Cremation ashes are made of crushed bone fragments. The cremation process applies extreme heat (1500-1800 degrees Fahrenheit) to the decedent's body, incinerating everything except the bones. Once the cremation chamber cools down, the bones are removed from the retort and pulverized.
Through the cremation process, all organic material is eliminated and only bone fragments, minerals, and salts remain.
Cremated ashes are coarse and gritty, ranging in color from white-gray to dark gray. Initially after the cremation there will be bone fragments, but these are run through a machine to grind them down into the coarse sand-like substance you will receive.
The cremation stone process turns ashes into ceramic-like stones - up to 100% of the ash remains can be used. The number of stones created by each person is unique and the solidification process is similar to how people make ceramics. The ash is purified and turned into a material very similar to clay.
Most people know and use the term “ashes” when talking about cremated remains, but in fact the remains are bone fragments, processed into the consistency of ashes. They can range in color from white to gray and resemble dusty sand.
Do bone fragments come out on their own? Yes, bone fragments do come out on their own after six to eight weeks or more. But the natural process is extremely slow and can cause pain and discomfort till they are stuck in the gums. If they cause too much discomfort, it's prudent to see a dentist.
Inspecting the fragment.
Bone bits (sequestra) – These items are usually very irregular in shape, with rounded or sharp edges. Their color is usually light tan to white.
Called sharira in Sanskrit (ringsel in Tibetan), they are generally described as pearl- or gemlike deposits collected from the ashes of spiritual masters after their cremation. Traditionally they are taken to be signs of the deceased's spiritual attainments.
Cremation Urns
However, even in the best conditions heat and moisture will creep in. The only damage this will do is to cause the remains to harden together and "clump" to some extent inside the urn.
Cremated remains consist of human bone fragments left over after cremation. The body is exposed to extreme heat during the flame cremation process that evaporates all organic matter leaving bone fragments.
During cremation, the body parts that do burn consist of organs, soft tissue, hair, and skin, while the water in our bodies evaporates. The body parts that do not burn are bone fragments. Teeth usually burn during cremation, but not entirely.
Here are the answers to some of the most common weird cremation questions. Do teeth burn during cremation? Teeth usually burn up during the cremation process. Tooth fragments that are not burnt up will be ground during the ash processing.
How long do cremated ashes last? In theory, cremated ashes can last forever. Some funeral homes have ashes from the 19th Century that are still in their urns, and archeologists have been known to discover ashes that are thousands of years old.
Can you get DNA from ashes? Yes. In rare cases, DNA can be extracted from cremated ashes.
The immense heat of the cremation ovens breaks down the body's organic matter, leaving bone fragments and teeth behind as they don't disintegrate during the cremation process. The actual ashes are thus useless as they won't contain DNA. But the bones and teeth could potentially hold some DNA viable for analysis.
These larger fragments are then ground down into smaller pieces. Something that people don't often know is that the belly button never burns to ash; it remains hard and in the same shape.
While wood ashes are considered nontoxic, they contain alkaline material in the form of potassium carbonate and potassium hydroxide, often referred to as pearl potash and potash, respectively. These compounds are very soluble in water and react with water to release hydroxide ions which can produce a pH as high as 12.
How to unseal a metal urn. If the metal urn is sealed with wax or adhesive, try to open it by soaking a cotton swab in fingernail polish remover or an epoxy solvent. Repeatedly run the swab along the sealed portion of the urn. You might have to wiggle the lid several times or use a flathead screwdriver to open the urn.
The Federal Clean Water Act requires that cremated remains be scattered at least three nautical miles from shore, which means you can't scatter ashes on California beaches. If your loved one had a favorite beach, consider hosting a memorial there before chartering a vessel to spread their ashes at sea.
As the body approaches that scorching temp, it goes through several changes: At approximately 572 degrees, the organic components in bone begin to carbonize, turning black or dusty brown. As the temperature reaches around 1400 degrees, the bones become darker black.
They clean up their cremation chambers thoroughly in between cremations. At the end of the cremation process, the only things left in a cremation chamber will be a pile of bone fragments and a bunch of cremated remains. A crematory will carefully remove them from a cremation chamber so that they can be processed.
Please note that precious metal such as jewellery left on the deceased will melt during the cremation process, combine with ash and become granular and hence unrecognisable. Some is lost within the cremator and some will be within the ashes.
Edges may be rounded or sharp. The bone itself is tan or white, and the surface is not quite smooth (but also doesn't have obvious bumps). While bone fragment after extraction sometimes resolves itself, there is a risk of delayed or slowed healing if the bone fragment does not emerge quickly.
Ashes are between grey or grey-brown in colour. They are usually mid-to-light grey, but it's normal for them to be darker grey, or to have a brown tinge. The colour of a person's skin doesn't affect the colour of the ashes. Metals we absorb into our bones from the environment is what affects the colour.
The material is not soft and fluffy like wood ashes. It's a grainier substance that is more like coarse sand. That's because it's crushed bones, along with small amounts of salts and other minerals.