Keepsake urns play a unique role in the memorial process. Unlike standard urns, which hold the entirety of a person’s ashes, keepsake urns are designed to hold just a fraction of them.

Size & Capacity: Keepsake urns generally have a capacity of around 1-20 cubic inches. This translates to roughly three tablespoons of ashes to give a clearer perspective. This makes them considerably smaller than traditional urns.

Purpose: Keepsake urns provide a way for families to share a deceased loved one’s remains. Given the limited capacity, they are not meant to hold all the ashes, but just a symbolic portion. This allows multiple family members or friends to have a personal and tangible connection to the departed.

Variety: Beyond the traditional urn shape, keepsake urns come in various forms, including cremation pendant necklaces, rings, or other jewelry. These jewelry items can be worn, ensuring that the memory of the loved one remains close at all times.

Advantages:

1. Shared Remembrance: With keepsake urns, several family members can have a piece of the deceased with them, providing comfort and a sense of closeness.
2. Versatility: Keepsake urns can be kept at home, carried around, or worn as jewelry.
3. Protection: If a family chooses to wear ashes in the form of cremation jewelry, having a keepsake urn as a backup provides an added layer of security. Should the jewelry get lost or damaged, the remaining ashes in the keepsake urn ensure that the loved one’s remains are still preserved.

Usage: Frequently, a family will divide the ashes, placing the majority in a primary urn and distributing the rest among keepsake urns or jewelry for family members. This provides flexibility in memorializing, as the primary urn can be stored, displayed, or placed in a columbarium, while the keepsake urns offer a more personal connection.

Conclusion: Keepsake urns offer a personal and intimate way to remember a loved one. Whether you’re looking for a small urn to place on a mantelpiece or a pendant to wear close to your heart, keepsake urns ensure that the memory of the departed remains both cherished and shared.