FAQS

A memorial locket is a special keepsake that holds a photo or small amount of ashes, helping you keep a loved one close to your heart — always.

It’s a quiet way to carry their memory with you, wherever you go.

Not at all! While Dela was originally created to offer meaningful memorial lockets, they’re just as perfect for holding a special memory.

Whether it’s a wedding photo, pictures of your children, or a sweet snap of your pet, your locket can be whatever you want it to be.

It’s all about capturing moments that matter most to you.

Yes, it’s a beautiful and meaningful gift — not only for someone else, but also for yourself. A memorial locket can bring comfort and a sense of closeness, helping to keep the memory of a loved one close during tough times. It’s a heartfelt way to honour and remember someone special.

Our lockets are carefully assembled in New Zealand. We print your photo, seal it in resin, and finish each piece by hand — including filling it with ashes if requested. Ashes are kept safely with us and placed into the locket here in our Auckland studio. While some parts are sourced internationally, all the care happens right here.

Our lockets are crafted from high-quality sterling silver. If you choose a gold option, it’s the same solid silver base, beautifully finished with a layer of 18K gold plating.

While our lockets are water-resistant, they are not designed to be worn during activities such as showering, swimming, or intense exercise. The locket is crafted from high-quality sterling silver, and to maintain the longevity and fresh appearance of the 18K gold plating, we recommend keeping the locket dry. Prolonged exposure to water may affect the finish and durability of the plating. For best care, we advise removing your locket before engaging in activities that may expose it to excessive moisture.

Resin is a durable, clear substance that is carefully applied to secure your photos inside the locket. This resin creates a strong, protective seal, ensuring that the photos stay in place without shifting or getting damaged over time. It also adds a layer of water resistance, making the locket more resilient to everyday wear.

The process of sealing the photos with resin takes time and precision to ensure a flawless finish. Each locket is carefully crafted, and the resin requires time to set properly, which can take up to 48 hours. Since we can only work on one side of the locket at a time, this also adds a little extra time to the crafting process. This meticulous attention to detail not only makes your locket a beautiful keepsake but also ensures that your memories are preserved for years to come. Without the resin, the photos would be at risk of fading, shifting, or getting damaged, which is why this sealing process is what sets our lockets apart from other jewellers.

Yes, our lockets can be engraved. However, we personally feel that they look most beautiful in their original, untouched form. After testing out engraving on our lockets, we found that they truly shine without any alterations. If engraving is important to you, we encourage you to arrange it on your own, as the material is suitable for engraving. Ultimately, we want you to love your locket just the way you envision it!

Yes, absolutely! We can create lockets filled with a small amount of hair. Just let us know your preference when ordering.

In New Zealand, it is prohibited to send human remains via courier without the assistance of a funeral director. Please reach out to your funeral director who can assist you. If you live in Auckland, our team can pick up ashes from your chosen funeral director or pet crematorium for you. Once the ashes are sealed inside the locket, we can safely and legally courier the locket to you.

To get the best result, we recommend choosing a photo where your loved one (or furry friend) is in a reasonably close view. Avoid photos that need to be zoomed in, as they can end up looking pixelated. A high-quality photo works best! Just remember, the final result is only as clear as the photo you send us, since we don’t do any editing or retouching. We’re here to help make it perfect, but it all starts with a great photo!

We print all photos in colour by default, as we believe it brings your memories to life in the most vibrant way. However, if you would prefer your photos to be in black and white, simply let us know when placing your order, and we’ll be happy to accommodate your request. Your memories, your way!

Once the photos are sealed with resin, they become a permanent part of your locket, ensuring your memories are preserved for years to come. For this reason, we ask that you choose your photos carefully when placing your order. However, if you create new memories that you'd like to seal inside a locket, we’d be more than happy to craft another one for you!

Sterling Silver

Our lockets are made from genuine sterling silver, which is perfect for everyday wear. You’ll usually find a little ‘925’ stamp on the piece — that’s how you know it’s made from 92.5% pure silver, blended with a small amount of copper to give it strength. Pure silver on its own is just too soft for most jewellery, so sterling silver strikes the perfect balance between beauty and durability.

That said, silver is still a delicate metal and likes to be treated gently. It can bend under pressure or get scratched if it rubs against harder surfaces or other jewellery. Tarnishing is also natural over time, especially because of the copper content — but it can be polished back to its shine with a soft cloth.

18k Golf plated

the gold lockets are made using a process called plating—this simply means a fine layer of gold or silver is carefully bonded to a metal base, such as brass or sterling silver (in our case sterling silver). We only use high-quality plating, typically between 1 to 2 microns thick, to give your jewelry its beautiful finish.

You’ll find a layer of 18k gold over the base metal, that enhances shine. Even our solid sterling silver items may include an extra layer of silver plating to create a brighter, more polished look.

A little note on colour—gold plating can vary slightly in tone. For example, 18k gold has a rich, deep tone due to its higher pure gold content.

Looking After Your Jewelry

Plated jewellery is delicate by nature. Over time, the finish may gently fade—this depends on how it’s worn and your skin’s natural oils. Perfumes, lotions, fake tans, and cleaning products can also affect the lifespan of your plating, so we recommend avoiding direct contact where possible.

To help your jewelry stay in great shape, take it off before swimming, showering, or working out. A soft polishing cloth can be used now and then to bring back its sparkle—but go easy, as too much polishing can speed up wear.

To help your locket last beautifully.

We want your pieces to stay beautiful for years to come, so here are a few tips. It’s best to take them off before heading to bed, going for a swim, or doing any sports—this helps prevent accidental damage. Sterling silver is a lovely, delicate metal that can bend or scratch if not treated gently. If you love stacking or layering your jewelry, just keep in mind that a little rubbing between pieces is totally normal.

Scratches or small bends are part of the natural life of sterling silver and aren’t considered faults — just little signs that it’s been loved and worn.