Choosing a Metal Urn That Feels Personal
The material may be practical, but the choice itself is often much more personal. Metal allows for an unusually broad range of finishes and styles, from polished and softly textured surfaces to painted, etched and enamel designs. For a more ornate approach, our cloisonné cremation urns combine a metal base with colorful enamel and handcrafted decorative designs.
Different Types of Metal Urns
Brass Urns
Brass is a lightweight metal alloy made of 90% copper and 10% zinc. It gives off a bright golden appearance when polished. Oftentimes, brass cremation urns are finished with bronze or pewter to strengthen it and to alter the color. The bronze finish has a more reddish hue, whereas the pewter finish gives off a silver finish. Brass is easy to cast in a mold. It is a malleable material that can be coated in enamel or paint.
Pewter Urns
Pewter is an alloy made of tin (up to 90%), bismuth, antimony, and sometimes silver or copper. Pewter is glossy and bright. Over time, the metal oxidizes and acquires a grayish tint. Many pewter urns are pewter plated over brass.
Aluminum Urns
Aluminum is the second most widely used metal in the world and is a popular material for cremation urns. Beneficial characteristics of choosing aluminum for your urn include being lightweight, malleable, corrosion resistant, and non-magnetic.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is a strong, corrosion-resistant metal with a clean, contemporary appearance. Stainless steel cremation urns are durable enough for long-term display, placement in a columbarium or, depending on cemetery requirements, burial. The smooth metal surface also makes many stainless steel urns well suited to engraving and personalization.
Copper Urns
Copper is a lightweight, malleable metal that is reddish brown and used for accenting many cremation urns for ashes. Copper wire is used in cloisonné urns. It is non-magnetic and corrosion resistant. However, the copper metal reacts with oxygen, resulting in a layer of copper oxide, which is green or bluish-green. It can take up to 20 years for a copper cremation urn to oxidize indoors. There are a variety of ways to return the surface to its original reddish-brown color.
Comparing Metal With Other Urn Materials
You may prefer the natural character of marble urns, the artistic variety of ceramic urns, or the warmth and grain of wooden urns.
If you are still deciding what feels right, you can also browse our complete collection of cremation urns for ashes to compare metal with other memorial styles and materials.
Ultimately, the right urn is the one that feels fitting for the life and memories it will represent.
