The best material for a cremation urn depends on how and where the urn will be used, as well as the style that feels right for the person you are remembering. Different materials each offer unique benefits in appearance, durability, personalization and placement.

For display at home:

Metal, wood, marble, granite, ceramic, stained glass, glass, and resin urns are all popular choices for an urn you keep at home. Style and how the memorial fits the space can matter as much as material durability.

For a columbarium:

Metal, marble, granite, wood and ceramic are common options. The most important consideration is often the exterior dimensions of the urn, since columbarium niches have fixed measurements. 

For cemetery burial:

Granite, marble and durable metals such as stainless steel, brass and bronze are among the strongest choices when the goal is for the urn to remain intact. Many cemeteries require an urn vault regardless of how durable the urn itself is, so always confirm the cemetery's requirements before purchasing. 

For a biodegradable ground burial:

Choose an urn specifically designed to biodegrade, made from materials such as paper, plant fibers, salt, sand or other natural materials. Some bamboo and wood urns may also be biodegradable, but the individual product should explicitly state that it is intended for this use. 

For water burial:

Choose a biodegradable urn specifically designed for placement in water. Materials behave differently once submerged, so being biodegradable alone does not necessarily mean an urn is appropriate for a water ceremony. 

For scattering ashes:

Lightweight materials such as paper and plant-based materials are particularly practical, but the design of the urn matters more than the material alone. A scattering urn should be easy to carry, open and control while the ashes are being released. 

For engraving and personalization:

Metal and wood are especially versatile choices for engraving, with many brass, aluminum and stainless steel urns designed to accommodate a name, dates or inscription. Stone urns may also offer personalization depending on the individual design.

For a funeral or celebration of life service:

Ceramic, stained glass, cloisonné, enamel, sculptural resin and naturally patterned stone can be especially good choices when the appearance of the urn is central to the memorial.

Guide to Different Urn Materials

In alphabetical order, we have outlined the many materials and metals that are used to make cremation urns. While an urn is traditionally made from only one material, there are specialty urns made from a combination of materials.

Aluminum

Aluminum is the second most widely used metal in the world and is a popular material for cremation urns. Beneficial characteristics include being lightweight, malleable, corrosion resistant, and non-magnetic. Aluminum urns are best for home display or columbarium placement, particularly when you want decorative finishes or personalization.

Bamboo

Bamboo is a renewable plant material valued for its natural appearance, lightweight strength and distinctive grain. Bamboo cremation urns can offer the warmth of a traditional wood urn while using a rapidly renewable material. Depending on the construction, bamboo may be used on its own or combined with engineered wood or other materials.

Biodegradable Materials

There are a wide variety of environmentally friendly materials being used to make biodegradable cremation urns. These materials are sturdy enough to be handled until the urn is either placed in water or buried in the earth. Most of the water or earth biodegradable urns are made of materials such as handmade paper, recycled paper, Himalayan salt, sand, gelatin, cornstarch, or other plant based materials.

Brass

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. Shop brass urns.

Ceramic

Ceramic urns tend to be delicate. Their fragile nature suggests they are best used when displayed in a home or in a columbarium. Ceramic can be designed with different effects, including the addition of metallic trim and accents. Porcelain and mudstone are different types of ceramic that give an earthy feel to the urn. Many of our ceramic cremation urns are handmade, one of a kind. Shop ceramic urns.

Copper

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.

Enamel

Enamel is used to decorate the exterior of copper, aluminum, or ceramic cremation urns. The process involves adding glass to a surface, heating it until the glass melts, then letting it set. Enamel comes in a wide array of colors. Adding a layer of enamel to a cremation urn creates a smooth, hard, chemically resistant, durable, and scratch resistant surface.

Glass

Ash-infused hand made glass pieces are handmade with the ashes of a loved one. They are one-of-a-kind, and considered keepsakes.

Granite

Granite is a dense natural stone valued for its strength, durability and distinctive mineral patterning. Each piece of granite has natural variations in color and markings, giving the urn an individual appearance. Granite cremation urns are well suited for home display, placement in a columbarium or burial, and many can be personalized through engraving.

Marble

Two types of marble are used in our cremation urns: natural marble, and cultured marble. Marble urns are best when you need a substantial, permanent memorial for home display, a columbarium or burial. Shop marble urns.

Natural marble is quarried throughout the world, including in the United States. It is formed primarily of limestone, crystallized over millions of years through extreme heat and pressure. Marble is naturally a light-colored stone, however, it appears in many colors because of impurities present when the rock formed. Colors that appear in marble’s swirls or veins were created by minerals such as silt, sand or iron oxides present during formation. White marble is pure marble created with few impurities.

Cultured marble resembles natural marble and is less expensive than real marble. Cremation urns made of cultured marble are hand-crafted from a blend of stone, resin, and color pigments, and can be polished to a brilliant luster.

Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)

 Medium density fiberboard is a material used to create inexpensive cremation urns for ashes that maintain the beauty of wood. MDF is made from those parts of a wooden log that remain after boards have been cut and removed. MDF is created by putting the wood into a chipper.  After removing impurities and washing, the fine chips are mixed with waxes and resins. The chips are then pressed into boards.

Pewter

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. Shop pewter urns.

Resin and Polyresin

Resin is a durable molded material that can be shaped and finished to resemble stone, metal or other natural materials. Polyresin cremation urns allow for detailed sculptural designs, textures and finishes that can be difficult to achieve with traditional materials. They are generally lighter than stone while still providing a substantial, decorative memorial for home display.

Soapstone

This metamorphic rock has been quarried for thousands of years. It is composed primarily of talc, thus it is very soft and easy to carve. Properties include nonporous and heat resistant. 

Stained Glass

Stained glass cremation urns are created from individual pieces of colored glass joined together to form decorative patterns and designs. Because the color is part of the glass itself, stained glass can create rich variation in tone and light, making each memorial feel more like a decorative object for the home. Like other glass urns, stained glass should be handled carefully and is generally best suited for display or protected placement. Shop stained glass urns. Shop stained glass urns.

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.

Wood

Wood cremation urns are crafted commonly from cherry, maple, pine, oak, walnut and poplar. Wooden urns for cremation ashes are generally stained and may be adorned with inlays, appliques and laser etchings. Wood urns are most often purchased for home or cemetery columbarium placement. Shop wood urns.

 

What About Cremation Jewelry Materials?

Below is a list of materials that go into making the various shapes and sizes of jewelry urn for ashes. Many materials contain hypoallergenic and non-tarnishing qualities. Urn jewelry for ashes has gained popularity in recent years.

Bronze

Bronze is a metal alloy with a warm, reddish hue that consists of 90% copper and 10% tin. It is an inexpensive solution for necklace charms and pendants to hold ashes. It is resistant to corrosion. Over time it will tarnish and turn the reddish hue slightly darker.

Gold

Our cremation jewelry is available in either 14K, gold vermeil, or white gold.

14K Gold: Gold has long been considered the most sensuous metal. It does not oxidize or corrode. It will last indefinitely. And it’s extraordinarily beautiful.

Gold Vermeil: Vermeil (pronounced vehr-MAY) is produced when sterling silver is coated with 10K gold thicker than 2.5 micrometers. Any instance where sterling silver is coated with less than 2.5 micrometers of gold, the product is considered “gold-plated.” Necklace charms to hold ashes that are vermeil are more durable and longer-lasting than a gold-plated pendant. When the jewelry piece has a zinc, copper, or nickel base (in lieu of sterling silver), the piece is not considered vermeil.

White Gold: White gold consists of yellow gold with one or more white or silver-colored metals, usually silver, but sometimes palladium, platinum or nickel. White gold is plated with rhodium to give it a shiny appearance.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a steel alloy consisting of approximately 10.5% chromium. The chromium aids in making it scratch resistant. It is hypoallergenic, but is prone to rusting and requires occasional upkeep. Like titanium, it has a brilliant silver luster and is an inexpensive material.

Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is used in many pendants and necklaces for cremated remains. It is comprised of 92.5% silver and 7.5% of other metals, usually copper. It does not tarnish, but is stronger than fine silver, which is considered too soft to be durable. Sterling silver jewelry requires regular cleaning.

Titanium

Titanium is the strongest metal in the world. It has a brilliant silver sheen when polished. Titanium pendants to hold ashes are non-magnetic, hypoallergenic, and do not rust or tarnish. Cremation jewelry made from titanium is harder to scratch but needs to be polished and cleaned on occasion.

White Bronze

White bronze is not bronze, but an alloy of varying amounts of copper, tin, and zinc. It resembles sterling silver in color, but has the texture of bronze. For cremation jewelry, white bronze is an ideal substitute for nickel and sterling silver because it does not tarnish. White bronze is nonmagnetic, very smooth, and virtually nonporous.

 

We hope that this guide to the many different urn materials provides the insight you need to make the best decision for yourself or a loved one. If you have any questions about these materials or would like to learn more about the urns available at OneWorld Memorials, please contact us today so that we may be of assistance during this difficult time.