LifeGem

LifeGem turns cremation ashes into diamonds.

Jarrod Phillips was killed 2 years ago in a car wreck. He left behind a son, Tristan, who was just 10 days old.

"We particularly miss him not being able to be a daddy, and knowing what a great daddy he would be," said Susan Phillips, Jarrod's mother.

How to handle the decisions that immediately accompany the death of a loved one is a moment most folks aren't prepared for. Instead of a burial, Jarrod's family chose cremation.

And with those ashes, Jarrod's family chose a creative way to remember him. They had his cremated remains processed into a yellow, man-made diamond that his mother wears in a cross necklace around her neck.

"I just enjoy having it close to my heart," Phillips said.

Cremation allows families to make their memorial plans at their own pace. One reason for that is one-in-every-three people in the country is cremated.

That number is lower in Texas, where traditional burials are more common than other places. But the Restland Funeral Home in Garland expects cremations to eventually make up half its business.

"It used to be you made the arrangements one day, you had the visitation the following day and you had the funeral service on the third day," said Jeremy Weaver, General Manager of Restland Funeral Home in Garland.

Funeral and memorial services can cost about $8,000, while cremation costs less at around $4,500.

"People like cremation because it tends to be less complicated," Weaver said.

In preparation for the future growth of cremation, Restland has opened a full-service cremation garden, which is a unique concept in the area. Cremated remains can be scattered there, preserved under stepping stones or inside a bench. The public is welcome to scatter at the location at no charge.

Many funeral homes can direct families to companies that offer creative ways to scatter cremated ashes, including dropping them from a plane, off a boat or shooting them into space.