For the parents among us, there’s perhaps no more paralyzing a fear than the thought of losing a child, and yet this sort of agony is experienced silently and often in our bustling community. The need to grieve was what inspired Plymouth residents Deb Oppel and Renee Wixon to act. Each had recently experienced a loss, and upon sharing stories came up with this brilliantly regal “symbol of grief.”
“Renee came up with the idea that the symbol should be a teardrop, as tears are universal and well-understood,” Oppel says. “An artist friend drew multiple teardrop shapes and added a diamond.” With the graphic design in hand, Scott Verson, owner of Metal & Stone Design, developed the prototype and produces the silver pendants. A manufacturer in Philadelphia does the gold-plating and another company in Indiana is producing the pewter pieces.
The pair fast is expanding their brand, working on products that might be more appropriate for men to wear than the standard pendants and pins, as well as window clings and desk-top pieces. They’re currently producing a line of teardrop pieces that intermix a paw print for those who have lost a pet.
“Our goal is not to simply sell a beautiful piece of jewelry,” Oppel says. “We want to transform the way that people approach grief by promoting a universal symbol similar to the breast cancer ribbon. It is our hope that in the future when a person wears or displays a Mourning Drop, others will immediately recognize that he or she is in mourning.” $12.95 for lapel pin, $54.95 for birthstone pendant, $495 for gold and diamond pendant; mourningdrop.com
