Understanding different types of materials for cremation urns:
Over the years, we are witnessing a rise in the process of cremation over burials. It has gained enough popularity so much so that over 56% of Americans are choosing cremation today and the number is showing a favorable increase by 2030. It is followed by the increasing demand for cremation urns as well.
Hence, selecting the right cremation urn will be a difficult choice to make as there are thousands of cremation urns available in the market. We have to look for the right size, style, material and durability. Of course, making a good investment for something that lasts for long requires some decision-making. After all, we don’t want our loved one’s ashes to get dispersed all over the place because of some cheap urn that got toppled.
Therefore, we have prepared a mini-guide for our audience to look forward for some right inspiration-
Suitable Materials for urns:
- Ceramic -
Modern ceramic-cremation urns are designed in such a way that they are durable with the touch of classic styles, and fulfills the criteria of keeping the ashes safe. When it comes to ceramic urns, they are best for those who are looking for urns that are chic and sleek in designs. Ceramic urns can be quite fragile in nature. You might need to put extra efforts into preserving the ashes. Hence, it is best to place them in a secure environment with some high elevation. But they are very easy for adding personalization touches.These can be crafted in many shapes and sizes with flat or molded surfaces to suit the decor of your premise.
- Wood:
The primary step in making the best wooden urns depends on what kind of wood you are choosing. There are many types of wooden urns available in the market with fine engravings. But the type of wood you select can make a big difference in its quality and durability. Mahogany and oak are more durable ones whereas pine or cedar falls more in the category of softwoods.
Being the most traditional material used for making urns, wooden cremation urns are particularly a popular choice of most folks as nothing shines like a polished block of wood. It gives a pretty coffee color ranging from dark brown to lighter shades. One must keep in mind that these urns need to be kept indoors to prevent it from high humid temperatures.
- Brass or other metals:
Urns made up with Brass or any other metal like copper, steel or bronze are strong, durable and can be placed anywhere, either indoor or outdoors. These are unique in their own ways. People generally prefer them over other types of urns because of their long lasting tendencies so as to preserve them as a souvenir for the upcoming generations.
Metal cremation urns can be crafted in many designs and forms as per the demand. They have a wide personalization spectrum. These might include a soft-coated layer beneath the hard outer layering for protecting the remains followed by a polished chrome finish as a last touch-up.
- Glass:
There are plenty of options to choose an urn from. But if one is looking for some unique material designs that are not easily found, we would recommend you to go with the glass cremation urns. Glass cremation urns are crafted with glass-blowing technique which is versatile in itself but terribly difficult also.
Mostly, glass urns are used as keepsakes for showcasing in the living area, serving as a constant reminder of those who left us. These can be customized in various shades suited to your home-decor. Moreover, one should be careful in their maintenance because of their fragile nature.
- Biodegradable Urns:
Biodegradable urns are in a huge demand nowadays during this crucial climatic era. Their market is touching heights of innovation where everyone is coming with their own ideas of sustainable urns.
With people becoming more aware about our environmental challenges, they are shifting towards something which is durable, environmentally-feasible and plays its role of honoring our deceased ones properly. Hence, biodegradable urn is the new alternative. These are made up of sand, paper, ice, cellulose fiber, that can easily decompose with time. These eco-urns might not be the best choice for those who are looking for something very long lasting. But they have their other added plus-points.
Along with these, we have a category of Bio-urns which is quite interesting in itself. Bio urns are used for urn burials. They contain a seed and some organic materials for the seed to generate after a period of time. It then transforms the cremated remains into a full-grown tree which can act as the best memorial reminisce for someone to return to.
Conclusion:
In addition to the conventional urns, many families nowadays are choosing to keep the ashes of their loved ones much closer to them. Therefore, they either distribute the remains amongst the family members to preserve as keepsakes or include them in small portions of pendants or any other jewelry piece. Mixing the ashes with engravings is also an option.
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