Cremation Memorials – An Increasingly Popular Option
Cremation Memorials – History, Purpose, Benefits, Types
Cremation Memorials incorporate a portion of a loved one’s cremated remains into the memorial. This creates a very personal memorialization to the loved one. Not only invoking memories but providing a physical connection with those we have lost.
Cremation is the first step in the memorialization process. Cremation offers an exciting variety of memorial options to honor and remember our loved ones. Just as families have memorialized their loved ones with headstones for generations now in the context of cremation families should be presented cremation memorial options today. When cremation started gaining popularity in the last century urn to contain the remains were immediately introduced, a place to hold the cremains like the coffin holds the body for burial. The death care industry has long provided for the memorialization of those buried with a headstone or grave marker. The corresponding memorialization for those cremated has only recently, in the last 20 years, come to be available to families.
Cremation Memorials provide a very tangible sense of comfort and relief from the grief that is experienced when a loved one is lost. Anthropologists and historians have found that man has been memorializing those that have passed on since the beginning of man. It is thought that art was created to express feelings such as grief. Memorialization has the very beneficial effect of helping us get through the process of grieving. By connecting with the lost loved one through the personalized art some find a sense of comfort.
Psychologists and counselors have been researching the effects of art and grieving with more frequency over the past century. They are finding tangible positive effects on the bereaved family members. The positive healing effect can be explained when it is recognized that art expresses that which cannot be expressed through just words. Grief often lies beyond words, beyond simple explanations of our conscience minds. It is in the unconscious that expression of deep wounds and tragedy of loss is found. Grief cannot be reduced to the rationale. Art can speak to us and facilitate the connection with what is going on inside of our minds as we grieve to help us through the process.
Julie A. Burn, Director of Cremation Services for the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, says today’s families have more choices than ever before. “It’s important for families to take the time to grieve their loss and to find a way to remember the life that was lived, regardless of whether they are choosing cremation or traditional funeral and burial,” Burn said. “Today’s cremation services offer many ways to honor the deceased, and so I would encourage families to be sure to ask the funeral home and the cemetery what their options are for creating tributes and memorials that are personalized and have meaning to them.”
It is expected that the Funeral directors become an active part of the presentation of the Cremation Memorials in order to facilitate these benefits. The Funeral Directors are expected to:
- Become educated on the processes involved with creating the memorials
- Gain a personal confidence in the company creating the memorials
- Getting the sample of the cremated remains to the artist
- Receive back the remainder of the cremated remains when the work is complete
Adding the additional service as an option to the families adds an additional source of income to add to the bottom line of the business. The artisans producing the memorials typically recognize that the contributions of the funeral director are essential in making the transaction. When the funeral directors have invested time into learning about the product and are able to represent the benefits to the family and confidence in the company handling the cremated remains that is when the families really consider the option. Additional value is added to the families when the handling of the cremated remains is taken care of too. The samples of remains are sent to the artist and the remaining cremated remains are received back when the work is complete.
How the Art is Commissioned
When the art work is selected by the families the artist makes arrangements to receive a small portion of the loved ones cremains. When this memorial option is presented to the family at the time of the passing the handling of the cremains can be taken care of by the funeral director. It can be emotionally difficult to handle the cremains when the passing is very recent.
It is a simple process to transfer the small portion of cremains to a container to transport them to the artist. It can be done safely at home. After cremation, there is no longer any health hazard related to handling the remains. The consistency of cremated remains is similar to fine sand. Cremated remains are sometimes referred to as ashes but that is not a fair reference. The remains do not resemble ashes in any way and the reference to a waste product such as ashes does not give the remains of our loved ones the honor they deserve. The handling of the cremated remains can be very emotional. Some find it helpful to ask a close friend to help them if the funeral director is not available.
The process of handling the cremated remains is called the Chain of Custody. Proper processes in place provide the family with the assurance of the proper and respectful handling of your loved ones remains.
The sample of cremated remains can be shipped using any regular package carrier such as the US Post Office. The cremains must be sealed in a dust proof container. This procedure is outlined in USPS Publication 52. Since the amount of cremated remains is so little compared to the volume recovered after cremation the shipment is not considered irreplaceable and does not require Registered Mail.
When the work is completed by the artist it is prepared for shipping. There are often some cremated remains that are not incorporated in the piece. These cremains must be handled properly. They can be returned to the family or funeral home to be recombined with the cremated remains.
Types of Cremation Memorials
Several art forms have been used as a medium to incorporate the cremated remains into Cremation Memorials.
Gems
Man made diamonds are molecularly identical to naturally occurring diamonds. By recreating the forces of nature to the primary element of all diamonds, carbon, a diamond can be made. General Electric first pioneered this technology in the mid 1950’s. By using the carbon from the cremated remains as one of the sources for carbon the loved one can be made a part of the memorial forever. The carbon is heated to extremely high temperatures. This step removes the existing ash and converts the carbon to graphite with the unique characteristics and elements that will create the diamond. To create the diamond the graphite is placed in a press capable of replicating the forces in the earth, heat and pressure. The pressure needed is nearly 1,000,000 psi. The temperatures are up to 3000 degrees centigrade. Over time the resulting rough diamond crystal grows. The larger the diamond desired the longer it takes, weeks to months. When the rough diamond is ready, skilled diamond cutters facet the diamond according to the families’ selection. The diamonds can be inspected and graded by trained gemologists, the same process used by the world’s finest jewelers.
The diamonds are typically available in sizes from .25 ct. to 1.5 ct. The color of the diamond can be selected from colors like blues, reds, greens and yellows.
Memorial Glass Art
Memorial glass art is hand crafted glass art with a small amount of cremated remains worked into the molten glass that the art is created from. The cremated remains become a permanent part of the glass work. Both the glass and the cremains are changed forever. Unlike keepsake jewelry that has become a familiar option for families the cremains are not just contained in the art they are part of the art. Each memorial glass art piece is commissioned and individually created.
Depending on the exact medium of glass that the memorial is being created from the process of making the piece varies. But generally it involves melting of glass and the combining of the cremated remains with the molten glass. Additional layers of molten glass are then added on top of the cremated remains so they are infused in the piece. Finally the glass is annealed to harden the glass into a solid durable piece similar to what a kiln does to clay when creating a piece of ceramic.
Keepsake Jewelry
Keepsake jewelry is a small urn that can be worn as jewelry or hung in a display. It has a small area inside to hold a memorial to the loved one, like cremated remains for example. Keepsakes were first introduced by Madelyn Pendants in 1992. Joni Cullen and Lisa Saxer-Buros created keepsakes when they lost their friend and mother Madelyn Saxer. From Madelyn Saxer’s zest for living and her ability to embrace death, the concept of the Keepsake Pendant was born: A symbol of continuing love, a reassuring remembrance to keep close to one’s heart. In creating the pendant line, they had a simple purpose: to enable others to cope more easily, to hold a source of comfort in their hands and to find peace in their hearts. The keepsakes were initially intended for cremains but Joni and Lisa soon realized that was limiting the benefits of the keepsakes which also hold locks of hair, funeral flowers and other personal items.
The death care industry has used the term Keepsakes for so long now that it has come to be synonymous with all Cremation Memorials. When Madelyn Pendants started marketing the keepsakes there were no other cremation memorial options available to the families. They had to coin the term because there was not a name for the niche yet. The acceptance to the keepsakes has been steadily growing since they were introduced. If initiation is flattery then Joni and Lisa have been flattered. Today there are a number of companies producing and marketing keepsake jewelry.
Keepsake Urns
Once keepsake jewelry started to catch on there was a recognition that the families could benefit from Cremation Memorials. The urn companies began introducing lines of small urns. The small urns, keepsake urns were designed to hold a portion of the cremated remains. The funeral directors and urn resellers were able to fill the need of the families to provide a way to create multiple memorials to the loved ones. Family members do not all live around the same cemetery or crematorium, in fact they often live in different cities and states. The families still have the natural need to for a memorial. Keepsake urns fill this need perfectly. Families often request several keepsake urns for all the family members.
Keepsake urns come in as many forms and shapes and made of as many materials as urns have come to be found in. And the variety is increasing.
Cremation Painting
Cremated remains are combined with the paint used to create a memorial painting. The artists can paint a portrait of the loved one, a landscape or still life that invokes memories of the loved one. Because the art is individually commissioned the size, form and subject can be personalized to the families needs. This is one of the newest Cremation Memorial mediums that have come available to families. It is testament to the even larger variety of memorialization options that families will be presented in the future.
Memorial Pottery
Pottery work that incorporates cremated remains into the clay or into the glaze that become the memorial. As with the Cremation Paintings, the pottery form of memorialization takes on a very personal nature. The individually commissioned pieces are designed to reflect the essence of the loved one as well as contain the cremated remains.