The complete guide
How to Choose a Small Keepsake Urn, and What to Expect When It Arrives
The problem nobody warns you about
After a cremation, a family may want to keep a small portion of the ashes at home, or share portions among several people.
A keepsake urn is made for that. This guide covers what this one holds, its size, how it closes and what comes with it.
What a keepsake urn actually is
A keepsake urn is a miniature urn. The listing gives the urn as 2.75 inches tall and 1.75 inches wide. One photo shows it standing on an open palm.
The listing says it holds about 2 to 3 tablespoons of ashes. It does not hold a full set of ashes. If you intend to keep everything in one place, you need a full-size urn.
The listing describes it as polished nickel plated solid brass, hand painted, with the inside painted black. The body is blue with a mottled pattern, with two engraved bands that are silver-colored in the photos.
The lid matters more than you would think
The opening mechanism is listed as threaded. The lid screws on and off by hand.
A listing photo shows the lid from above: silver-colored, engraved with a floral pattern, with a round blue center. Another photo shows the lid off and the black inside of the urn.
The case is doing two jobs
The urn comes in a blue heart-shaped velvet case. The heart-shaped velvet case is listed at 4.5 x 4.5 x 3 inches and snaps shut.
The listing says the case is for cradling, protecting, displaying and gifting the urn, and that it snaps securely shut for transport.
Filling it, and why the funnel earns its place
A funnel is included. The photos show a paper funnel that sits in the neck of the urn.
Work over a clean sheet of paper. Remove the lid, set the funnel in place, and transfer a small amount slowly. Screw the lid back down by hand.
If you would prefer not to do it yourself, ask your funeral director or crematorium.
Who this suits
It suits someone who wants to keep a small portion of ashes at home.
The listing says it is also suitable for pet ashes.
It can also hold a lock of hair or other small mementos, which the listing names.
What it will not do
It will not hold all of a person's ashes. The listed capacity is about 2 to 3 tablespoons.
It has no wording, and no name or date can be added.
Its item type is listed as decorative urn. If you are thinking about burial in a cemetery plot or a columbarium niche, check the rules there first.
Keeping it looking right
Care instructions are not listed. A soft, dry cloth is a safe way to wipe the outside. Avoid polishes and abrasive pads on the painted and engraved surfaces.
The listing photos label a felted bottom, which protects furniture.
The short version
This is a small brass keepsake urn, blue with engraved bands and a threaded lid. It is listed at 2.75 inches tall and 1.75 inches wide and holds about 2 to 3 tablespoons. A heart-shaped velvet case and a funnel come with it.
Choose a full-size urn instead if you need to keep all of the ashes in one container.