First, you need to know that a funeral urn or cremation urn holds cremated remains of a deceased person. A deceased body is put in a cremation unit and subjected to extremely high heat and the remains or ashes are placed in a container called an urn.

Cremation urns can be found in many different types. There are just as many different processes for making them. The best urns are made by master craftsmen and artisans. They are beautiful works of art in their own right and many like to display them openly in their homes.

Also available are keepsake urns or memorial jewelry that many are choosing today to help keep their loved ones memory alive. These keepsakes can hold a small amount of the cremains, a piece of clothing, lock of hair or anything meaningful.

Cremation urns are made from materials including wood, metal, ceramic, stone and even biodegradable material like natural fiber or salt. The methods used to create them are just as varied. The most common are:

• Wrought iron or fabricated urns that are made with one, or a combination of, hammering, bending, welding, shearing or forming. These urns usually have a satiny finish allowing the services to be engraved with messages or inscriptions.
• Casting or molding is a method used with bronze and requires high heat to melt the metal. The metal is then poured into a mold that is usually a reverse image or negative. Depending on the mold, the urn can have very beautiful and detailed designs in it. This does require a great deal of time and skill to complete.
• Spinning creates round shaped urns made of pewter, silver or gold. Flat sheets of metal are spun on a lathe and gradually formed into a round urn.
• Cloisonne is the method of hammering and soldering copper wire netting into a shaped urn. Then enamels of various colors are applied over the copper wires. The urn is then fired in high heat several times until the enamel fills all the spaces perfectly. The urn is then hand sanded and polished.
• Ceramic urns can be made like most ceramic pottery. First, the urn is formed by hand, then bisquing, glazing and firing in a kiln.
• Biodegradable urns have become very popular in this modern age. They allow the remains to be buried in the soil or deep water where the urn will slowly degrade. They can be made from various types of natural materials so that your loved one can return to the earth.