What are the options for a final resting vessel to hold loved one’s ashes?

Deciding on a final resting place or vessel for your loved one is a difficult but necessary decision that everyone faces in their lives. This is a brief guide to help you decide on a final resting vessel to hold your loved one’s ashes.

There are a wide variety of choices in the memorial marketplace. There are ceramic urns, wooden urns, copper urns, bronze urns, biodegradable urns, urn-like jewelry, glass jewelry and keepsakes that incorporate ashes.

Handcrafted memorial pieces are as close to the human touch as you can get. They will let you honor your loved one in a one of-a-kind vessel that is not only a resting place for the ashes but is also a unique piece of art that celebrates the life of your loved one.

Urn sizes vary depending on how you want to memorialize your loved one. Urns are measured in cubic inches. The general rule of thumb is for every pound of the person’s total weight you will need one cubic inch of space but even the ashes of very large people usually fit in a 200 cubic inch urn. So if a person weighed 150 lbs. you will need an urn that is 150 cubic inches or larger.

Types and sizes of urns:

A companion urn can accommodate the ashes of two people (e.g. husband and wife). Its capacity varies from 300 cubic inches to 500 cubic inches.

An individual size urn can hold the ashes of one person. Its capacity varies from 110 cubic inches to 220 cubic inches.

Sharing urns allow several family members to retain a portion of the ashes as the ashes are split up into several smaller sized urns. Scattering urns used in scattering ceremonies fall into this category. Their capacity varies from 30 cubic inches to 100 cubic inches.

Keepsake urns are sized to hold only a small portion of cremation ashes. These are often used when the majority of an individual’s remains are put in a final resting place, to keep a portion of the ashes close to home. Their capacity varies from 15 cubic inches to 50 cubic inches.

Jewelry urns are tiny. It is a specially designed jewelry piece that has an inner chamber to hold a tiny portion of ashes as a memento.

Families that are looking for more unique alternatives, have another option for ashes: glass jewelry and keepsakes that incorporate ashes. Handcrafted cremation keepsakes can be glass ornaments, rubbing stones, paperweights or sculptures. Everyone’s ashes are different and unique like fingerprints. The color and texture of each jewelry piece or keepsake will vary due to its handcrafted nature.

About ARTISURN (www.artisurn.com): ARTISURN was founded by Irina Jordan on the premise that everyone deserves a lovingly handcrafted memorial vessel. People can celebrate the life of a loved one or beloved pet by finding a perfect memorial item that they can proudly display in their homes or wear close to their heart.