Cremation is a process that uses fossil fuels to create temperatures between 1500°F and 1900°F to reduce the body to calcium deposits.  In the basest of terms – cremation burns away everything but the bones.  The process takes between 2 and 2.5 hours and what is left are skeletal remains. These bones are swept out of the cremation chamber (also called a retort) and processed to a fine particulate mixture referred to as “ash.” The consistency and color of this mixture is variable from very fine to coarse and pale to dark grey.