Most families don’t set out to become experts in cremation keepsakes. It usually begins with a small, ordinary moment that suddenly feels enormous: the temporary container comes home, it sits on a table, and someone asks, quietly, “So… what to do with ashes now?”
For many people, the question isn’t only about final disposition. It’s also about closeness—about creating something you can hold, wear, display, or pass down. keepsakes made from ashes can be deeply comforting because they give grief a place to land. They can also feel overwhelming at first, because every option sounds permanent and every decision feels like it carries the weight of the person (or pet) you’ve lost.
The good news is that most cremation keepsakes use only a small portion of cremated remains, which means you can choose a main plan and still create meaningful pieces for the people who need them most. With cremation now the majority choice in the U.S., more families are navigating these decisions with the same mix of tenderness and practicality. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected at 63.4% in 2025 and is expected to keep rising in the decades ahead. Many families are choosing cremation because it offers flexibility—time to plan, room for personalization, and the ability to combine tradition with modern memorial options. The Cremation Association of North America also emphasizes that cremation often marks the beginning of memorialization decisions, not the end of them.
This guide walks through nine of the most meaningful keepsakes families create from ashes—especially for people searching for cremation keepsakes, keepsakes made from ashes, ashes jewelry, ashes in glass, and memorial diamonds. Along the way, we’ll connect the keepsake choices to the bigger picture: funeral planning, choosing cremation urns for ashes, deciding about keeping ashes at home, and understanding cost factors that can shape what’s realistic right now.
A gentle starting point: decide what “home base” will be
Before you choose a keepsake, it helps to decide where the majority of the ashes will rest—at least for now. Some families know immediately they want a full-size urn at home. Others plan to scatter later, or to place an urn in a cemetery niche, or to hold a memorial when travel and paperwork settle down. None of these paths are more “right” than another. They’re simply different ways of caring for someone after death.
If you’re still deciding, Funeral.com’s collection of cremation urns for ashes can help you browse by material and style without rushing the emotional part. If the question is size and how to match an urn to your plan, the article Cremation Urns 101 is a steady guide written for real families. And if your home is where you want the ashes to remain—temporarily or long-term—Funeral.com’s guide to keeping ashes at home walks through safety, placement, and what to consider with children, pets, visitors, and future moves.
Once you have a “home base,” keepsakes become easier to choose. Instead of feeling like you’re dividing a person, you’re creating touchpoints of remembrance that fit real life.
Cremation necklaces and other jewelry you can wear
For many families, the most intimate option is wearable remembrance. cremation jewelry usually holds a tiny amount of ashes inside a sealed chamber, often in a pendant, locket, or capsule design. People search for it as turn ashes into jewelry or remembrance jewelry because it feels less like “a memorial object” and more like a quiet continuation of relationship—something close to the skin, carried through ordinary days.
If you’re exploring jewelry, start with Funeral.com’s cremation jewelry collection, or browse more specifically through cremation necklaces when you want a pendant style. The practical question families ask most is how much ashes a piece holds. The answer is usually “a pinch,” which is why jewelry works well when multiple people want a keepsake but the main ashes will remain in an urn.
For a calm, detailed walkthrough—including materials, filling tips, and sealing—Funeral.com’s Cremation Jewelry Guide explains what to look for in everyday wear items. Many families also appreciate having a second container on hand—like keepsake urns—so jewelry can be filled once, sealed properly, and not reopened later under stress.
Keepsake urns that make sharing feel gentle, not clinical
When several people want a portion of ashes, the most common path is a set of keepsake urns. These are small urns designed to hold a limited amount—often enough to create a personal home memorial on a shelf or in a bedside drawer. Keepsakes are also a practical solution for families who plan to scatter some ashes later but want a small portion kept close.
Funeral.com’s keepsake urns collection is a helpful starting point if you want classic mini-urn styles in different materials. If you need something slightly larger for a more substantial portion—without going full-size—look at small cremation urns, which can be ideal for siblings sharing, blended families, or situations where part of the ashes will be buried or scattered and part will stay at home.
If the idea of “splitting ashes” feels emotionally complicated, you’re not alone. Many families worry it will feel disrespectful. In practice, it often feels like care. Funeral.com’s article Keepsake Urns Explained captures what families do most often and why: keepsakes reduce handling of a main urn, create stability, and allow remembrance to live in multiple homes without pressure or conflict.
Pet urns that honor a bond that was daily, ordinary, and profound
Pet grief has its own texture. It’s not only sadness—it’s disruption of routine: the missing paws on the floor, the quiet where the collar tags used to jingle, the empty spot on the couch. That’s why families often seek pet urns for ashes that feel personal, not generic.
Funeral.com’s pet urns collection includes many styles—wood, metal, ceramic, photo urns, and engravable options—because pets are remembered in different ways. If you want something artistic that looks like a small sculpture, pet figurine cremation urns can feel like a gentle presence in the home. And if multiple family members want a small portion, pet keepsake cremation urns are designed for sharing in a way that still feels dignified.
If you’re trying to choose by size and your brain is too tired to do math, the article Choosing the Right Urn for Pet Ashes explains the process step-by-step, including what details matter when selecting pet cremation urns that truly fit.
Ashes in glass: blown-glass art, orbs, hearts, and memorial sculptures
ashes in glass is one of the most visually striking options, and it tends to appeal to families who want a memorial that looks like art rather than something explicitly “funeral.” In many glass keepsakes, a small amount of cremated remains is incorporated into molten glass during the creation process, forming delicate swirls or soft speckling. The result might be a paperweight orb, a heart, a small sculpture, or a pendant that resembles a gemstone.
When families consider glass art, the practical issues are shipping, trust, and timeline. Because the remains must be sent to the artist or studio, it matters that the provider has clear chain-of-custody practices, written labeling procedures, and a transparent process for returning unused remains (if any). Many families choose to keep the majority of ashes secured at home in a main urn, and send only a measured portion using a separate container—often a small cremation urn or keepsake—so that the memorial creation doesn’t require opening the main urn repeatedly.
If you’re keeping ashes at home while you decide, a stable home base can make the “sending a small amount away” step feel far less scary. That’s why many families pair glass art with a secure main container from the cremation urns for ashes collection, and use a smaller vessel for the portion that will travel.
Memorial diamonds: turning carbon into something enduring
memorial diamonds are often chosen by families who want permanence in a form that feels timeless. Typically, memorial diamond providers use carbon extracted from cremated remains (and sometimes from hair) to create a lab-grown diamond. The process varies by provider, which is why it’s important to ask detailed questions about what material is used, what happens to unused remains, and how authenticity is documented.
It may help to know the broader context: laboratory-grown diamonds are real diamonds with the same essential properties as mined diamonds, even though their origin is different. According to GIA (the Gemological Institute of America), lab-grown diamonds have essentially the same chemical composition and crystal structure as natural diamonds, and most are produced using either HPHT (high-pressure, high-temperature) or CVD (chemical vapor deposition) methods. GIA’s overview of HPHT and CVD diamond growth processes explains these methods in more detail and clarifies why lab-grown diamonds are not “simulants.”
For families, the decision is rarely about the science alone. It’s about whether the idea feels emotionally right—and whether the cost and timeline fit real life. Many people choose a memorial diamond only after they’ve made the core funeral planning decisions, because it’s easier to evaluate a keepsake when you’re not also juggling permits, phone calls, and immediate expenses.
Fingerprint keepsakes that preserve identity in the smallest details
Some keepsakes are made not from ashes, but alongside them—and they still belong in the same conversation because they answer the same need: “I want something that feels like them.” Fingerprint jewelry, thumbprint impressions, and engraved fingerprint tokens are especially meaningful when you want the keepsake to reflect individuality rather than a shared material.
Often, these are created from an inked or inkless fingerprint taken by the funeral home or a provider during arrangements. Some families combine a fingerprint charm with cremation jewelry so that the piece carries both a physical trace (ashes) and a personal mark (the fingerprint). If you’re planning ahead, consider writing fingerprint preferences into your funeral planning notes, especially if you want prints taken before cremation occurs.
In many cases, fingerprint keepsakes can be a cost-friendly alternative to more complex transformations like glass art or diamonds, while still feeling deeply personal.
Memorial stones and casting keepsakes for a home or garden
Some families want a memorial that lives outdoors or sits quietly in a garden, on a porch, or in a home entryway. Memorial stones and casting keepsakes can sometimes incorporate a small amount of ashes into materials like stone, concrete, or resin. They tend to be chosen by people who don’t want something wearable, but do want something that can be touched—something that makes space for ritual: placing flowers beside it, sitting with it in the morning, or acknowledging anniversaries without needing to “do” anything big.
If outdoor placement is part of your plan, it also helps to think about what happens to the rest of the ashes. Some families choose to keep a portion at home in a secure urn and place a different portion in a cemetery, while others combine a home memorial with scattering. If you’re considering scattering or a water burial ceremony, it’s wise to decide which keepsakes you want first, since it’s easier to portion ashes once rather than reopening containers repeatedly.
Ceramic memorials and glaze-based tributes
Another artistic path is ceramic memorial work, where a small amount of cremated remains may be incorporated into a glaze or clay body to create a finished piece such as a small vessel, tile, ornament, or sculptural form. The appeal is similar to glass art: the memorial looks like something you might have chosen anyway—beautiful, tactile, and quietly present.
Because processes vary, the same practical advice applies: choose reputable providers with clear documentation, keep most ashes secured at home, and only send a measured portion using a secondary container. Many families find that a keepsake urn is the easiest and most dignified way to hold the amount intended for an artist while protecting the rest.
Eco-minded tributes: biodegradable urns and water ceremonies
For some families, the most meaningful “keepsake” is not an object that stays, but a ritual that returns someone to nature with intention. If you’re drawn to eco-minded options, you might be considering scattering, burial in a cemetery with a biodegradable container, or a water burial ceremony.
Funeral.com’s Biodegradable & Eco-Friendly Urns for Ashes collection includes water-soluble and earth-friendly designs that match different plans. If you’re choosing the ocean specifically, the guide Biodegradable Ocean & Water Burial Urns explains what families can expect on the day of the ceremony and how these urns are designed to behave in water.
If you’re in the U.S., it’s also important to know the legal framework for ocean burials. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that burial at sea in ocean waters is regulated under a general permit, including the “three nautical miles” requirement. Those details matter not because families want bureaucracy, but because a peaceful ceremony feels better when you’re confident you’re doing it properly.
Even when a family chooses water or earth return, many still keep a small portion of ashes in a keepsake urn or cremation necklaces—not as a contradiction, but as a way to stay connected while still honoring the larger plan.
How to choose a reputable provider for ashes-based keepsakes
When you’re grieving, it’s unfair that you have to think like a detective. But because keepsakes involve sending remains or paying for a specialized process, trust matters. If you’re evaluating an artist, studio, or memorial company, look for clear answers to practical questions. A reputable provider should be comfortable explaining process, timelines, and how remains are handled. In plain terms, ask how much ash is required and whether unused remains are returned; look for clear chain-of-custody practices like labeling, tracking, and written confirmation steps; request a written timeline plus a policy for delays, remakes, or damage during shipping; confirm how the keepsake is sealed (for jewelry) or stabilized (for art) to reduce future handling risks; and be wary of vague language and pressure tactics—grief should never be used to rush a purchase.
For families working with funeral homes directly, it can also help to know your consumer rights around pricing. The Federal Trade Commission explains the Funeral Rule and the role of the General Price List (GPL), which is designed to support comparison shopping and itemized decisions. That clarity can be especially helpful when you’re trying to understand which parts of cremation costs are fixed and which parts are optional.
Cost realism: planning keepsakes without financial regret
Many families want a keepsake and also need to stay within a budget. If that’s you, you don’t need to apologize. Cost is a real part of grief, and financial strain doesn’t make love smaller—it just makes decisions harder.
When people search how much does cremation cost, they’re often trying to gauge what’s normal and what’s negotiable. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and cremation in 2023 was $6,280 (and $8,300 for viewing and burial). That doesn’t mean your local quote will match those numbers, but it offers a benchmark for understanding why some families prioritize simpler arrangements and add memorialization later.
If you want a 2025-focused breakdown written in plain language—including the difference between direct cremation and full-service options—read Funeral.com’s guide: How Much Does Cremation Cost. One gentle approach many families take is to choose a secure, respectful urn first (so the ashes are safe), then add keepsakes gradually over months or even years. There is no rule that says every memorial decision must happen in the first weeks.
Bringing it back to love: the keepsake that fits your life
When you step back from the options—jewelry, glass, diamonds, urns, art, ceremonies—the thread connecting them is simple. A keepsake is a way of continuing relationship. It’s a small answer to a big absence.
If you want something close to your body, start with cremation jewelry or explore cremation necklaces and learn sealing and filling basics through Funeral.com’s Cremation Jewelry Guide. If you’re sharing among family, keepsake urns and small cremation urns often bring the most peace with the least complexity. If your grief is shaped by the loss of an animal companion, pet urns for ashes, pet figurine cremation urns, and pet keepsake cremation urns can help the memorial feel like the bond you actually had.
And if you are still in the earliest stage—still trying to make a home for the ashes while your heart catches up—start with the basics of keeping ashes at home, and let time do some of the decision-making with you. A meaningful tribute isn’t defined by speed. It’s defined by fit: the keepsake that supports your life, honors your person, and feels steady when you reach for it on the days you miss them most.
Related Funeral.com resources for your next steps
If you’re building a plan and want guidance that connects keepsakes to the bigger picture, these Funeral.com resources can help: Cremation Urns 101, funeral planning in 7 Steps, and Cremation Preplanning. If your plan includes the ocean or a shoreline ceremony, pair the water burial guide with the biodegradable urns collection to choose a container designed for that exact moment.
