Cremation urns are vessels, mostly like vases, that are meant to store the ashes of your loved ones who have been cremated.

It is believed that most probably, cremation began during the Stone Age as archaeologists have excavated cremation urns from Stone Age in caves in Europe and the Near East

Cremation urns or simply urns, are prepared from a variety of materials such as metal, stone, ceramic, glass, marble, leather, wood, and so on.

Moreover, there are biodegradable urns that are prepared from organic materials, that is, mineral soil, paper clay, etc.

Shed no tear! O shed no tear!
The flower will bloom another year.
Weep no more! O weep no more!
Young buds sleep in the root’s white core.

- John Keats, “Faery Songs”

Cremation ashes are usually scattered back to the earth or sea. Often, people opt to keep a small portion of the remains in a keepsake urn to be placed on a mantle or shelf.

Having these urns serves as a way to honor and remember a deceased family member. Thus, they should not be used for the purpose of decoration.

Nevertheless, you can get a beautiful and artistically designed cremation urn for your loved one to create a warm and peaceful memory. There are numerous styles and designs for you to choose from.

For instance, you can look for glass urns, cultured marble urns, brass urns, portrait urns, professionally crafted wood urns prepared from cherry, oak, maple, and other hard wood materials), etc.

Furthermore, you will find religious urns, companion urns (for loving couples), Cloisonne urns (especially for artists), funeral urns, veteran urns, themed urns (pertaining the passion, hobbies, or interests of the deceased), and so on.

Thus, you can choose an urn that befits your loved ones. For example, you can get an urn depicting scenic beauty for someone who enjoyed being surrounded by nature.

The top or bottom opening lids of most cremation urns can be sealed with an adhesive. Some people prefer to keep the urns in a church, chapel or mausoleum, while others opt to keep them at home.

If you are planning to bury the urn then you can go for a cremation urn prepared from sustainable materials. These materials make the urn environment friendly and thus it decomposes back into the earth within a few months.

You may bury the ashes of the deceased in a traditional burial plot or at place where your loved one wanted his or her cremains buried or scattered.

This way, you can even visit the place to remember that special person in your life and unburden your feelings and emotions.

Before buying a cremation urn for a loved one, you can ask your crematorium or funeral director about the capacity of urn that you should purchase as cremation urns are available in different shapes and sizes.

Approximately, a pound of body weight reduces into one cubic inch ash. So, you can calculate the capacity of urn you need depending on the weight of the person being cremated.