Frequently asked questions

DNA jewellery is a piece designed from your own genetic profile rather than chosen from a catalogue. At DesigNA, a simple cheek swab is analysed by a UK forensic laboratory across 23 autosomal markers. At each marker your alleles are read and labelled with coloured fluorescent dyes, and those dye colours appear as the stones set along your jewellery, in the exact order your DNA places them. On our pattern designs the markers appear as polished gold spheres instead, showing the positions your DNA sets without the dye colours. Either way, the result exists in one place only.

You send a cheek swab in your collection kit. Our laboratory partner, Complement Genomics, analyses 23 autosomal STR markers from your DNA. At each marker your alleles are read and labelled with coloured fluorescent dyes. On most pieces the stone colours echo those fluorescent dyes, while our pattern designs mark the same positions with polished gold spheres instead. Your unique allele pattern sets where each marker sits along your piece, which is then hand made in Birmingham with a certificate of authenticity.

Yes, in the sense that matters: the design is made from your DNA. A cheek swab is read at a UK laboratory with over 25 years in genetic testing, and the identity markers in that reading decide where every stone sits and how long every spacer is along the piece. The physical sample is destroyed after profiling, so the metal and stones do not contain DNA. The pattern does. It is set in the exact order your genetic code places it and comes with a signed certificate showing the profile it was built from.

Most personalised jewellery can be copied, a name, a birthstone, or coordinates can all be repeated. DesigNA is generated from your DNA, a profile written nowhere else on earth. Your genetics shape the design. Every marker appears along your piece, as a coloured stone or as a gold sphere on our pattern designs, in the exact order your DNA places them. It is not customised, it is read from biology and certified as one of one.

Yes, in the strictest sense. The design is generated from your unique allele profile across 23 markers, so it exists only once. Your certificate of authenticity records the data behind it. The only exception is an identical twin, who shares the same profile.

Short Tandem Repeat (STR) analysis reads specific, highly variable regions of your DNA, 23 autosomal markers in your case. It is the gold standard for personal identification, the same forensic technique used in UK courts and paternity testing. STR markers reveal identity only, never health or ancestry, which is exactly why we use them.

Every sample is analysed by Complement Genomics, a UK forensic genetics laboratory with over 25 years in genetic testing, using the same level of analysis accepted as evidence in court.

No. We only read the 23 autosomal STR identity markers, which are highly variable between people but say nothing about your health, ancestry, or behaviour. The laboratory does not see, store, or analyse anything clinical or genealogical, only the identity profile used to design your piece.

Identical twins share the same STR profile, so their designs would be identical. For everyone else on earth, the pattern is unique to you.

Your kit arrives by post within a few days and contains a labelled cheek swab, a consent form, and a prepaid Royal Mail return envelope. You rub the swab inside your cheek for about thirty seconds, seal it, and post it back. Full step by step instructions are on our How to Sample page.

Not at all. It is a simple, painless cheek swab that takes under a minute, no needles and no blood, just a soft cotton tip gently rubbed against the inside of your cheek.

Your finished piece is delivered within 2 to 3 weeks of the laboratory receiving your sample, with free UK tracked delivery. Each piece is hand made to order in Birmingham, so the short wait is the craft, not a delay.

Yes. Many customers buy DesigNA for anniversaries, weddings, and birthdays. The collection kit is posted to whoever will provide the sample, and the finished piece is made from their DNA.

No. Your physical sample is destroyed immediately after analysis, and your marker data is deleted after your piece ships. We never sell or share your data, and we never read clinical, ancestry, or behavioural markers.

Yes. Sample handling and data are governed by UK GDPR and the Human Tissue Act, and analysis is carried out by a laboratory with over 25 years in genetic testing. Only identity markers are read, nothing clinical, and everything is destroyed or deleted once your piece is complete.

Your sample is handled under UK GDPR and the Human Tissue Act. Analysis is performed by Complement Genomics, a laboratory with over 25 years in genetic testing, under the same framework that applies to forensic identity testing in the UK. Providing a sample requires valid consent (parental consent for under 16s).

Necklaces (£299, gold £699) and bracelets (from £179 to £229) across three material families: 925 hallmarked sterling silver, freshwater pearl with sterling silver fittings, and gold, made with a 9ct gold clasp and tubes, gold filled spacers and a gold filled extender chain. On the silver and pearl classics, each semi precious stone marker sits with a 925 silver spacer on either side. Our pattern designs mark the same positions with polished gold spheres instead. Stones are sourced sustainably and every piece is assembled in the UK.

The stones are a set palette, chosen to echo the five fluorescent dyes the laboratory uses to read your DNA: Lapis Lazuli for blue, Garnet for red, Citrine for yellow, Amethyst for purple and Amazonite for green. Our fine 2mm spider and clasp bracelets use the same palette idea in 2mm stones: Turquoise, Carnelian, Citrine, Amethyst and Amazonite. Our pattern designs have no stones at all, marking the positions with polished gold spheres instead. On every piece your DNA decides where each marker sits, so the pattern is uniquely yours.

Necklaces come in three base lengths, 16, 18, and 20 inches, and every necklace includes a 2 inch extender chain, so each size adjusts from 16 to 18, 18 to 20, or 20 to 22 inches to sit exactly where you like. Bracelets come in one adjustable size, with an extension chain on clasp and twisted styles and a smooth slider on spider styles.

Yes. Our pieces are nickel free, so they suit sensitive skin. The silver is 925 hallmarked sterling silver, and the gold option uses 9ct gold tubes and clasps with gold filled spheres and extender chain.

Keep your piece dry and store it away from other jewellery to avoid scratching. Wipe gently with a soft, dry cloth, and avoid perfume, lotion, and water, remove it before showering, swimming, or sleeping. For full guidance by metal and stone, see our Jewellery Care page.

We currently ship within the UK only, with free tracked delivery on every order. If you are outside the UK, contact us and we will tell you when your country opens.

You have a 14 day cooling off period under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, starting from your order or from receiving your sampling kit, whichever is later. Because each piece is custom made from your DNA, this right ends once your sample reaches the laboratory and analysis begins. To cancel before then, email sales@mydesigna.co.uk for a full refund including delivery. Faulty items are always covered by your statutory rights.

We accept all major debit and credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay, plus Klarna and Clearpay so you can spread the cost. All payments are processed securely.

Your one of one starts with a swab. Begin Your Design

Every DesigNA piece carries a 6 month warranty covering craftsmanship faults. If anything fails in normal wear, email sales@mydesigna.co.uk with your order number and photographs and we will repair or replace it.

Email us photographs and your order number. Our Birmingham workshop can repair and restring your piece, and your certificate records the exact pattern so it is restored true to your profile.

Yes. For privacy we delete your marker data after delivery, so a second piece needs a fresh swab with a new kit. The profile will match, so the pattern will too.