• Columbarium- a vault or other structure with niches that will hold remains in memoriam.
• Cremains- short for cremated remains
• Keepsake- a type of urn that typically hold a portion of remains, a lock of hair, or some other item of remembrance, allowing family members to share the remains of the deceased.
• Niche- a recess or compartment in a columbarium or other structure designed to hold remains, almost always contained in an urn.
• Urn- originally a vase with a foot or pedestal used to hold cremated remains; now, urns cone in a vast variety of applications.

 

Types of Urns

Some people think an urn is an urn. But that is not the cast. Every family’s situation is unique, and there are urns for all sorts of situations. Here are a few:

 

• Permanent Individual Urn- these urns are designed to hold the entire remains of the deceased. Some are designed for permanent display, usually in the home, while others are made to be stored in a columbarium or other permanent resting place.
• Double Urn- designed to hold the remains of two people, typically a husband and wife, or otherwise committed couple.
• Companion Urns- similar to the double urn, but with two separate compartments.
• Scattering Urn- an urn used to scatter remains, typically over ground or water that has particular significance to the deceased or the family.
• Biodegradable Urn- an alternative to the scattering urn, the biodegradable urn can be buried, slowly dissolving and gently returning the remains to the earth. Or, for water it will dissolve more quickly to release the cremains.
• Infant/Child Urn- these have small capacity, desired to hold the remains of an infant or small child. They are frequently designed with a child theme.
• Keepsake Urn- a type of urn that typically holds a portion of remains, allowing family members to share the cremains of the deceased.
• Keepsake Jewelry- similar to a keepsake urn, keepsake jewelry allows wearers to discretely take a small portion of cremains, lock of hair, or other remembrance with them wherever they go. The tradition of keepsake jewelry goes back to the Middle Ages, when “Memento Mori” (“Remember Me”) jewelry was created by encasing a lock of hair in gold, silver or other precious components.
• Temporary Cremains Containers- used only by Cremation Professionals, these are primarily used to transport remains from one location to another.
• Cremains Vault- necessary if the urn is going to be buried, the vault protects the urn and cremains from water and other elements naturally occurring in the ground.

 

Materials

• Bronze- urns are available in both cast bronze and spun bronze. Bronze is an alloy of copper- fairly soft metal- mixed with either zinc or tin for added strength and durability. Bronze is used in cast, usually classically sculptural designs, or spun designs, which are usually cleaner and more contemporary, with less applied decoration. Bronze urns are naturally an attractive, rich-looking-reddish tan color, with a lovely sheen, although other surface treatments (often called patinas) can vary the appearance considerably.
• Pewter- an alloy of copper, tin, and antimony, Pewter has a lustrous, silvery appearance.
• Steel- an alloy of iron and carbon, often with traces of other elements to improve working and performance characteristics. Steel can be made with a muted finish – satiny, or even matte, and often has a decorative coating applied. One notable example of steel is stainless steel, which resists corrosion, oxidation or rusting, even without a coating. Stainless steel can be polished to a mirror-like silver finish.
• Zinc- a bluish- white metallic element, zinc is a highly durable material that lends itself well to die casting.
• Copper- a ductile, highly corrosion- resistant metallic element with a beautiful reddish- brown color, usually lacquered to prevent oxidation (which gives it a greenish cast)
• Ceramics- all ceramics are made by shaping clay and heating it to a very high temperature, creating a very hard, durable, corrosion-resistant material.
• Porcelain- a very fine type of ceramic, fired with glazes that give it an elegant, shiny appearance, frequently elaborately decorated.
• Cloisonné- a type of fine ceramic covered with different colors of enamel separated by thin strips of metal set on edge, usually in astonishingly- detailed designs. Cloisonné is a centuries-old art form that originated in China.

 

Modern Materials

 

• Cultured Stone- Cultured materials, such as cultured marble, are made by combining natural materials (usually stone) with modern polymers. The very durable result looks like natural stone, but since the material can be molded, it is more versatile than natural stone. Many color variations are available. Some versions avoid veining- the weakest part of natural stone- for a smoother, more uniform appearance.
• Cold Cast- tough, polymers that are particularly well suited for casting in elaborate, intricate molds. Cold Cast materials are particularly known for their durability.