How Does a DNA Necklace Work? From Cheek Swab to Finished Piece
Home/DNA Jewellery/How Does a DNA Necklace Work? From Cheek Swab to Finished Piece
If you have come across DNA jewellery and want to understand what actually happens, this is the plain answer. No jargon, just the process from start to finish, and what it means for what ends up around your neck.
In this article
What Is a DNA Necklace?
A DNA necklace is a piece of fine jewellery that comes directly from your genetic profile. Of course, your DNA is unique to you. In fact, every person on earth carries a different sequence of genetic markers, so a DNA necklace takes that pattern and turns it into something you can wear.
At DesigNA we call it the exact DesigNA necklace, because that is exactly what it is. Your profile. Your sequence. Made by hand in the United Kingdom.
To understand what makes your DNA unique, read Your DNA Is Unique. Here Is What That Actually Means.
Step One. Your Sampling Kit Arrives
After you place your order, DesigNA sends a sampling kit to your address. Inside you will find a cheek swab, simple instructions, and a pre-addressed return envelope. You need no specialist knowledge, no clinic visit, and no blood sample.
First, you swab the inside of your cheek for around 60 seconds. Then you seal the sample and post it back. That is the full extent of your involvement in the scientific part.
Step Two. A Specialist Profiles Your DNA
Once the laboratory receives your sample, a specialist analyses it and identifies your unique genetic markers. In short, these are the sequences that make you genetically distinct from every other person alive.
The result is a pattern. In other words, a visual representation of something that has always existed inside you, now made visible and ready to become permanent.
Step Three. A Jeweller Makes Your Necklace by Hand
Next, DesigNA passes your genetic profile to its partner jeweller in Birmingham, who translates it into a handcrafted necklace. At this stage, you can choose from three materials:
- Silver. 925 sterling silver.
- Gold. 9ct gold with gold filled spacers.
- Pearl. Freshwater pearl with sterling silver.
Because each piece is made to order, there is no production line. A jeweller makes the necklace from your profile once, for you, and never makes it again.
Step Four. Your Necklace Arrives
Finally, once the piece is complete, DesigNA packages it and sends it to you. Throughout, the team keeps you informed, from kit received to jewellery dispatched. From order to delivery, the full process usually takes several weeks.
For a deeper look at the journey, read How Your DNA Becomes a Necklace: The Full DesigNA Process.
Is It Safe? Is My DNA Data Private?
DesigNA handles your genetic data with full GDPR compliance, because it treats your DNA as the sensitive personal information it is. The finished piece is jewellery, not a biological material, so it is entirely safe to wear. For context, the UK Information Commissioner explains special category data and why genetic information deserves this care.
For the full answer on safety and privacy, read Is DNA Jewellery Safe? Everything You Need to Know.
Shop the Exact DesigNA Necklace
The exact DesigNA necklace starts from £299 and is made in the UK. Silver, Gold, and Pearl are all available now, moreover, with 20 percent off during the Summer Sale using code SUMMER20.
Browse the full range at DesigNA
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a DNA necklace work?
A DNA necklace works by profiling your unique genetic code from a cheek swab, then translating that profile into a handcrafted piece of jewellery. At DesigNA, your sample goes to a specialist laboratory, where a scientist maps your DNA. A jeweller in Birmingham then makes your necklace by hand from the resulting pattern. Because no two people share the same genetic profile, no two DNA necklaces are ever the same.
What sample is needed to make a DNA necklace?
A simple cheek swab is all you need. First, DesigNA sends the swab in a sampling kit by post. Then you swab the inside of your cheek at home for about 60 seconds, seal the sample, and return it in the pre-addressed envelope. Importantly, there is no blood sample, no clinic visit, and no specialist knowledge required.
How long does a DNA necklace take to arrive?
The full process from order to delivery usually takes several weeks. This includes sending your kit, returning your sample, profiling your DNA, handmaking your necklace in Birmingham, and delivery to you. DesigNA keeps you updated at each stage, so you always know where things stand.
Is my DNA data kept private?
Yes. DesigNA handles all genetic data in full compliance with GDPR. It uses your DNA sample solely to create your necklace profile and treats it as sensitive personal information under UK data protection law. For the full details, read our Is DNA Jewellery Safe? article.
What materials are DNA necklaces made from at DesigNA?
DesigNA offers three materials: 925 sterling silver, 9ct gold with gold filled spacers, and freshwater pearl with sterling silver. A partner jeweller in Birmingham handmakes all of them in the UK. Prices start from £299.
One of one, made in the UK
Wear your own DNA
Your genetic code, profiled from a simple cheek swab and handcrafted into the exact DesigNA necklace. No two are ever the same.
From £299. 20 percent off with code SUMMER20 during the Summer Sale.
Further Reading
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