Enduring memorials

Just a few years back, there weren’t a lot of creative options for placement of cremains at home. Today a variety of unusual, artist-designed urns, sculptures and other receptacles are available to those who prefer to keep the ashes of their loved ones close by. Other options include jewelry and small accessories made specifically to hold a small portion of the ashes that can be worn close to the body. And, increasingly, there are new ways to incorporate ashes in the actual making of an art object. Artistic urns. Funeria represents artists who design original vessels and funerary urns to contain ashes for display at home or placement in mausoleums or columbaria. Some are immediately available, others may take several weeks to produce. .

Keepsake jewelry. Many companies make jewelry and small accessories in which to seal a small portion of cremains. Styles include key chains, rosaries, hearts, crosses, lockets, cylinders, tiny urns — many meant to be worn as pendants. For websites offering such memorial merchandise, search for “keepsake jewelry” and “cremation jewelry.”

Ashes to diamonds. LifeGem creates certified diamonds from the carbon in a few ounces of cremated remains. .

Biodegradable vessels. For those who plan to distribute cremains at a special spot, some companies offer array of urns, boxes and other containers that disintegrate in the ocean or earth. This biodegradable feature ensures that ashes reach an intended place instead of being dispersed by the wind or other elements. To find websites, search for “biodegradable urns.”

-- Bettijane Levine