Memento

An object kept because it recalls a person, place, or valued experience.

Reach for it when naming a memory-bearing object whose personal association matters more than its market value

He saved the worn map as a memento of their first mountain crossing.

• everyday

  reminder

  anything prompts recollection or action

  not when A reminder can be a message or alarm with no sentimental value.

• everyday

  souvenir

  an item recalls travel, a place, or an event

  not when Souvenir often means a purchased product and may lack deep personal meaning.

• warm

  keepsake

  affection gives a small object personal value

  not when Keepsake is usually intimate, while a memento may commemorate a public event.

• professional

  memorabilia

  a group of collectible objects is linked to a person or event

  not when Memorabilia is usually plural in sense and may be collected for value rather than affection.

• formal

  token

  a small object represents affection, gratitude, or remembrance

  not when Token emphasizes symbolic exchange rather than a memory retained by its owner.

• literary

  relic

  an old surviving object carries historical or sacred association

  not when Relic stresses age and survival, not a particular owner's memory.

• disposal
• forgetting
• ephemera

• small memento

  A small memento from each tour hangs beside the conductor's desk.

• keep as a memento

  She chose to keep the ribbon as a memento of the opening night.

• personal memento

  The public archive returned every personal memento to the family.