Parents of yesterday kept their baby's first tooth and hair as keepsakes. They cherished them into small boxes or tapped the inside scrapbooks stored in the garage or closets. But now, a new unbelievable trend has emerged among young parents who're turning their babies' umbilical codes into jewelry.

These parents are commissioning jewelry makers to create rings, necklaces, and even cufflinks made from their kids' umbilical cords. While some may find this new trend interesting, others think it's a little weird and odd.

What Did You Learn about Umbilical Cord in School?

The umbilical cord provided the fetus with nutrient-rich blood while it's in the mother's womb. After the baby is born, it eventually dries and falls off.

Instead of tossing it away, some parents opt to donate the cord for research while others preserve it in a cord bank.

Now there's a third group, among your parents, that has jewels made of their babies' cords.

Here's How They're Doing it

If you're interested in an umbilical cord keepsake, all you need to do is to contact the designers such as jeweler Ruth Avra.

Does the Umbilical Cord Have to Be New?

No. Artisans are saying that the age of the umbilical stump doesn't matter. It can either be from an infant born a few weeks ago or decades earlier.

The Umbilical Stump is Traced into a Wax Mold

Designers are using a lost wax carving process to create the pieces. They also consider the shape of the stump to determine the design of the jewelry.

Jeweler Ruth has even begun making umbilical cord jewelry shaped like a flower and heart. She casts the pieces into sterling gold or silver.

She can make rings, cufflinks, and bracelets.

Describing the importance of umbilical cord jewelry, Ruth told the New York Post:

"It represents the connection between mother and child because it's literally the physical connection that is between you."

But if you aren't interested in preserving your baby's umbilical cord, there're other options such as turning a placenta into jewelry.