What Solidified Remains Are, What They Cost, and Whether Parting Stone Is Right for Your Family

More than six out of ten American families now choose cremation, according to the National Funeral Directors Association’s 2025 Cremation & Burial Report. That number will reach 82% by 2045. Cremation is no longer the alternative. It’s the norm.

But here’s what nobody talks about afterward: what it actually feels like to bring cremated remains home.

For many families, the answer is complicated. The urn sits on a shelf, then gets moved to a closet, then to a box in the back of a spare room. Not because anyone stopped caring. Because holding a container of powder doesn’t feel like holding someone you love. You know it’s them, but it doesn’t feel like them. And so the urn stays hidden, and a quiet guilt settles in about not knowing what to do next.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And you’re not stuck. A process called solidification transforms 100% of cremated remains into smooth, natural stones that families can hold, share, carry, and display. One company has been doing this since 2019, with a patented process validated by Los Alamos National Laboratory and trusted by more than 12,000 families. Their name is Parting Stone, and this is what you need to know before deciding if it’s right for yours.

What Are Solidified Remains?

Solidified remains are exactly what they sound like: cremated ashes that have been transformed into solid, stone-like forms through a controlled scientific process. They’re not mixed with resin, encased in glass, or pressed into jewelry. The stones are made entirely from your loved one’s remains. Nothing added, nothing removed that wasn’t already present as an impurity from the cremation process.

Each collection contains between 40 and 80 or more individual stones, depending on the volume of the original cremation remains. They come in colors unique to each person, ranging from soft whites and warm sands to gentle earth tones, pale greens, and muted corals. No two collections look alike because no two people are alike. The colors are influenced by the individual’s bone mineral composition, which varies based on factors like diet, age, and health throughout their life.

The Science Families Trust

The solidification process was developed and patented by Parting Stone’s founder, Justin Crowe, and independently validated by researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The process works with both traditional flame cremation and alkaline hydrolysis (sometimes called water cremation or aquamation) remains.

Here’s what happens. First, the cremation remains go through a refinement stage where metals and other impurities introduced during the cremation process are carefully removed. Then the purified remains are formed into a clay-like material and shaped. Finally, the material is fired in a kiln at controlled temperatures, creating a permanent, ceramic-like solid. The finished stones are polished and returned to the family.

The stones are permanent. They won’t dissolve in water, won’t degrade over time, and won’t break under normal handling. They feel warm and smooth to the touch, more like a river stone than anything clinical or fragile. They’re meant to be held, not displayed behind glass.

How the Process Works: From Your Home to Finished Stones

One of the biggest concerns families have is the logistics of sending a loved one’s remains to a company they’ve never visited. Parting Stone has processed remains for more than 12,000 families, and the chain of custody is designed to address that concern at every step.

The process starts when you place an order through Parting Stone’s website. They ship a collection kit directly to your home with prepaid return shipping and clear instructions. You transfer the cremation remains into the provided container (you don’t need to send all of the remains; partial solidification is an option for families who want to keep some ashes as well). You ship the kit back using the prepaid label.

Once the remains arrive at Parting Stone’s facility in Santa Fe, New Mexico, individual processing begins. Your loved one’s remains are never combined with anyone else’s unless you specifically request co-mingling, which is an option for couples or family members who want their remains unified into a single stone collection. The refinement, formation, and kiln solidification process follows, and the finished stones are carefully packed and shipped back to you.

The 84-Day Timeline

The current estimated processing time from order placement to receiving your finished stones is approximately 84 days. That’s almost three months, and there’s no way to rush it. The process requires care at every stage, and the kiln solidification alone takes significant time.

For families who are considering this: if a specific date matters to you, whether that’s an anniversary, a birthday, a holiday gathering, or a memorial event where you want family members to each receive a stone, factor the processing window into your decision. An order placed today means an estimated completion around mid-May 2026. Waiting another month pushes that timeline back another month.

This is worth knowing, not as pressure, but as practical information. The 84-day timeline is one of the honest tradeoffs of choosing solidification, and the section on tradeoffs below covers it directly.

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What Parting Stone Costs (and How It Compares)

Parting Stone’s pricing is straightforward and all-inclusive. There are no hidden fees, no add-ons, and no surprise charges after you place your order.

Human remains: $2,495. This includes the collection kit, prepaid shipping both ways, the full solidification process, and return delivery of your finished stones.

Dog remains: $995, same all-inclusive structure.

Cat remains: $795, same all-inclusive structure.

Co-mingling (combining the remains of two loved ones into one stone collection) is available as an additional option. Contact Parting Stone directly for co-mingling pricing, as it varies depending on the volume of combined remains.

The Real Cost of “Doing Nothing”

The $2,495 price is real money, especially on top of cremation costs a family has already paid. But it helps to look at what families typically spend on cremation memorial alternatives and what they actually receive.

A basic urn runs $100 to $400, and many families buy one and immediately feel it’s not enough. Keepsake urns for additional family members cost $50 to $200 each. Cremation jewelry runs $80 to $300 per piece, and each piece contains only a tiny pinch of ash. Some families pay for scattering ceremonies ($200 to $500) and still feel unresolved because scattering is irreversible and not everyone in the family agrees. Add these up and families often spend $500 to $1,500 cobbling together partial solutions that leave at least one person feeling like they didn’t get what they needed.

One Parting Stone order produces 40 to 80 or more individual stones. That’s enough for every sibling, every grandchild, and every close friend to have something tangible. The cost per stone works out to roughly $30 to $60. That context doesn’t make $2,495 feel small, but it reframes what you’re actually getting: not one memorial object, but dozens of them, each made entirely from your loved one.

Solidified Remains for Pets

Pet loss is not a lesser loss. Families who have lost a dog or cat and chosen cremation face the same uncomfortable reality: a bag or box of ashes that doesn’t feel like the companion they loved.

Parting Stone’s pet solidification uses the same process, the same care, and produces the same result. Dogs ($995) and cats ($795) receive individual processing. The stone count varies based on the pet’s size, but families typically receive a meaningful collection they can display, carry, or share with family members who also loved that pet.

Pet families often make this decision faster than those processing human loss, partly because the grief is socially validated in a different way and partly because there’s typically less family consensus required. If you’ve been sitting with your pet’s ashes and feeling the same quiet discomfort that this page addresses for human remains, know that the option exists and works the same way.

Why 12,000+ Families Chose Solidified Remains Over an Urn

Numbers matter when you’re trusting someone with a loved one’s remains. Parting Stone has served more than 12,000 families since launching in 2019, partners with over 1,000 funeral homes across the country, and maintains a 98% customer satisfaction rate. Those aren’t marketing claims from a startup. That’s a track record built across thousands of families making one of the most personal decisions they’ll ever face.

In 2023, Parting Stone appeared on Shark Tank and accepted an investment deal from Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary. The Shark Tank validation brought mainstream visibility, but the company’s credibility was already established through years of funeral home partnerships and word-of-mouth referrals from families who had gone through the process themselves.

What families consistently describe is the difference between knowing their loved one is in an urn and actually holding them. The stones feel substantial, warm, and natural. Families carry them in pockets, place them on nightstands, tuck them into garden beds, and bring them to family gatherings. The physical form changes the emotional relationship with the remains in a way that an urn or a scattering ceremony rarely achieves.

Sharing What an Urn Never Could

This is the part most cremation memorial options can’t replicate. When a family receives one urn, it goes to one person. When siblings live in different states, when adult children each want something tangible, when grandchildren ask for something to remember someone by, the urn creates a problem: who gets it? That question has caused real conflict in families who are already grieving.

Solidified remains solve this naturally. A collection of 40 to 80 or more stones means every family member who wants one can have one, without dividing anything, without anyone feeling left out, and without the discomfort of splitting ashes. Families describe this as one of the most unexpectedly meaningful parts of the experience: the moment they realized they could give everyone a stone and still have plenty remaining.

How Solidified Remains Compare to Other Cremation Memorials

Solidified remains aren’t the only option for families who want something more than a standard urn. Here’s how the most common alternatives compare, including where each one might serve you better than Parting Stone.

Cremation diamonds (companies like Eterneva) transform a small portion of ashes into a lab-grown diamond. The result is beautiful, but pricing starts around $3,000 and reaches $50,000 or more for larger stones. Diamonds work well for someone who wants a single piece of memorial jewelry. They don’t work as well for families who want to share remains among multiple people, since each diamond requires a separate order.

Cremation jewelry (pendants, rings, bracelets) typically costs $80 to $500 per piece and holds only a tiny pinch of ash. It’s a meaningful keepsake, but it doesn’t transform the remains or address the bulk of the ashes still sitting in the urn. Jewelry complements solidification well. Some families order stones and also keep a cremation pendant for daily wear.

Scattering is free or low-cost (ceremony fees range from $200 to $500) and deeply meaningful for many families. But it’s irreversible, it requires family consensus about location, and it leaves nothing tangible behind. For families where some members want to scatter and others want something to hold, Parting Stone offers partial solidification as a bridge: solidify most of the remains and scatter the rest.

Traditional urns range from $50 for a basic container to $400 or more for decorative options. An urn stores remains, but that’s all it does. It doesn’t transform them, it doesn’t invite interaction, and for many families, it ends up hidden because it feels more like storing a problem than honoring a person.

Tree burial and bio urns (like The Living Urn, $130 to $380) mix a portion of ashes with soil to grow a memorial tree. This is a beautiful option for families who connect with nature and want a living memorial. It doesn’t produce something holdable or shareable in the way solidified remains do, but it creates something lasting in a different way.

No single option is right for every family. If you’re comparing, the question to ask isn’t “which one is best?” It’s “what do I need from this?” If you need something you can hold, carry, and share with multiple people, solidified remains are purpose-built for that. If you need a single beautiful keepsake, a diamond or pendant might serve you better. If you need to let go completely, scattering might be what brings peace.

Honest Tradeoffs: What to Consider Before You Order

Parting Stone is a strong option for many families, but it’s not perfect for everyone. Here’s what to weigh honestly before committing.

The Wait Is Real

Eighty-four days is almost three months. If you’re in the early weeks of grief and need something tangible in your hands right now, the processing timeline may feel impossibly long. A cremation pendant or keepsake urn can arrive within days. Solidified remains cannot. Some families order stones and also get an immediate keepsake to bridge the gap, which is a reasonable approach.

Shipping Remains Requires Trust

There’s no way around this: you’re sending a loved one’s ashes to a facility you’ve most likely never visited, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. That’s a legitimate concern, and it deserves a direct answer. Parting Stone provides tracking throughout the process. Each set of remains is processed individually (never mixed with others unless co-mingling is requested). The company’s partnerships with over 1,000 funeral homes across the country provide an additional layer of institutional credibility. If your funeral home recommended Parting Stone, that’s not a coincidence. Funeral directors stake their professional reputation on every referral they make.

The Price Has Changed Before

Parting Stone’s pricing was restructured following their 2023 Shark Tank appearance. Earlier pricing was significantly lower. The current rate of $2,495 for human remains has held since that restructuring, but the company has not publicly committed to holding it indefinitely. This isn’t manufactured urgency. It’s simply factual context. If you’re comparing today’s price against waiting six months, know that pricing has moved before.

It’s Not Reversible

Once remains are solidified, they can’t be returned to ash form. For families considering partial solidification (sending only a portion of the remains), this is important to understand. You can solidify most and keep some ashes in reserve, but you can’t undo the solidification process.

Who Parting Stone Is For (and Who Should Look Elsewhere)

This is a strong fit if you:

• Have cremated remains that have been sitting in your home for months or years and you’ve never felt settled about it
• Want something tangible and holdable, not just a container
• Have multiple family members who each want something physical from the same loved one
• Value the idea of carrying a small stone in your pocket, placing one on a nightstand, or giving one to a grandchild
• Are pre-planning your own cremation arrangements and want to give your family something better than an urn to deal with
• Lost a pet and want the same option for their remains

You may want to look elsewhere if you:

• Need something tangible within days, not months (consider a cremation keepsake or memorial jewelry for immediate comfort)
• Want a single, wearable memorial rather than multiple stones (cremation diamonds or cremation jewelry may be a better fit)
• Find peace in letting go completely (scattering may be more meaningful for you)
• Are looking for a living memorial connected to nature (tree burial options create something different but lasting)
• Cannot comfortably afford $2,495 right now and would carry financial stress from the purchase (honoring your loved one shouldn’t create hardship; explore more affordable cremation memorial options that still bring comfort)

Pre-Need Planning: Arrange Solidified Remains Before You Need Them

In October 2025, Parting Stone launched Pre-Need Plans for individuals who want to arrange solidification in advance, while they’re healthy and thinking clearly, rather than leaving the decision to grieving family members.

Pre-need planning locks in today’s pricing and removes the decision burden from your family entirely. They’ll know exactly what you wanted, the financial commitment is already handled, and the collection kit process is already arranged. For families who have completed other advance planning, such as locking in affordable cremation coverage through a membership service, adding solidification completes the picture: cremation is handled, and what happens to the remains afterward is handled too.

If forward planning appeals to you, this is worth exploring. The combination of pre-arranged cremation and pre-arranged solidification means your family receives finished stones without having to make a single decision, pay a single bill, or navigate a single logistics step during the hardest days of their lives.

How to Get Started with Parting Stone

The process is straightforward, and you don’t need to commit to anything by visiting their site.

Step 1: Visit Parting Stone’s website and review the options for human remains, pet remains, or pre-need planning.

Step 2: Place your order. You’ll choose the type of solidification and provide shipping details.

Step 3: Receive your collection kit at home with prepaid return shipping and clear instructions.

Step 4: Transfer the cremation remains into the kit and ship it back. You can send all of the remains or a portion, depending on your preference.

Step 5: Approximately 84 days later, your finished solidified remains stones arrive at your door.

Parting Stone has served more than 12,000 families, maintains a 98% satisfaction rate, and partners with over 1,000 funeral homes nationwide. The process works with remains from traditional cremation and aquamation, and there’s no time limit on when remains can be solidified. Whether the cremation happened last week or ten years ago, the option is available.

It’s never too late to give your loved one a form you can actually hold.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Solidified Remains

Can I solidify cremation remains that have been stored for years?

Yes. There is no time limit on when cremated remains can be solidified. Whether the cremation happened last week or a decade ago, the process works the same way. Parting Stone has processed remains that families held for years before discovering solidification was an option. The condition of the ashes does not degrade over time in ways that affect the solidification process.

How many stones will I receive from one set of remains?

Most families receive between 40 and 80 or more individual stones from a single set of human remains. The exact number depends on the volume of cremation remains provided. Pet collections vary based on the animal’s size. Each stone is unique in color, shape, and texture because the mineral composition of every individual is different.

Can remains from two people be combined into one stone collection?

Yes. Parting Stone offers a co-mingling option that combines the cremation remains of two loved ones, such as spouses or a parent and child, into a single unified stone collection. This is a separate service from individual solidification, so contact Parting Stone directly for co-mingling pricing and details.

Does the solidification process work with aquamation or water cremation remains?

Yes. Parting Stone accepts remains from both traditional flame cremation and alkaline hydrolysis, commonly known as water cremation or aquamation. The solidification process produces the same result regardless of the cremation method used.

Is the solidification process scientifically validated?

Yes. Parting Stone’s patented process was independently validated by researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The solidification transforms cremation remains into a permanent, ceramic-like material through controlled refinement, formation, and kiln firing. The finished stones will not dissolve in water, degrade over time, or break under normal handling.

What if I only want to solidify a portion of the ashes?

Partial solidification is available. You can send a portion of the cremation remains to Parting Stone and keep the rest in their original form. Some families solidify most of the remains and scatter or keep the remainder. The collection kit includes instructions for both full and partial transfers. Keep in mind that solidification is not reversible, so any remains you send will be transformed permanently.

How long does the entire process take from order to delivery?

The current estimated processing time is approximately 84 days from the date Parting Stone receives your shipped remains. This includes refinement, formation, kiln solidification, finishing, and return shipping. The timeline cannot be rushed because each stage requires careful, individual processing. If a specific date matters to your family, factor in the processing window when placing your order.

Can I choose the color or shape of the stones?

No. The colors and shapes of solidified remains are determined naturally by the individual’s unique bone mineral composition. Factors like diet, age, and health throughout a person’s life influence the final appearance. Each collection is one of a kind, which many families describe as one of the most meaningful aspects of the experience.

Does Parting Stone serve pet families?

Yes. Parting Stone offers solidification for dogs ($995) and cats ($795). The process, care, and quality are identical to human remains processing. Pet families receive their own collection of unique stones. The service is available for pet remains regardless of when the cremation occurred.

What is Parting Stone’s Pre-Need Plan?

Launched in October 2025, Parting Stone’s Pre-Need Plans allow individuals to arrange and pay for solidification in advance while they are healthy and planning ahead. Pre-need planning locks in current pricing and removes the decision burden from family members after a loss. Combined with pre-arranged cremation coverage, it creates a complete end-of-life plan where both cremation and solidification are handled before they are needed.