carries the familiar line about someone we love being in heaven. A Love Is a Bond version has its own card, and there is a matching angel wing piece for the loss of a father. Choose by reading the cards, not the product names.
The engraved name or date pendant
The second form puts her own name, or a pair of years, into the metal — the only route to a piece carrying her actual name. Those styles sit in Engraved Jewelry and Name Necklaces rather than in the memorial range, because the same pendant serves either purpose.
The multi-sided bar
A four-sided stick pendant has four engraved faces: her name on one, her years on another, a word on the third, a place on the fourth. It reads as modern jewelry rather than mourning jewelry, which some people want and some do not.
The ring
An engraved band takes up to 25 characters, enough for a full date range — "06.12.1994 - 06.12.2024" is 23. People who do not wear necklaces often wear a ring.
What can be engraved, and what cannot
| Piece | Personalization | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Angel wing memorial necklace | None on the pendant. Choice of finish and gift box; the wording is on the card. | The coin reads "Mom" as made |
| Handwritten-script name pendant | Her name or a word, in cursive | 11 characters, spaces included |
| Engraved pendant in the Courgette font | A name or a numeric date | 10 characters, spaces included |
| Multi-name design | 1 to 4 names or charms | Each name within 11 characters |
| Engraved ring | A short line, a name plus years, a date range | 25 characters |
| Printed message card | Your own words | A full paragraph |
Two consequences follow. A full written date almost never fits a pendant: "May 14 1962" is 11 characters and fails a 10-character field, "05.14.1962" is exactly 10 and passes, "1962-2024" is nine. And a longer name has to be shortened — "Elizabeth" is nine and fits, "Elizabeth M" is 11 and fits, "Margaret Ann" is 12 and does not. The full detail belongs on the card. Our guide to what to engrave on a necklace works through this in detail.
One warning that matters more here than anywhere else: the engraving is manufactured exactly as typed, and made-to-order pieces are generally not returnable for a change of mind. A misspelling of your mother's name is not a mistake you want to live with. Damage or a genuine defect is resolved free within 30 days, but a typo is not a defect.
Photo memorial necklaces: a straight answer
Many people search for a memorial necklace holding a photo of their mother, or with her picture printed on the pendant. TreasuredTale does not make one. Nothing in the memorial range prints or sets a photograph, and there is no locket in the catalog that opens to hold one. The pieces are engraved and enameled metal. We would rather say so than let you find out after ordering.
The engraved alternative gives you durability instead. A printed image is the part that fades, scratches or lifts first on a piece worn daily against skin and clothing; engraving cut into stainless steel does not fade. Our guide to custom photo necklaces covers how photo keepsakes are made and where they hold up.
Birthstones, crosses and other requests
A birthstone for her month. A name necklace with a birthstone charm puts her name in script, up to 11 characters, beside a cubic zirconia stone in her birth month's color, on a 16–18 inch adjustable chain from $39.95. Some people choose the month she died instead. Both are defensible. More options are in Birthstone & Birthflower Jewelry.
A cross with a birthstone. A frequent search and an honest gap: TreasuredTale does not currently offer a cross pendant set with a birthstone. The cross pieces in the catalog are engraved rather than stone-set. The nearest thing is a birthstone name necklace worn alongside a cross she already owned. Our guide to the personalized cross necklace covers the engraved styles.
Materials, chain and wear
The base metal is polished 316L surgical-grade stainless steel. The gold option is 18K gold plating over that steel, and some styles use 14K white gold plating — a durable plating layer, not solid precious metal. Stones, where a style has them, are cubic zirconia.
For daily wear over years, stainless steel is the practical choice: it does not tarnish, it tolerates water and skin, and it holds an engraving legibly. Plated finishes are more vulnerable to abrasion, so constant handling may wear the gold before the steel.
The angel wing necklaces come on an adjustable 18–22 inch cable chain with a lobster clasp, sitting below the collarbone at the shorter setting and mid-chest at the longer one. Script name pendants are generally on a 16–18 inch chain, which sits higher.
How long it takes to make and arrive
Everything is made to order in the USA. Allow 2 to 6 business days for manufacturing, then 2 to 6 business days in US transit via UPS with tracking. About two weeks door to door, and longer in the weeks before a major holiday. Free US standard shipping applies over $75; below that it is $6.95. International orders ship but take longer, may attract duties, and are not covered by free shipping.
If you are buying for a specific date — a first Mother's Day without her, the first anniversary of her death, a birthday — count back three weeks and order then. A gift that lands the week after is harder than one that lands early.
Every order arrives in a soft-touch gift box with a printed message card and no price slip in the parcel. An LED mahogany-style deluxe box is a paid upgrade.
What to write
The card is where the words go, and most people freeze at it. Use her name. People become afraid of saying the name of someone who has died, and the bereaved almost always want to hear it. "For Margaret" says more than "In loving memory" does.
Be specific. A detail beats a sentiment. The way she answered the phone, the thing she always said in the car, what she cooked when someone was ill. One concrete line is worth a paragraph of general feeling.
Do not try to make it better. Avoid anything that reaches for a silver lining or explains the loss. "She is in a better place" lands badly with more people than it comforts, unless you know it is the family's language.
Short is fine. "I miss her too. Thinking of you today." is a complete message.
On metal the same restraint applies, and the character limits enforce it. Her first name. A pair of years. A single word she used. That is usually the whole of it.
If you are buying it for someone else
Anniversaries and birthdays are better timing than the first weeks, when the house is full of flowers and the person is not taking anything in. The first Mother's Day without her is the date everyone overlooks except the person living it.
If you are unsure of their taste, choose restraint; a plain angel wing on steel is easier to wear than something elaborate. Say in the note that there is no obligation to wear it — some people cannot, for a long time, and a gift carrying an expectation is a burden. Write your own words rather than leaving the printed verse to do the work.
If the person already wears jewelry they will not change, non-jewelry keepsakes and engraved plaques are in Keepsakes & Plaques.
Frequently asked questions
What is a memorial necklace for mom?
A wearable keepsake made to remember a mother who has died. In this range it is a hand-polished coin engraved "Mom" with black enamel, paired with a polished angel wing tag on an adjustable 18–22 inch chain, from $39.99. Other forms carry her name or her years engraved into the metal instead.
Can I get a memorial necklace with her photo on it?
Not from TreasuredTale. The memorial range is engraved and enameled metal, and no piece in it prints or holds a photograph. Engraving has the advantage of not fading, but if a photograph is what you need, this range will not provide it.
Can her name be engraved on a memorial necklace?
Not on the angel wing pendants, which carry the fixed word "Mom". For her name in metal, choose a script name pendant, which takes up to 11 characters including spaces, or an engraved pendant in the Courgette font, which takes up to 10.
What should be engraved on a memorial necklace for a mother?
Her first name, or the name the family used, is usually enough. A pair of years such as "1962-2024" is nine characters and fits. Full written dates rarely fit a pendant, and longer tributes belong on the printed message card included in the box.
How long does a memorial necklace take to arrive?
Each piece is made to order in the USA: 2 to 6 business days to make, then 2 to 6 business days in US transit via UPS with tracking. About two weeks door to door, and longer in the weeks before a major holiday. Free US standard shipping applies over $75; below that it is $6.95.
Is a memorial necklace an appropriate gift for someone who has just lost their mother?
Often yes, but timing matters. The first weeks are crowded and hard to take in; anniversaries, birthdays and the first Mother's Day without her are the moments people feel most unseen. Choose a restrained design, write your own words on the card, and say there is no obligation to wear it.
What is it made of, and will it tarnish?
Polished 316L surgical-grade stainless steel, or the same steel with 18K gold plating; some styles use 14K white gold plating. The plating is a durable layer rather than solid precious metal. Stainless steel does not tarnish and holds an engraving well, which makes it the more practical choice for daily wear.
