When a loved one dies, it can be quite hard for those who are left behind. There are many stories of people being so occupied with organizing the burial or cremation, the grief does not start until later. But what people also might not think about, is the ashes they are left with after the cremation. What to do with them?

Cremation

Cremation is a way of disposing of a body after death, done through burning. There are documents that show that cremation was done as early as 17000 years ago. Over the centuries, the way of cremations has changed. From putting the body on a pile of wood and setting it on fire, to the cremators at crematoriums we have now. The Ancient Greeks and Romans cremated their soldiers, which became so important, the funeral rites got increasingly elaborate. The ashes of these cremations were said to be put in urns, to make sure that the soldiers can return home. While the reasoning behind it is different nowadays, ashes can still be put into urns.

Urn

An urn can be a last memento of a loved one after a death. It can be stored in a house or a different place, so that the loved one and the memory of them is always close by. It can also be a way to momentarily keep the ashes before they will be spread out at a special place.

Over the years, the number of urns for ashes being created has increased drastically. This is because there have been more cremations every year. The more urns there are, the more styles are being created. Someone can choose for a more traditional urn but can also go for a more modern looking urn. The materials used to create the urns can also differ, from ceramic to stainless steel, glass or wood. Most urns are for one person, but there are also urns big enough to fit two people in or smaller ones for pets.

Jewellery

An urn is good to keep a loved one in the house, but there is a way to keep a deceased loved one even closer: ashes jewellery. This is literally jewellery where (a small amount of) ash can be stored it, so that someone is always closed by. This can be done in charm, pendants, earrings or rings. Are there no ashes? Then someone can choose to store a lock of hair, bit of earth from the grave or something else small, like a bit of fabric. From the outside, these will look like normal pieces of jewellery, which have a special meaning. It is possible to make the jewellery even more personal, for example by engraving it.