Cremation Stones Vs. Keepsake Urns: Which Memorial Option Is Right For Your Family?

Cremation stones and keepsake urns both allow families to preserve a small portion of a loved one’s ashes, but they create very different memorial experiences. Cremation stones are tactile memorials that incorporate cremation ashes into their creation, while keepsake urns are small vessels designed to hold a portion of cremation ashes. Both can be held and carried around, and both use cremation ashes; they simply use them in different ways.

If you’re looking for a tactile, handheld memorial, then cremation stones and keepsake urns are both good options. Some families choose one option over the other, while many choose both. Let’s compare and contrast these memorial items and see which one sounds best to you. 

How Cremation Stones Differ From Keepsake Urns

Cremation stones are made from cremation ashes and natural minerals. The process is similar to firing ceramics and results in a product that is smooth, hard, and durable. These “stones” are shaped to look like river rocks and can be placed indoors or outdoors. Many people use these small memorial items as a discreet yet meaningful display piece in the home or to mark permanent outdoor memorials, such as a granite marker or a memorial tree. For example, you can use cremation stones to surround a memorial tree, which is a common landscaping practice. 

Keepsake urns are essentially miniature urns. Urns are containers designed to hold cremation ashes securely. Keepsake urns can be made from ceramic, to resemble cremation stones, or in a variety of shapes and sizes. Other common materials used to make keepsake urns are metal and glass. Many families use keepsake urns to divide cremation ashes among different family members and friends. Or they can be used after most of the ashes have been scattered or buried. Keepsake urns are especially useful for someone who wants a small token of remembrance, but not a full-sized urn full of ashes. 

Can Cremation Stones And Keepsake Urns Be Used Together?

Since cremation stones and keepsake urns use only a portion of cremation ashes, yes, you can choose both items as memorials for your loved one. One of the main benefits of cremation is the ability to personalize memorials. Whether you want to display your cremation stones or carry a keepsake urn, you can choose a memorial combination that works for you and your family. 

Other options include placing the cremation stones outside, either as memorials in themselves or alongside another, more permanent memorial. Many people scatter cremation stones through their garden, or use them to decorate planters or houseplants. Keepsake urns are popular for display in the home, and some are designed to be carried in a bag or pocket. Cremation stones can also be carried with you since they are so hard and durable. 

Questions To Ask Before Choosing A Memorial Option

• Does your family want to keep all of the cremated remains together or divide them?
  
• Would several family members like their own personal memorial?
  
• Do you prefer something that can be held, or something primarily for display?
  
• Where will the memorial be kept?
  
  • Home
    
  • Garden
    
  • Memorial shelf
    
  • With another family member
    
• Would a traditional-looking memorial feel most appropriate, or does your family prefer something more subtle?
  
• Does personalization matter?
  
  • Color
    
  • Material
    
  • Engraving
    
  • Shape
    
  • Incorporating the ashes into the memorial itself
    
• Do you want the memorial to be portable?
  
• Are there other plans for the remaining cremated remains, such as scattering, burial, or a living tree memorial?

Other things to consider include how durable you want your memorial to be and its long-term care if this is an item meant to be passed down through generations.

How To Create A Personalized Memorial Using Cremation Stones or Keepsakes

With all of the memorial options available, take the time to connect the memorial with the personality, interests, and memories of your departed loved one. With cremation stones, you can display several stones together as a family collection, place one near photographs or other mementos, incorporate a stone into a memorial garden, or give individual stones to close relatives.

With keepsake urns, you can select a material or design that reflects your loved one’s style and personal taste. Or, you can consider porcelain, glass, planter designs, or scattering keepsakes. Another option is to pair the keepsake urn with photographs, letters, flowers, or a favorite memento of your loved one. 

Personalization doesn’t need to be elaborate. Even choosing a memorial that feels visually or emotionally connected to a loved one can make it feel more personal. 

Find The Right Memorial With The Living Urn

The Living Urn® provides both cremation stones and keepsake urns as part of its complete collection of memorial offerings. Their Living Stone collection uses cremation ashes to create river-rock-like “stones” that feel like fired ceramics. These Living Stones are handcrafted by artisans here in the U.S. and are available in quantities of 1, 3, 5, or 10. 

Choose from a beautiful variety of keepsake urns:

• The Songbird keepsake urn comes in wood, various glass colors, brass, and ceramic.
  
• The Eternal Star is made from glazed, crackled ceramic and comes in different colors.
  
• The Forever Loved Heart keepsake urn is a small heart-shaped vessel, offered in different colors, that comes with a small display stand. 
  
• The Aura Keepsake cube urn is handcrafted from cultured marble, offers ample space for engraving, and comes in a variety of colors. 
  
• The Living Urn Planter keepsake urn holds a small portion of ashes and includes space for a small houseplant. 
  
• The Venezia and Infinite Love keepsake urns are ceramic, modern art pieces that will blend into any decor style.
  
• The Living Glass keepsake urn is a more traditionally shaped miniature urn made from blue or green glass. 

Whether you prefer the tactile comfort of a cremation stone or a keepsake urn to display at home, there are many ways to create a memorial that feels personal to your family. You can also divide cremated remains among multiple keepsakes, allowing family members to choose the form of remembrance that means the most to them. Explore The Living Urn® collection to find a lasting tribute that reflects your loved one and the memories you shared.