Ashes into Diamonds vs Stone: Eterneva vs Parting Stone

Some families want more than an urn. Two services turn a pet's ashes into a permanent object you can keep in your hand: a memorial diamond and solidified stone. They sound similar and they are often compared, but they answer the underlying question, how much of my pet do I actually get back, in opposite ways. This guide lays out the real difference so you can choose before you commit thousands of dollars.

What is the difference between a memorial diamond and solidified stone?

A memorial diamond, made by companies like Eterneva, is grown in a lab from carbon. A portion of that carbon is extracted from your pet's ashes, and more carbon is added to complete the crystal. The result is a single gem you can set in jewelry. It is beautiful, it is expensive, and it takes the better part of a year.

Solidified stone, made by Parting Stone, takes the entire volume of your pet's ashes and processes it into a handful of smooth, solid stones. Nothing is left as loose ash. You get a collection of stones rather than a single gem, in weeks rather than months, at a fraction of the price.

The choice between them is really a choice between a single precious object containing a trace of your pet, and a set of humble stones that are all of your pet.

Eterneva versus Parting Stone at a glance

Eterneva: a diamond containing a trace of your pet

Eterneva, a Shark Tank brand, grows a lab diamond you can set in a ring or pendant, with a published grid from $3,499 for a quarter carat up to $42,000 for three carats, and a process that runs 7 to 10 months. It is the most premium memorial product on the market. The honest catch, which Eterneva discloses on its own science page, is that only 10 to 15 percent of the finished diamond's carbon comes from your pet; the rest is added to complete the crystal. That does not make it less meaningful, but it is the single fact to understand before you spend the money. Our Eterneva review has the full grid.

Parting Stone: all of your pet, in stones you can hold

Parting Stone solidifies the complete volume of ashes into smooth, hand sized stones, a dog returning roughly 5 to 40 and a cat 2 to 10, for a flat $1,195. The process was developed with Los Alamos National Laboratory, the company is a registered Public Benefit Corporation, and it accepts water cremation remains too. Turnaround is about 10 to 12 weeks, and there is an unusual guarantee: within a year you can send back 100 percent of the stones to have them converted back to an ash like powder for a refund. The one real criticism is the flat price, which lands unevenly, a cat owner pays the same $1,195 as a great dane owner but gets far fewer stones. Our Parting Stone review covers it in full.

How much of my pet is actually in each?

This is the question that usually decides it. With Parting Stone, the answer is all of it: the full volume of ashes goes in and comes back as stones, nothing kept, nothing blended. With a memorial diamond, only 10 to 15 percent of the finished stone's carbon is your pet's, because a diamond needs far more carbon than a small sample of ashes provides, and the rest is added. Reputable diamond companies state this plainly. If the idea of a partial or blended memorial troubles you, that difference is the whole decision, and solidified stone is the honest fit.

How much do they cost, and how long do they take?

Solidified stone is both cheaper and faster. Parting Stone is a flat $1,195 for a dog or cat and comes back in about 10 to 12 weeks. Eterneva starts at $3,499 and climbs with carat and color into the tens of thousands, over 7 to 10 months. For scale, that puts Parting Stone at roughly a third of the diamond's entry price and about a third of the wait. Both return the ashes you do not use, though with Parting Stone there is nothing left over because it uses the full volume.

What if I chose aquamation, or only have some of the ashes?

Both situations are workable, but they favor different options. Parting Stone accepts water cremation, or aquamation, remains, which not every memorial product does, so if you chose aquamation it is a natural fit. It does, however, use the full volume of remains, so it is designed for when you have all of them.

A memorial diamond is the more flexible option if you have only part of the ashes, since it needs only about half a cup, so you can keep the rest and still have a diamond made. If you have already divided the ashes, scattered some, or kept only a keepsake amount, a diamond can usually still be made from what you have, while solidified stone works best when the full volume is available. Whichever you are considering, tell the company up front how the remains were processed and roughly how much you have, so they can confirm what is possible before you commit.

Which should I choose?

Choose Parting Stone if you want every part of your pet back, want it in weeks rather than most of a year, want to share pieces among family, or want the option to undo the decision. Choose a memorial diamond from Eterneva if you specifically want a single heirloom gem to set in jewelry, understand that it contains a trace rather than all of your pet, and the price is not the deciding factor. Neither is more loving; they are different objects for different people. You can see both, and the wider category, on our ashes into diamonds and stone page, and our guide on what to do with pet ashes puts them next to the other options.