Since urns come in several different sizes, we need to know what the plan is for the final resting place. Is this for an adult, child, or pet? Do you plan to bury, scatter, divide, or store all of the ashes? A very general guide in the memorial industry is to use a 1 cubic inch capacity to one pound of weight at the time of death as a measurement. Know that this guideline can vary somewhat. Most of the adult urns that we carry on our website are 200-225 cubic inches. The average adult dispersement at time of cremation is about 170 cubic inches.

When you see the term "keepsake" this means that it's a small capacity urn and will only hold a portion of an adult's ashes, but might be suitable for families that are going to share or spread portions, or for a child or pet.

There is also a limited selection of urns that will hold the ashes of two people. Look for cubic inch capacity of 300-400 cubic inches.

We need to know if the urn will be buried, will it be placed in an above ground space at the cemetery, or kept in the home? Are you scattering or spreading the ashes? If so, land or water? All of these factors could impact your choice. In order to make the best decision, consider the materials and your usage.

• Brass:  Affordable, secure, and versatile. So many decorative choices, suitable for burial, usually sized well for cemetery columbarium walls, and displays well in the home.
• Bronze: Premium choice, good for those that want a scultpure look that blends into the decor of your home, lasts a lifetime and will develop a beautiful patina over time.
• Wood:  Beauty and warmth. Usually lighter weight than the metal. Handcrafted finishes, easily engraved. Suitable for burial in a grave, check with your cemetery to see if they allow wood in the above ground walls.
• Crystal, Blown Glass, Ceramic, Porcelain:  Some of the most beautiful funeral urns as well as art forms. Cut crystal and the blown glass can be lit so that the facets will sparkle and shine.

A: Most of the brass and other metals weigh anywhere from 4-7 pounds. Marble and bronze are sturdy materials and will weigh in the range of 15-40 pounds or more. Ceramic and glass are lighter weight, usually 3-4 pounds. Just know that once the urn is filled, the ashes can add up to 7 more pounds.

Your funeral director will help. If you plan to make the transfer yourself, most of our vase shape styles open from the top. Many wood and sculpture urns will load from the bottom and have a plate that can be removed with screws. If you have the temporary plastic container from the funeral home, the ashes are usually bagged inside the box and either pour through a funnel or simply place the bag inside the urn. There are some memorial chest styles with a hinged locking lid that opens easily and will accept the box from the funeral home. You can simply place the ashes inside, close and lock for safekeeping.

Most of our brass urns have secure threaded lids, and are self sealing, although sometimes families opt to add a drop of glue to the threads for an added measure of security. Many of the wood urns load from the bottom and have a panel that screws into place. Cloisonne, marble and other materials usually load from the top and can be easily sealed with a few beads of any clear household adhesive. Cremation jewelry comes with funnel for filling and glue for sealing.

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