Crystalline Keepsake Urns: Size, Candle and How to Fill

Crystalline keepsake urns are among the smallest urns we sell, and they are often misunderstood. Some people expect them to hold more than they do. Others arrive looking for a crystal urn, which is a different thing made of glass. This guide explains what a crystalline keepsake is, how much it holds, how the candle and the closure work, and when a different choice would serve you better. The two designs described here come from our crystalline glazed urns.

What a crystalline keepsake urn is

It is a small ceramic urn with a crystalline glaze. The word describes the glassy coating on the outside, not the clay beneath it. Digitalfire, a technical reference for potters, describes crystalline glazes as glazes on which crystals are grown by controlling holds and soaks while the kiln cools (Digitalfire glossary, "Crystalline glazes", read October 11, 2026). The pattern forms in the kiln, so the glaze varies from one piece to the next.

That matters when you choose from a photograph. The picture shows the shape and the color family. The exact pattern on the piece you receive will be its own. Our guide to crystalline glazed ceramics explains the technique in more detail.

How much a crystalline keepsake holds

Each of our two crystalline keepsakes holds 0.05 liters, which is about 3.05 cubic inches. That is a small portion of ashes. It is not a share in the sense of a half or a quarter.

For a sense of scale, the Cremation Association of North America states that the average weight of adult cremated remains is between four and six pounds (CANA, "Cremation Process", read October 11, 2026). Urns are sized by volume and not by weight, but the comparison with a full-size urn makes the point: the matching adult urn described further down holds 3.8 liters (about 231.9 cubic inches).

So a keepsake is for keeping a little, with a plan for the rest. If the family has not yet decided what that plan is, our guide to dividing ashes after cremation may help.

The two crystalline keepsake urns

Both keepsakes share one shape. Each is a low, rounded ceramic piece 6 cm (2.36 in) high and 9.5 cm (3.74 in) across, weighing 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) empty, with a glossy finish. The difference is the color of the glaze.

Emerald Green

The Emerald Green Crystalline Glazed Keepsake Urn is finished in a mottled green glaze with a high gloss. It is small enough to sit on a bookshelf or a bedside table without looking like an urn at all.

Pictured: Emerald Green Crystalline Glazed Keepsake Urn for Ashes

Violet Blue

The Violet Blue Crystalline Glazed Keepsake Urn is the same form in a glaze that blends violet and blue tones. Its product page lists it, like the Emerald Green, as suitable for indoor and outdoor display.

Pictured: Violet Blue Crystalline Glazed Keepsake Urn for Ashes

The candle in the top

Each keepsake has a recess in the center of the top that holds a tea light. The ashes go in from the base, and the tea light sits in its own recess in the top. You might light it on a birthday, an anniversary or an ordinary evening when you would like a few quiet minutes.

A keepsake this small is easy to place near curtains, books or flowers, so it is worth a moment of care. The US Fire Administration advises keeping candles at least 12 inches away from anything that burns, and blowing them out when you leave a room or go to bed (US Fire Administration, "Candle Fire Safety", page last reviewed April 1, 2023, read October 11, 2026). If you like the idea of a flame but need a larger urn, see our candle urns.

How to fill and close one

Both keepsakes are filled from underneath. The product pages describe an airtight screw closure in the base. Turn the keepsake over on a soft cloth, undo the closure, add the ashes and screw it shut again. Nothing shows from the top or the sides.

The opening is small, as the keepsake is. A small paper funnel and a teaspoon make it easier, and a tray underneath catches anything that falls. If you would rather not do this yourself, you can ask your funeral director whether they will fill the keepsake for you.

Who a crystalline keepsake suits, and who it does not

It suits someone who wants a small, private memorial that looks like a piece of pottery. It suits a family where most of the ashes are being scattered or buried and one person would like to keep a little at home. It also sits well beside a full-size urn in the same glaze.

It is the wrong choice in some cases, and it is better to know that now.

• If you need to hold all of the ashes, a keepsake is far too small. The Violet Blue Crystalline Glazed Cremation Urn is the adult size in the same glaze. It holds 3.8 liters (about 231.9 cubic inches), stands 27 cm (10.63 in) high and is filled through the top.
• If several relatives each want a meaningful share, 0.05 liters may feel like too little. Look at our small urns for ashes, which come in a range of capacities.
• If you want two pieces that match exactly, a crystalline glaze cannot promise that. Each one varies.
• If the ashes will be buried in a natural burial ground, glazed ceramic does not break down. Our biodegradable burial urns are made for that.
• If you want to carry the ashes with you, a ceramic keepsake can chip or break when dropped. Ashes jewellery is made to be worn.

Pictured: Violet Blue Crystalline Glazed Cremation Urn for Ashes

Crystalline or crystal: two different things

The names are close, and they are easy to mix up. A crystalline keepsake is ceramic with a crystalline glaze. A crystal urn is made of glass. If a crystal urn for ashes is what you had in mind, the ceramic keepsakes above are not it.

What fits that search is our crystal urns for ashes. One example in a similar size is the Lava Stone Crystal Keepsake Urn, which is hand-blown from Bohemian crystal in a low, rounded shape with a dark, glossy finish. It holds 0.05 liters (about 3.1 cubic inches), measures 5 cm (2.0 in) high and 8 cm (3.1 in) wide, and closes with an airtight stainless-steel stopper. It has no candle space.

Pictured: Lava Stone Crystal Keepsake Urn for Ashes

Side by side

• Emerald Green crystalline keepsake: ceramic, 0.05 liters (about 3.05 cubic inches), screw closure in the base, tea light space, listed for indoor or outdoor display.
• Violet Blue crystalline keepsake: ceramic, 0.05 liters (about 3.05 cubic inches), screw closure in the base, tea light space, listed for indoor and outdoor display.
• Violet Blue crystalline adult urn: ceramic, 3.8 liters (about 231.9 cubic inches), top opening sealed with the supplied ceramic adhesive, listed for indoor or outdoor display.
• Lava Stone Crystal keepsake: Bohemian crystal, 0.05 liters (about 3.1 cubic inches), stainless-steel stopper, a keepsake for the home.

Looking after a crystalline keepsake

Glazed ceramic needs very little care. Dust it with a soft, dry cloth and stand it on a level surface where it will not be knocked. Let the piece cool before you lift out a used tea light, and wipe away any wax once it has set.

Over time you may notice very fine lines in the glaze. Potters call this crazing, and Digitalfire notes that crystalline glazes tend to craze on most clay bodies (same page, read October 11, 2026). It is a known trait of this kind of glaze.

Sizes and product details in this guide were checked against our product pages on October 11, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are crystalline keepsake urns?

They are small ceramic urns finished in a crystalline glaze, made to hold a small portion of ashes. The pattern in the glaze forms in the kiln, so it varies from piece to piece.

How much do crystalline keepsake urns hold?

The two in this guide each hold 0.05 liters, which is about 3.05 cubic inches. That is a small portion of ashes and not the full amount for an adult.

How do you fill a crystalline keepsake urn?

Both keepsakes in this guide are filled from underneath through an airtight screw closure in the base. Undo the closure, add the ashes and screw it shut again.

Can you light a candle in a crystalline keepsake urn?

Yes. Both keepsakes in this guide have a space in the top for a tea light, separate from the ashes below. Keep the flame away from anything that can burn and do not leave it unattended.

Is a crystalline urn the same as a crystal urn?

No. A crystalline urn is ceramic with a crystalline glaze, and a crystal urn is made of glass. We sell both, and they look and feel quite different.

Is there a full-size urn to match a crystalline keepsake?

The Violet Blue glaze comes as an adult urn that holds 3.8 liters (about 231.9 cubic inches) as well as a keepsake. Because every crystalline glaze varies, the two will be in the same color family and not an exact match.