Choosing What Comes Next: A Compassionate Guide to Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, Cremation Jewelry, and Funeral Planning

In the first days after a death, families are asked to make decisions while emotions are still catching up. If cremation is part of your plan, it is normal to reach for answers that feel concrete—how long does cremation take, what happens to a wedding ring or a favorite necklace, and whether there are specific pacemaker cremation rules you need to know.

When the ashes are returned, another set of questions follows: what to do with ashes, whether keeping ashes at home is right for your household, and how to choose a memorial that fits your family. Below is a practical, compassionate walkthrough of the timeline, safety steps, and the most common options for cremation urns for ashes, small cremation urns, keepsake urns, pet urns for ashes, and cremation jewelry.

How long does cremation take?

Cremation is now the majority choice in the U.S. The National Funeral Directors Association projects a 63.4% cremation rate for 2025, and the Cremation Association of North America reports a 2024 rate of 61.8%.

It helps to separate two timelines: when cremation can happen, and how long the cremation process itself lasts. The Cremation Association of North America explains that cremation typically occurs at least 48 hours after death, largely because authorizations and paperwork take time. Once the cremation begins, CANA notes it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to over two hours depending on factors like body size and stored heat in the chamber.

Families usually experience the timeline as “when will we receive the ashes?”—and that can depend on scheduling and administrative steps as much as the time in the chamber. Funeral.com’s guide How Long Does Cremation Take and What Families Can Expect Next walks through what happens from the first call to the return of the cremated remains.

What happens to jewelry, pacemakers, and medical implants?

Jewelry and personal items

With advance arrangement, jewelry and personal items are typically removed and returned to the family. CANA notes that personal effects like jewelry or watches are commonly removed, and it also explains that not everything can be cremated for safety reasons. If you have a request—return an item, keep an item on, or place a permitted note or photo with your loved one—ask early so it can be documented. Funeral.com’s guide What Can’t Be Cremated? Jewelry, Implants, and Personal Items explains the most common restrictions in plain language.

Pacemakers and defibrillators

Battery-powered cardiac devices are handled differently because high heat can create a rupture risk. Guidance from Medtronic explains that heart devices are generally removed before cremation, usually by a mortician or pathologist, though device type and circumstances can vary. If you are unsure whether someone had a pacemaker, tell the funeral home anyway—these questions are part of safe preparation, not an inconvenience.

Orthopedic implants and other metals

Hip and knee replacements, plates and screws, and dental work are often not removed beforehand, but families understandably wonder what happens afterward. CANA explains that metal may remain after cremation, is separated from the cremated remains, and is typically recycled. The Funeral Consumers Alliance describes how crematories collect and recycle these metals, sometimes donating proceeds to charity.

When the ashes are returned: deciding what to do next

You do not have to choose an urn before the cremation. Cremated remains are often returned in a temporary container, giving you time to decide on a permanent memorial and your long-term plan. Funeral.com’s guide What to Do With a Loved One’s Ashes covers common directions—scattering, burial or niche placement, keeping ashes at home, or creating a memorial that blends more than one approach.

If you are considering a home memorial, you are not alone. NFDA reports that among people who prefer cremation, 37.1% would prefer their remains kept in an urn at home. Practical details—stable placement, a secure closure, and a plan for children, pets, or moves—can make this choice feel safer. Funeral.com’s Keeping Ashes at Home guide is designed for exactly those everyday questions.

Choosing cremation urns, small urns, and keepsake urns

Once you have even a tentative plan, choosing an urn becomes simpler. If you want one central memorial, explore Funeral.com’s cremation urns collection. If you want a portion in a second household memorial or a smaller footprint, start with small cremation urns. If sharing is part of your plan, keepsake urns are designed to hold a small portion with consistency and dignity. If you’re weighing materials, style, and final resting place, Funeral.com’s guide How to Choose the Right Cremation Urn can help you narrow your options with less guesswork.

If sizing feels technical, you do not have to guess. Funeral.com’s resource The Complete Guide to Choosing the Perfect Urn Size explains the sizing approach and what to double-check if your urn will be placed in a niche, vault, or columbarium.

Cremation jewelry and cremation necklaces

Sometimes the most meaningful keepsake is the smallest. Cremation jewelry is designed to hold a tiny, symbolic portion of ashes, which can be comforting for someone who lives far away or wants a private memorial close to the body. Funeral.com’s cremation jewelry collection and cremation necklaces collection let you compare styles and closures, while the guide Cremation Jewelry 101 explains what families should know about filling and sealing.

Pet urns and pet keepsakes

Pet loss is real grief, and it often shows up in the quiet parts of the day. Choosing pet urns is one way families honor that bond. Funeral.com’s guide Pet Urns for Ashes explains sizing and the difference between one main urn and shared keepsakes.

When you’re ready to browse, start with pet cremation urns. If a figurine style feels most personal, explore pet figurine cremation urns, and if multiple family members want a portion, pet keepsake cremation urns can simplify sharing.

Water burial, scattering, and biodegradable urns

For some families, a nature-based ceremony feels like the truest goodbye. The term water burial is sometimes used for scattering at sea and sometimes for placing ashes into a water-soluble urn designed to dissolve over time. In U.S. waters, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency outlines federal guidance for burial at sea of cremated human remains, including the general requirement of at least three nautical miles offshore and a post-ceremony reporting step.

Funeral.com’s guides Water Burial and Burial at Sea and Water Burial vs. Scattering at Sea help you understand what each option looks like in practice. For urns designed for nature-based placement, Funeral.com’s biodegradable and eco-friendly urns for ashes collection is a natural starting point.

Costs and consumer rights in funeral planning

Many families need a clear answer to how much does cremation cost. In funeral planning, it can help to separate the emotional choices from the cost-driving line items. Pricing varies by region and by what is included—direct cremation versus cremation with viewing and services—but national benchmarks can help you calibrate. NFDA reports a median cost of $6,280 for a funeral with cremation (including viewing and service) in 2023, compared with $8,300 for a comparable funeral with burial.

If you are comparing providers, it helps to know your consumer rights. The Federal Trade Commission explains that you have the right to an itemized General Price List, and that a funeral provider cannot refuse to handle a casket or urn you bought elsewhere (or charge a fee for doing so). Funeral.com’s guide Do You Have to Buy an Urn From the Funeral Home? connects those rights to real-world urn decisions and timelines.

There is no “one right” memorial—only the plan that supports your family now and later. If you can, choose the next step that brings clarity and reduces stress, and let the rest unfold in time.

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