KOCHI: When Thiruvananthapuram native Neenu Elizabeth Abraham had a baby in 2019 after struggling with several complications, her family considered it a gift from God. Neenu wanted to preserve every moment of her motherhood - the umbilical cord to her baby’s first strand of hair. She artistically preserved them in her breastmilk and started wearing them as a pendant on her chain. Commonly known as breastmilk jewellery, DNA keepsake jewellery became a memoir for her.
According to Neenu, many new mothers are using such jewellery as a means to preserve their bond with their children. “We are giving our body and life to our kids. Breast milk is one of the first such tangible connections between a mother and child. So it is the best medium to preserve our memories with babies,” says Neenu, who came across the jewellery making process on social media.
They were rather expensive, so she decided to make her own and ended up launching her own accessory line named Mystik Love. She sources baby hair, nails, milk teeth and even umbilical cord to craft pendants, earrings, rings and bracelets.
Neenu takes orders through her Instagram page. The mothers share their breast milk samples with Neenu. She processes the milk to create a powder form before combining it with resin. She then adds the umbilical cord pieces, milk teeth or hair strands. “It is similar to making resin jewellery. The challenge is finding the right proportion of breast milk for the mould. A few may find it odd, but it is a great personalised gift for any new mother,” she says.
Neenu is also skilled in 3D casting couples and newborn babies hands and feet. According to Neenu, 3D casting is the best choice to treasure the memories of your loved ones. “First, the mould to create the replica of the desired body part like hands and feet is made using a spongy solid cast. The hands and feet are dipped in it for a few seconds and then a liquid solution is added to create the final cast which is set to dry for 20 to 30 minutes. Later I colour the cast with requested colours including silver or gold,” says Neenu, who has clients across the state.
Not just newborns, even grandparents come to her wanting to make such memoirs.