Keeping your pet close in Avondale: pendants, rings and glass
Around 3,100 dogs and cats die in Avondale each year, by our estimate, and many families keep a little of the ashes to wear. Here's what pendants, glass and diamonds cost and how to get one filled safely.
- Real listed prices by metal and material
- Local jeweler or mail-in, explained
- Safe ways to fill and seal at home
Avondale, Arizona
How Avondale owners get a memorial piece made
Avondale is a young, mixed city, with many families that have moved from other states or from Mexico, and each brings its own traditions of remembrance. Some keep a small altar with photos and candles; others choose a simple urn or a garden stone. There is no right choice, only the one that feels right to you. Take the time you need before deciding.
The Phoenix-area sun bleaches and cracks resin, plastic and painted markers within a few summers. For anything outside in Avondale, choose natural stone, bronze or ceramic rated for outdoor use, and set it in partial shade if you can. A tree urn needs a desert-hardy species and regular watering through its first summers. Drip irrigation on a timer makes that far easier through June and July.
A place like Avondale often has one jeweler most people use for repairs, and that person is frequently the best bet for a memorial fill. They know their tools, handle small screws daily and will often do the job at the counter. If they haven't filled an ash piece before, bring the maker's instructions and ask them to read them first.
Avondale's population is around 100,983, the 14th-largest of the 29 Arizona communities we cover. Phoenix, roughly 17 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Avondale run from there.
For a second opinion on price, Goodyear (5 miles), Phoenix (17 miles, a larger centre) and Glendale (18 miles, a larger centre) are close enough that their providers cover Avondale routinely. Two written quotes tell you more than any price list.
Our estimate
37,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Avondale
How we calculated this
100,983 ÷ 2.5 = 40,393 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 37,000. Multi-pet homes count once.
Our estimate
3,100
Avondale families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
37,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 3,100 a year. The real figure is unlikely to be lower.
53%[1]
53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households.
12.69 years[2]
US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years.
39%[3]
39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households.
11.18 years[4]
US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years.
None of the figures on this this page are ours alone: they rest on American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
How Arizona feels about cremation, and what that means for jewelry
About 80.7%[5] of people in Arizona are cremated, so most families here have already met ashes jewelry through a relative, a friend or a funeral home display. That makes a pet pendant feel ordinary rather than strange, and it means local jewelers are more likely to have filled one before. Ask them; you may find the same pieces sold for people are sold for pets, just with a paw print or a different engraving.
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) is where the Arizona figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in Avondale tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
How the local climate affects fit, seals and finish
Heat is one reason some Avondale families fill jewelry straight away but hold an outdoor scattering or tree planting for a cooler month. If older relatives will be there, an early morning outside May, June, July, August, September and October is kinder. Wearing the new pendant at that gathering ties the two memorials together.
Heat makes fingers swell, so a ring that fits in a cool Avondale morning can feel tight by mid-afternoon in July. If you're ordering a ring with ashes, measure your finger late in the day in warm weather and ask the maker whether a comfort-fit band suits your size. A sealed ash ring usually can't be resized easily, so a little extra room is safer than a snug fit.
What you'll likely pay, from steel to diamond
Most pet cremation jewelry in the US costs $30–$300+[6] (per one large retailer), and the table below shows where each material sits. Memorial diamonds are in a different league: a quarter-carat stone is listed at $3,499[7] by one of the larger US labs, about 27 times a typical sterling pendant[8]. If you're in Avondale and weighing a diamond against a set of silver pieces for the whole family, that ratio is worth keeping in mind.
We keep the detailed Arizona price table on one page so it stays current: see Arizona prices.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Rules for keeping, sharing and mailing ashes in Arizona
Before you split the ashes, it helps to know what you'll do with the part that won't go into jewelry, because that's where Arizona's rules come in. Scattering on land you don't own, burying in a shared garden and releasing ashes into water can each carry conditions. The piece you wear carries none.
Not sure which office covers Avondale? The Arizona local government directory is the official list.
Home burial and scattering are governed at the Arizona level first; our Arizona rules summary has the detail. Then check whether Avondale or your HOA adds anything.
A simple order checklist
- Set a small portion aside. The crematory can bag a teaspoon on its own if you ask, or you can lift one out of the urn at home using a clean spoon, working over a sheet of paper.
- Decide who the pieces are for. Count everyone who wants one before you buy, so the set matches and the portions are planned.
- Choose a material that fits daily life. Sensitive skin does well with steel or titanium; glass can't leak; sterling silver looks traditional; and a diamond is the choice when you want something that lasts.
- Pick local filling or mail-in. An Avondale jeweler can fill and seal in person; a specialist elsewhere may offer more designs but means mailing ashes.
- Get a written price. Ask the quote to spell out what's covered: fill, seal, chain, engraving and the postage back to you.
- Seal and check. Confirm adhesive has gone on the screw thread, and look it over once more after you've worn it for a week.
More ways to keep your pet in daily life
Most Avondale homes are in HOA communities with small yards, so many families choose an indoor memorial: an urn on a shelf, a framed paw print, or a keepsake piece of jewelry. If you'd like something outdoors, a small stone in a planter or a potted desert plant can sit on a patio without worrying about HOA rules. Portable pieces also move easily if you relocate within the Valley.
try the free planning tools, The services page is the place to compare what is included, the guides answer the longer questions and the blog the newer ones, or see what other families chose in the poll results. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Tucson, Mesa, Gilbert and Glendale, and every city in Arizona.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
If you wore something with your pet's ashes, what would it be?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Who fills the piece with ashes?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Jewelry ash capacity guide
How much ash fits in pendants, rings and glass, and how many pieces one pet can fill.
Ashes sharing planner
Split ashes fairly between family members, keepsake urns and jewelry.
Questions people ask
How many pet owners live in Avondale?
By our estimate, about 37,000 households in Avondale have at least one dog or cat, and around 3,100 are lost each year. We calculate this from the city's population of about 100,983, the average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures, so treat it as a floor rather than an exact count.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Avondale?
Usually yes. Goodyear is about 5 miles away, Phoenix is about 17 miles away and Glendale is about 18 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Does the Avondale climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In July, with highs near 105°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. Winters here are mild enough that burial or scattering is possible in any month.
Where are the providers that serve Avondale actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Phoenix, about 17 miles away. That is normal for a city this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Avondale and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Should I buy memorial jewelry locally in Avondale or online?
Buy locally if you want to hand ashes over in person, try on samples or get a ring sized properly. Buy online if you want a specific design, a paw print engraving or glass and resin work that local shops don't offer. Many Avondale owners do both: order online, then have a local jeweler fill it or check the seal.
Can one pendant hold ashes from two pets?
Yes. Many chambers take a pinch from each, and some makers offer double-chambered pieces or two glass beads on one chain. Only mix the portions if you're sure, because once sealed they can't be separated. The capacity guide helps you check a chamber is big enough for both, and keeping a little of each pet apart in the urn leaves options open.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 2025.
- [2] US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [3] 39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 2025.
- [4] US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [5] The NFDA projected Arizona's cremation rate at 80.7% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] Cremation jewelry that holds pet ashes typically costs $30–$300+. Memorials.com – Pet Cremation Cost Guide 2026, 2026.
- [7] Eterneva prices a 0.25-carat memorial diamond from ashes at $3,499; its range starts at $2,999 for 0.1 carat. Eterneva – Pet Ashes to Diamonds, 2026.
- [8] The entry-level Eterneva memorial diamond (0.25 ct) costs about 27 times a typical sterling silver ashes pendant. Our estimate: $3,499 / $129 (Urns.com sterling silver median). How we calculate.
- [9] Entry-level sterling silver pet-ash necklaces cost about 4.4 times entry-level stainless steel ones. Our estimate: $87.95 / $19.95 (Memorials.com starting prices). How we calculate.
Tell us what you'd like to wear
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.