What is Cremation Glass?
Cremation glass is glass that’s made with a small portion of cremation remains, or ashes. The ashes are beautifully incorporated into a handmade glass keepsake. Custom cremation keepsakes are a wonderful way to memorialize a departed loved one, whether they were human or animal. Since only a small portion of the ashes are needed, it’s possible to make custom cremation keepsakes for the whole family. Since such a small amount of ash is needed for each keepsake, there will be ash leftover to display in an urn, bury, or scatter.
Cremation glass is used to make a myriad of keepsakes, including glass orbs, glass hearts, glass touchstones, and other glass keepsakes.
Do You Really Use Ashes to Make the Glass?
Yes, we use the cremation ashes that are leftover after your loved one was cremated. Since glass is so crystal clear, we only need to use a small amount of your cremation remains to make the glass, about a tablespoon. The ashes are artistically incorporated into your custom cremation keepsake, allowing it to be viewed for generations to come. Because glass making occurs at temperatures that are much, much higher than cremation temperatures, the ash will be further refined during the glass making process. The hot temperature will burn away leftover carbon in the ashes, leaving the remains a brilliant white color.
Can I Customize the Cremation Glass Keepsake?
No, we are not offering custom orders at this point. We take great care with each piece and the cremation ashes, and offer a wide range of colors and styles for our customers to choose from.
Customizing the Color of Your Blown Glass
You can choose the color, or colors of each of your custom cremation keepsakes. Our glass makers offer the most popular color combinations with the glass keepsakes. It is quite common for a family to choose the same shape and customize the colors for each recipient. Also common is to choose colors loved by or representing the deceased.
How are the Cremation Glass Keepsakes Made?
Cremation glass is made like regular glass. When the glass is molten and being worked, glass artists add a portion of your loved one’s cremated remains, or ashes. Only a small amount of their ashes are needed to make cremation glass. This process is called infusing and it’s done while the glass is in a heated, molten state. Since the glass is much hotter than the heat of cremation, the cremation ashes turn a brilliant white color. This is caused by the high heat burning off carbon. The glass is worked and shaped like normal glass into the custom cremation keepsake shape of your choosing. After your cremation glass artist is done shaping your piece, the glass is cooled very slowly over 12-48 hours depending on how large the piece is. Cremation glass is also often colored as well and comes in many shapes, including custom requests. The ash infusion is often done so that the ash is artfully worked into the glass, adding to its beauty. Our cremation glass is handmade, so each piece is artistically unique.
How Long Does it Take to Get Cremation Glass Made and Shipped?
Depending on the shipping methods you choose and where you’re located, it takes about two to four weeks to have a cremation glass keepsake made and shipped back to you. We understand this time frame may not work with your schedule, and we wish it could be faster. Many people desire their cremation glass keepsakes to be gifted before or at a memorial service or funeral. However, considering the time it takes to ship the ashes to us, we do everything we can to make this process as quick as possible. We take special care with every order to send you your quality cremation glass keepsakes in a timely fashion.