What should I know before buying a funeral or cremation ash urn?

A funeral urn is a personal memorial in which the ashes or part of the deceased's ashes are kept. Because purchasing such an emotional object is not easy, we recommend that you take your time. Depending on your country or region it’s mandatory to wait some days before you can pick up the ashes at the crematorium.

We would like to advise you to first carefully browse through our web store to see what you like. This way you can come up with possible ideas that you can discuss with your family. Chances are, you’ll know which urn is perfect when you see it, but keeping the personality of the deceased can help make the process more personal. To help you with this, we have some advice for you in the selection process.

Who is the funeral urn dedicated to?
Can I personalize an urn?
What size of urn do I need?
Where am I going to place the urn?
What type of materials are available?
What colours and shapes are available?
How are the cremated ashes placed in the urn?
Where can I purchase an urn?

Who is the funeral urn dedicated to?

Dealing with grief and loss may be one of the most difficult times during life that you will ever face. Deciding how to deal with a loved one’s ashes is a personal decision. Many of our urns allow you to add your own personal touch to celebrate the uniqueness of the life it represents. Urns can offer a lasting memorial, and an ash casket can be a uniquely personal way of ensuring the person you love is never forgotten. Finding a way to honor the deceased’s life and the relationship you had with them can really help the healing process.

Some cremation urns, for example, look fairly traditional, but you may prefer an urn or ash casket with a more modern appearance. If you are unsure which urn you would like it may help to look for the urn, keepsake or ash jewel that best reflects your loved ones personality.

You want to make sure that the urn you select reflects the wishes and tastes of the deceased and his or her loved one’s. If the deceased was concerned about the environment, a biodegradable urn may be best. You can also choose to purchase an urn that suits the person’s way of life. Or look at his or her passions, the shape of the urn, color and type of material. You can also look at your living environment or interior. We also offer urns that represent a certain symbolism or a special feeling. Because we collaborate with artists at home and abroad, almost everything can be depicted.

Can I personalize an urn?

Many urns offer the possibility of being personalized by customizing the model, providing the urn with a text and or image, providing the urn with a painting, having the urn engraved or by having a completely custom-made urn shaped by one of our artists. If the urn can be engraved or painted, it is stated in the relevant article below the order button. If questions remain on this subject, you can always contact us. Some examples of urns to be adjusted can be found below:

What size of urn do I need?

If you plan to inter a loved one’s ashes in an urn, you’ll need to know the appropriate size. Choosing the urn size is often the starting point when selecting a tangible memory. Simply put, the urns in our webstore can be categorized in (adult) urns, keepsake urns (urns that fit in the palm of your hand), infant urns and double or companion urns (twice the volume capacity, for storing the ashes of a couple). Our urns are described in cubic inches and in liters. The following are the most common urn sizes and capacities:

(Adult) urns

The cremation ash that is released after the incineration of an adult is about 3 to 3.5 liters / 183 - 215 cubic inches. The volume of an urn is listed with each article in our website. Most urns are the standard size with enough room for the remains of a single adult. Especially when an urn is to be placed in an urn grave or columbarium (urn wall/niche) you’ll have to take into account the dimensions of the urn.

Keepsake urns

In addition to storing the entire quantity of ash from a loved one in an urn, it is also possible to place a part of the ash in a keepsake urn. Keepsake urns are miniature urns that are most often used to store a small portion of someone’s cremated remains. In this way, for example, several family members can share a loved one’s remains. The average volume is 1.5 liters / 100 cubic inches.

Double or companion urns

There are double urns in which the entire amount of ashes from 2 persons can be placed. There are also urns that can be placed both independently as well as together to form a sculpture. Duo or companion urns are suitable for holding around 5 to 9 liters / 300 to 600 cubic inches. Companion urns are designed to hold the cremated ashes of two people.

Where am I going to place the urn?

An urn can be placed in many places. It is therefore important to think about the future location of the urn. This can be at your home, the home of one or more relatives or, for example, on a pedestal in the garden. If you are keeping the urn at home you will need to think about where you will store it. Will it be indoors or out, will it be buried? If you do plan to bury the urn at home, be sure to check your local laws to make sure that this is permitted.

The urn can also be placed in or on the family grave, in a columbarium (urn wall) or in an urn monument in an urn garden. It’s wise to inquire in advance if the urn is suitable for placement at a location of your choice (especially inside or outside). The funeral home or cemetery can provide you with any specifications that you need to keep in mind when you make your selection. In some cases, the urn must be no larger than a certain size and made of certain materials. An environmentally friendly cemetery may require that your urn be made of biodegradable materials. If the urn will be buried at a cemetery you will also need to purchase an urn vault. The vault will protect the urn and keep the ground around it from collapsing.

Pay attention to the dimensions of the urn and whether the urn is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Not all materials can withstand the weather (winter hardy), which means that an urn can, for example, burst and crack during frost periods. Materials that are extremely suitable for outdoor urns are stainless steel, natural stone (especially granite) and bronze.

What type of materials are available?

Our urns are available in many shapes and sizes. The most commonly used materials are ceramics, stainless steel (metal that does not rust), glass, bronze, brass, copper, marble, granite, porcelain, fiberglass, steel and wood. These materials have been used for urns since ancient times. A memorial plaque can be placed on most of the urns in our webstore. The urns can also be engraved or painted depending on the material. A base plate can even be ordered. A picture or engraving plaque can be pasted on here.

What colours and shapes are available?

In addition to the material of the urn, the shape and the colour play an important role. While colours can be interpreted in a lot of different ways from culture or religion, often times colors can evoke an emotion or a mood. For example, intense or brighter colours can bring about intense and energetic feelings, while lighter shades tend to express a feeling of tranquility. Colours like red, orange and yellow can result in feelings of comfort or warmth. Cooler colours like green, blue and violet create feelings of serenity or calmness.

We encourage you to browse our website and see which style suits you or that of the deceased person. Pay attention to the dimensions and capacity measurements stated on the urn. This way you know what the true size is and whether the entire amount of ashes fit in the urn. Because each urn is made separately by our artists, it may occur that the urn is slightly different from the picture on the website. If you have special requests, we advise you to contact us to discuss your requirements.

How are the cremated ashes placed in the urn?

The loss of a loved one brings unexpected challenges, such as the handling of their ashes after cremation. In the following we will explain how to fill an urn with ashes. First, there are three main options on who will assume responsibility for transferring the ashes. The filling of an urn requires a certain degree of accuracy. You are free to choose whether you want to fill the urn yourself or have it done by, for example:

Your funeral director or funeral attendant
Cremated remains usually come from the funeral home contained in a thick polyethylene bag that is inside a sturdy cardboard tube or plastic temporary urn (ash container). The temporary urn will be labeled for proper identification, holds a refractory cremation stone and – depending on the country - accompanied by a certificate of cremation that is required to remain with the ashes. You can consult with your funeral director at any time whether it is possible that they do this. This is often associated with costs.

The crematorium
You can contact your crematorium to discuss whether they want to fill the urn. Again, there are usually costs involved.

Fill the cremation urn yourself
It is fairly easy to fill the urn yourself or have it filled by a family member. With the ordered urn you will receive a filling manual which shows how the urn should be filled. Bear in mind that the refractory cremation stone is in the ash container given by the crematorium. You can choose a separate destination for this. Also, not every filling opening of each urn is large enough to place the stone in it. In this link, more explanation is given about the filling of an urn.

Where can I purchase the urn?

Our range consists of a large number of unique urns and matching ash jewelry. You can easy browse through our website and order in our online store.