A commonly used guideline: allow one cubic inch of capacity for every pound of the deceased’s body weight before death. So for someone who weighed 150 lbs, you’d want at least a 150 cubic inch urn.

Yes. In The Light Urns offers urns in all shapes and sizes, and 3D printing means custom designs with no limits on shape or style.

Hundreds of urns in brass, marble, glass, wood, ceramic, and more — in almost any size or style imaginable.

Four main sizes: companion urn, adult urn, child urn, and keepsake urn. Cremation jewelry is separate from these size categories.

Dissolving urns, scattering urns, and eco-friendly cremation urns. All biodegradable options are designed to meet requirements for water or land burial and scattering.

Biodegradable urns are among the more affordable options. The site has a budget-friendly section worth browsing.

Yes. Laser engraving and other methods are available to add images or photos to an urn of your choice.

Yes. Plaques and name plates are available on the site.

Yes — sports, cars, music, and more. Urns are organized by theme and material. If nothing fits, custom options are available.

Yes. Photos can go in a frame attached to the urn, or be printed directly onto it.

Yes. Contact us with your idea — we may ask for images to work from. Completely custom orders are available.

We offer a 365-day return policy from the date of sale. If the urn isn’t right for your needs, you can return it for a refund of the purchase price minus a 15% restocking fee. Refunds take up to two weeks to process.

Yes. A tracking number is sent as soon as your item ships. For time-sensitive delivery, please email us directly.

All US orders qualify for free standard shipping. Engraving does not delay shipment. Express shipping is also available.

Yes, delivery is available to many countries. Shipping fees and delivery times vary by destination.

No. Our engravers are in-house, so engraved orders ship on the same timeline as regular orders.

Debit, credit, check, and cash. Online payment is the recommended option.

Yes, a layaway service is available on purchases over $200. The order ships once payments are complete. Contact customer service for details.

Cremated remains are often called “ashes,” but they’re actually granulated bone. During cremation, the body is heated to an extreme temperature. What’s left is bone and trace amounts of metals from implants or fillings. The bones are ground down and run through a system that removes the metals. The end result is a collection of very fine bone fragments weighing a few pounds.

Not really. Ashes in an urn change very little or not at all, even after a very long time.

Yes. Once the body is cremated, all that remains are materials that are natural to the body and safe for human contact.

Shared urns are smaller than a standard adult urn. They’re useful for families who want separate scattering urns for different locations. Keepsake urns are designed to be kept by individual family members and hold a very small amount of ashes. Some are miniature versions of full-sized urns; others, like keychain keepsakes, are unique designs made to keep close to you.

Brass urns are a popular choice for burial, but wood, marble, and biodegradable urns work too. Any urn can be used for burial, even glass, as long as an urn vault is used.

An urn vault is an extra container that protects the urn from damage underground. Many cemeteries require urns to be buried inside one. Single urn vaults hold one urn; double-wide vaults are available for burying more than one urn, or for a companion urn.

Yes. When browsing urns, check the specific capacity listed for each one. We’re happy to discuss your ideas and recommend an urn large enough for your needs. Custom urns or containers larger than standard sizes can also be made, but that request needs to be made in advance.

1. Work over your bag of ashes in case of spillage. You’ll receive a funnel and adhesive with your jewelry — keep both ready.
2. Note the closure type (screw top or plug), as it affects how you seal it.
3. Open the piece and place the funnel in the opening. Make sure the tip fits completely.
4. Collect a small amount of ashes in the funnel and drop them in. Jewelry urns hold a tiny amount, so go slowly.
5. Jiggle the funnel or empty it periodically to keep ashes flowing. When it appears nearly full, place the funnel back into the bag.
6. If there’s too much, tap the piece over the bag to release a small amount.
7. Close the urn and seal it. Add a dab of adhesive to the connection point to permanently seal it.
8. For screw tops, avoid putting adhesive on the threads. Add a drop when it’s nearly closed or after it’s fully tightened.
9. Let the adhesive dry completely before wearing or gifting.

Keeping ashes with you means you can take them to new places — you don’t feel like you’ve left them behind. One option is placing an urn somewhere central in your home. Another is putting a small amount of ashes in cremation jewelry to wear close to you.

Death is a hard concept for kids. We have two blog posts on this topic: one on helping children understand cremation, and one on helping a child cope with grief. Both are available on our blog.

Cremation is less expensive than a traditional burial, largely because of the range of options available. Costs vary a lot depending on the choices made when planning a funeral or memorial.

Contact the cemetery directly first. Requirements vary depending on where the urn will be buried and what type of urn it is. Many cemeteries require an urn vault. The cemetery administrators will walk you through their specific policies.

Generally yes, cremated remains can travel by air. That said, you need to follow both TSA rules and the specific airline’s regulations.

The TSA will never open an urn under any circumstances. Because of that, the urn must pass through the X-ray scanner without obstruction — meaning it can’t be made of a material that blocks X-rays (like lead or certain metals). Give yourself extra time at security in case there are questions.

There are legal guidelines that vary depending on whether you’re scattering on public land, private land, or water. Check our blog for a full post on this subject with more detail.

Some people want remains transported abroad, either for burial or scattering. There are specific international rules for transporting ashes by plane or shipping. You’ll need to look up the destination country’s laws specifically. Check our blog for a post covering this topic.

There aren’t many federal regulations specifically about urns, but there are rules worth knowing before purchasing. Check our blog for a post laying out the key ones.