Bingo’s paw around your neck: how to eternalise your pet

It’s like your heart being ripped out. That’s what the death of a pet feels like to many animal lovers. My fellow editor Patrick Vogt recently put the unspeakable into words:

What’s left is emptiness. And the big question of what comes next. Should you bury the remains of your pet in the garden? Scatter the ashes in the sea? Or keep them in an urn?

Mirjam Glättli (33) and Rahel Kappes (32) from Atelier Miah in Winterthur have come up with their very own answer. The two ladies have created a way you can hold on to your deceased loved one: by keeping them close to your heart and allowing the wounds to heal.

How Miah was born and established

It’s a beautiful late summer’s afternoon when I arrive at the studio run by the former marketing manager and dental technician. It seems strange to be talking about such a sombre topic as death today. But Mirjam says: «Dying’s part of life. It’s an eternal cycle.»

Atelier Miah began in 2017. That’s when childhood friends Mirjam and Rahel started their own breast milk jewellery business. It really took off, there’s nothing comparable in Switzerland. Soon after, they were able to move their makeshift workshop from their balconies and living rooms to a fully-fledged studio including employees.

That’s where they had a seminal encounter. «A customer asked us if we were also able to make memorial jewellery from human ashes. And so, we gave it a go,» Mirjam says. After months of tinkering to find a method, the time had come. Another idea was put into practice. They had come full circle with their products – offering a range from birth to memorial jewellery.

From chicken feather to horse hair

Meanwhile, Mirjam and Rahel also create jewellery from the ashes, animal hair, fur or teeth of animals. They also make paw print engravings. «For the most part, we’re asked to work with materials from horses or dogs. But we’ve also worked with sheep’s wool and chicken feathers,» says Rahel on a tour of the studio. She stops at the desk of her back-office employee. This is where the relics from Switzerland and Germany arrive by post. They’re sent in a special set of containers, which is mailed to the customer after they’ve placed an order.

Some people prefer to hand over the ashes or hair in person. As was the case with the customer who dropped by Atelier Miah that morning. When he mentioned a pretty girl’s name, Mirjam first thought he was talking about his deceased daughter. She later learned that he had lost his 14-year-old dog. «With tears in his eyes, the man told me he wanted to leave his dog in good hands on her last journey. I was really touched by this.»

A memorial stone is made

His dog’s ashes have arrived at the studio. «We only need about a teaspoon of it,» Rahel reveals. Borrowing a process used in dental technology, the ash is hardened and given the shape of a gem. Rahel points to a silver device. It reminds me of when I got braces. «Is this something similar?» I ask. «Not quite,» Mirjam adds before saying with a wink: «The ins and outs of how we work remain a secret.»

They do, however, reveal another secret. Namely, how their ash jewellery is refined. On the workbench next door, Rahel’s demonstrating how she places individual fine gold leaf plates on the memorial stone. This gives it a kind of marble effect.

A digital paw print

Next, we look at how the engravings are done. The paw print is taken with a special ink pad that Mirjam and Rahel send by post. «What makes it special is that it can be used to make a paw print at home without the mess of ink or paint. Once the print’s been made, you take a picture of it with your phone and upload it when you place your online order for your engraving of choice,» Mirjam explains.

We walk towards a screen displaying a large print of a dog’s paw. Rahel shows us how the paw’s enlarged and positioned until it fits onto the engraving plate using an editing program. Next, it’s engraved on the pendant by a machine with a diamond tip.

Grief has a place

There’s one question I’ve been itching to ask. «Isn’t memorial jewellery a constant painful reminder of your loss?» I ask Rahel. She nods and says, «Memorial jewellery isn’t for everyone. But it helps lots of people cope with grief.» Mirjam nods. She explains why this is particularly important in this day and age. «In our fast-paced times, there’s often no space for mourning. Our jewellery can provide that space. Our customers always discretely carry their loved ones on them and can decide whether they want to talk about it.»

The time has come: the customer’s memorial stone has set. Rahel takes it to her goldsmith Anja Bänninger’s workplace. The young woman looks at the stone under a magnifying glass, mills off the edges and polishes it carefully. Finally, she carefully places the memorial stone in a custom-made setting. The ashes sparkle in the sunlight that’s pouring through the window. Mirjam and Rahel are beaming. Their work’s complete.

A memory to hold onto

It’s only been a few weeks since the customer’s 14-year-old dog passed away. When he picks up his memorial jewellery in a few days, he’ll be able to hold her again. He’ll be able to pet the pendant when he misses her. He’ll be able to take this faithful companion wherever he goes. And keep her close to his heart. Maybe, one day, that heart will be whole again.

How do you remember your deceased pet? Let me know in the comments!