Cremation Jewelry: Costs, Where to Buy & How It Works

Cremation jewelry is a growing trend in the United States and it offers a unique way to remember, honor and keep close loved ones who have passed away. One quick look at Google search trends can show you just how popular jewelry for ashes is. There are over 60,000 monthly searches for these necklaces, pendants and other types of urn jewelry. And it’s only becoming more and more popular. Take a look at the Google trends for these searches:

Given the growing popularity, the PerfectGoodbyes team wanted to break down the most important information for readers about this topic. This guide includes information on what is cremation jewelry, how much you can expect to pay for it, as well as give you some options for reputable sites that sell it.

What is cremation jewelry? What are your options?

Cremation jewelry refers to the practice of turning cremated remains into synthetic diamonds. Those can be in turn worn or kept in a safe place as a way of carrying on the memory of a loved one throughout one’s day-to-day life.Cremation jewelry is viewed as an alternative to the more traditional practice of keeping somebody’s ashes in an urn.

The process of creating this type of jewelry involves combing ashes or hair with a lab carbon. Carbon is extracted from ashes through turning them into a particulate or gaseous form using a special filtering technique. The extracted carbon is purified and graphitized and combined with lab carbon so that it can be turned into a diamond using diamond synthesis techniques. 

These diamonds can be incorporated into:

  • Necklaces
  • Earings
  • Rings
  • Glass
  • Pendants
  • Bracelets

With how popular this process is becoming, you can likely get memorial diamonds incorporated into virtually any decoration – provided you do some research.

What is the average cost of cremation jewelry?

The average cost to turn ashes into a diamond is $X. However, the exact price will depend on what sort of color and carat option you select. Furthermore, you are likely to find a pretty wide variance in prices depending on the provider you choose.

Here is a sample pricing chart for cremation diamonds:

CaratsOrange-YellowYellow-GreenRedBlueWhite
0.03 – 0.09 Carat$750N/AN/AN/AN/A
0.10 – 0.19 Carat$1,395$1,995$1,995$2,195$2,395
¼ Carat$1,695$2,295$2,595$2,695$2,995
½ Carat$3,895$5,295$5,295$5,395$5,395
¾ Carat$4,395$6,295$6,005$7,895$7,895
1 Carat$7,895$8,895$8,995$16,895$17,295
1 ¼ Carat$10,945$11,945$12,205N/AN/A
1 ½ Carat$12,945$14,545$14,845N/AN/A
2 Carats$15,545$16,945$17,265N/AN/A
Average$6,607$8,526$8,650$7,015$7,195

Source: Heart-in-Diamond.com 

Once they are turned into a diamond, you will need to have that fitted and set into a piece of jewelry for it to officially become cremation jewelry. Those prices, however, are more standard and will largely depend on the type of metal you choose (gold, silver, etc.). On the lower-end, we’ve seen prices for these be around $50-$100.

Where can I buy cremation jewelry?

You can buy cremation jewelry online, and we recommend you spend a little bit of time comparison shopping. This jewelry can get pretty expensive, so even 30 minutes of research can mean saving several hundred dollars.

Here are some online retailers that sell cremation jewelery:

Frequently Asked Questions about cremation jewelry

Through Google, we were able to see what some common questions are around the topic of cremation jewelry. Here are some quick answers to the ones that come up more often. 

Is cremation jewelry a sin?

This will depend on your particular religion and denomination. For Catholics, “the head of the office, Cardinal Gerhard Muller, told the Catholic news agency Zenit that scattering ashes or making jewelry with them is not a sin”.

Is cremation jewelry creepy?

This is subjective.While some people may feel strange about the concept, there is no denying that cremation jewelry is growing in popularity.

What is cremation jewelry called?

There are several names for cremation jewelry, including memorial jewelry, funeral jewelry or remembrance jewelry.

Can you wear jewelry for cremation?

Yes. As this article outlines there are many ways to wear cremated remains as jewelry. You can either wear a pinch of the ashes in some jewelry holder or have the ashes turned into a synthetic diamond.

How is cremation jewelry made?

If you want to learn more about cremation jewelry check out this video from Yahoo Finance: