This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Jennifer Peterson picked up more than a good deal at the West Jordan Deseret Industries when she bought a blown-glass piece for $3 several days ago: She apparently brought home someone's cremated remains.
Peterson said she bought a blue-and-white glass ball filled with seashells and sand at the store because she's a fan of blown glass. After she bought it, she noticed a glass stamp on the bottom marked with the name of an Oregon-based art gallery, The Edge.
Peterson decided to go online to check on the item's value, but when she couldn't find the piece in the regular gallery section, she looked at a gallery of "memorial glass" — blown glass mixed with cremated remains or cremains — and found the same glass ball.
"I've got somebody's grandma in my house," she said Thursday. "Somebody, somewhere is missing. I'd like to return it to the owners and the family."
According to the gallery's website, a blown-glass piece similar to what Peterson bought costs $150. About one to three ounces of cremated remains are used to make the piece, which takes two to three weeks. Other blown-glass pieces, such as pendants, vases and plates, also are available as memorial pieces.
Peterson said she called the gallery owners Thursday morning to verify that it was a memorial piece, and that the gallery owner told her the blue and white markings on the glass contain human remains.
Peterson said that if the owner of the piece would like it back, they can email her at bikrbabe@live.com.
If no one claims the glass ball, she said she'll likely keep it.
"I wouldn't want somebody to throw it away," she said. "It deserves respect. If somebody doesn't claim it, I'd just treat it with respect for the rest of my life."
Twitter: @jm_miller