Marlin Fine Jewelry
Effective January 1, 2026

At Marlin Fine Jewelry, we understand the profound emotional significance of memorial jewelry. The materials you entrust to us are sacred and irreplaceable. Every piece is crafted with the utmost care and intention.

Below you'll find everything you need to know about how your materials are collected, prepared, handled, and transformed into something you will carry for a lifetime.

Your Material Collection Kit

After your order is placed, we'll send you a Material Collection Kit with everything you need to safely package and return your memorial materials to us.

Your kit includes:

• Labeled baggies for secure packaging
• A return shipping box with a prepaid label already affixed
• An information card to complete and enclose with your shipment

Please fill out the enclosed card and place it inside your package before sealing. Materials received without a completed card may be delayed.

When to Send

Materials must arrive within 30 days of your order date. If you need more time, please reach out at hello@itsmarlin.com before that window closes so we can make arrangements in writing.

If we haven't received your materials within two weeks of your order date, we'll follow up by email. If we're unable to reach you after three unanswered emails over a 14-day period, your order may be canceled and refunded.

Accepted Materials

In general, any dry, stable material that can be safely crushed or powdered for inlay is accepted. These may include:

• Cremated remains (human or pet)
• Hair or fur
• Dried flowers
• Soil or sand
• Fabric fragments
• Other dry, stable materials

If you have a unique material in mind, please reach out before shipping so we can confirm it's a good fit.

For health, safety, and legal reasons, we cannot accept liquid materials, bodily fluids, or biological tissue. All materials must be dry, stable, and safe to handle. Materials that arrive in an unacceptable condition will be returned at your expense or held pending further instruction.

How We Care for Your Materials

Upon arrival at our studio, all material collection kits are:

• Opened and carefully inspected
• Logged into our internal system
• Neatly organized 
• Stored securely in a locked safe

Your materials remain individually identified throughout every stage of the process.

If materials arrive in a condition that makes them unsuitable for inlay, including moisture, contamination, insufficient quantity, or packaging failure, we'll contact you promptly to discuss next steps. Replacement materials may be required and may result in production delays.

Marlin Fine Jewelry is not responsible for loss, damage, or delays once packages leave your possession. While we understand the irreplaceable nature of these materials, loss or damage during transit is a reality of this process and falls outside our control.

The Inlay Process & Natural Variations

Each memorial piece is crafted using our signature inlay technique. We spent years researching and developing this process to ensure the longevity of your piece. We do not use epoxy resin anywhere in our process.

Your memorial material is combined with crushed semiprecious stone and set into your jewelry with a specialized binder, then sanded and polished to a smooth finish. Because ashes and natural stones each vary in tone and composition, subtle differences in color, speckling, and texture are to be expected. These natural variations are what make each piece entirely one of a kind.

Hair & Fur: Because hair and fur don't naturally integrate into stone-based inlays in a visually cohesive way, we intentionally layer them beneath the semiprecious stone rather than blending them directly into it. This preserves the elevated aesthetic of your piece while keeping the material safely and permanently enclosed. Hair or fur may be trimmed to ensure proper placement and durability. If you'd instead prefer to see the hair or fur, please let us know and we will be happy to accomodate.

A Note on Permanence: Once your memorial materials are set within your jewelry, they become a permanent part of the piece. They cannot be removed, separated, or extracted after completion.

Unused Material

Any unused materials will be carefully sealed, labeled, and returned to you alongside your finished piece.

We intentionally ask for only a small amount so that you may keep the majority of your loved one's materials at home. In the rare event of loss during transit or craftsmanship, you will still have ample material in your possession.

Production Timeline

Production begins once your materials have been received, logged, and confirmed at our studio. Our standard production timeline is 6–8 weeks from that date.

Legal Authorization

By sending memorial materials to Marlin Fine Jewelry, you confirm that you hold full legal authority and permission from any rightful owner to transfer and use those materials for the creation of jewelry.

Marlin Fine Jewelry is not responsible for verifying ownership or resolving disputes related to the possession or use of memorial materials.

We operate in compliance with all applicable California laws regarding the handling of cremated remains. Your materials are used solely for the creation of your commissioned piece and are never spread, divided, or disposed of beyond what is necessary for craftsmanship.

Acknowledgment of Risk

Jewelry-making is a handcrafted process involving tools, heat, pressure, and fine materials. While we take every precaution to protect what you entrust to us, there are inherent risks involved in both shipping and craftsmanship.

By placing an order and submitting memorial materials, you acknowledge that Marlin Fine Jewelry cannot guarantee against rare instances of loss, damage, or material alteration during transit or production. You accept these risks as an understood and accepted condition of this work.

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