Umbilical cord

When a newborn baby loses their umbilical cord stump, some parents save the dried tissue for their child's memory box and others throw it away. But there's a new way to preserve the remnant of baby's in utero connection to mom: umbilical cord jewelry. Ruth Avra, a Florida jewelry designer, has been making jewelry from umbilical cords for more than six years. The idea struck her after a friend requested she create a piece of jewelry from her newborn's umbilical cord. "A close friend gave me her son's umbilical stump back in 2011 and asked me to make jewelry out of it," Avra told TODAY Parents. Avra says she has sold hundreds of necklaces, bracelets and other pieces made from umbilical cord stumps since she first thought of the unique jewelry design. Jackie Kaufman, who also lives in Florida, creates a similar line of jewelry. "I have a niche customer base that is looking for unique designs that have special meaning to them," Kaufman explained.