SELECTING AN URN

Traditionally the process of selecting an urn is done on the day of the cremation. The casket company will arrange for their client to meet the urn supplier, probably at the crematorium, where a selection of urns, porcelain, marble or onyx are displayed and selected. The client will have limited time to view and select the urn. Selecting an urn on the day of the cremation will provide the client with limited opportunity to explore alternatives, especially if this is a family decision.

SIZE OF A CREMATION URN

The size of a cremation urn depends on the final body weight of the deceased and the size of the niche. The formula for calculating the size of urn is one pound to one cubic inch (1kg = 0.036 liters). Hence, if a person weighs 154 pounds (70kgs) then the volume of the urn must be at least 154 cubic inches (2.5 liters).

CREMATED ASHES

The cremated remains of the deceased will be a mixture of bones and ashes. When selecting an urn it is therefore important to know that there could be longer pieces that were not pulverised during the cremation process, e.g. femur and humerus, that need to fit into the urn. This is important to remember in case you do not wish to have the remaining bones broken down, or pulverized.

WHERE IS THE URN GOING TO BE DISPLAYED?

Besides the capacity of the urn it’s important to know where the urn will be placed. The urns dimensions can be any size if you plan to display the urn at home or if you plan to bury it. But if you are placing the urn in a columbarium, use our niche size guide (http://www.asiamemorials.com/pages/niches-in-singapore), or call ahead to find out the niche size before choosing an urn.

Some columbarium’s have very compact niches. Others have “family niches” (like family cemetery plots) with room for larger urns or multiple urns.