Dec. 30, 2024
There are generally three materials monuments and headstones are made from marble, bronze, or granite. Other materials have been used from glass to basalt, but many cemeteries have specific requirements for the material you can use. Most stones can come in a variety of colors, from reds to grays to pinks to blacks or even greens and blues. Bronze generally is brown in color unless you purchase a custom colored or full-color bronze memorial.
Zhouxing contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.
Marble is the softest of the three and is not used very much anymore. It was extensively used prior to the widespread use of sandblasting due to its soft nature. It was easy to carve with a hammer and chisel. Because of that though, it tends to erode easily which makes it tough to read as the years go by. This type of monument can be seen in older cemeteries and on older monuments. Just look for the monuments that have a lot of lichen and moss and you can barely make out the letters.
Bronze has been called the eternal metal. Over time, it develops a natural greenish black patina. This is expected and will protect the bronze from further decay. Picture that favorite bronze statue in your town square. It can be expensive to personalize bronze memorials because the designs are already created for the casting process. Although more computerization is coming into the bronze memorial design process and different methods including CNC machines are lower the costs of personalization.
Granite is an extremely hard stone and is second to diamonds in hardness. As such it keeps its shape and the engraving very well. Unfortunately, most granite is unsuitable for memorials as it has too many cracks, faults, or seams in it. Many times this type of granite is used as a decorative rock or in larger pieces, on jetties. You also may be familiar with granite countertops. Granite for countertops is usually very thin and has many faults that are sometimes reinforced with fiberglass on the back of it to keep it together. It is very probable that this granite would fall apart in short order in a cemetery.
Memorial Grade Granite is the type of granite that has the right mix of minerals and was cooled over just the right period of time to create granite that will withstand the test of time and is the best choice for a memorial. Memorial Grade Granite does not have any faults, cracks, or seams that will cause it to fall apart over time. Nor does it have any lacquers or other man-made products applied to make it look polished or to enhance the color. Memorial Grade Granite is also thick and able to withstand tractors and lawnmowers driving across it.
Of all the materials, Memorial Grade granite provides the most flexibility and options for the price and will last the longest, providing you with a headstone or monument that will stand the test of time. While bronze is a suitable alternative, costs can be prohibitive to do custom or highly detailed memorials. The important thing for you is to determine what works best for you and your family and what meets the cemetery requirements. Working with a retail memorialist can assist you with answering all those questions.
If you want a memorial that will last, then the best headstone material is either granite or bronze. Both are known for their durability. However, a lesser-known alternative is the field boulder. While it will not last quite as long as the other two, it will hold up to the elements. Let's take a look at these Top 3 Choices for Headstone Material in greater detail.
Some cemeteries require you to purchase a flat bronze marker. Bronze markers are made in a foundry using an alloy made up of 80% copper + 20% metal that lasts for a very long time. Today's bronze memorials need not be boring! Custom photos, artistic scenery and of course detailed statues are all possibilities with a bronze memorial.
Primitive bronze artifacts have been found dating back to early Greek and Roman cultures thousands of years ago. It is thought that today's bronze memorials, which are much better quality, will last virtually forever.
Even though it lasts a long time, bronze can be a bit expensive. Pound for pound, when it comes to bronze vs. granite, there is no comparison. If you want a big memorial, you will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a bronze one. This is why most larger memorials today are not constructed from bronze.
Granite is essentially the hardest stone other than a diamond and is over twice as hard as limestone.
While technically some granites are harder than others, ANY granite will essentially last forever. Therefore, your granite memorial should look and weigh the same today as it would in 100,000 years or more.
The cost of granite has come down quite a bit in the past 20 years. This is mostly due to foreign granite competition as well as automated equipment, which continues to revolutionize the industry.
Granite comes in an infinite number of colors, all natural. The stone can be shaped into just about any shape and a polished finish can make your memorial shine like glass. We can even etch pictures or photos into the granite.
Some people like the look of a boulder as a monument. They are unique, but you will need to check with your local cemetery to see if they meet their regulations.
A boulder should last quite a long time, but unlike granite, there is no rating system. When you get a boulder in a field, you have no idea how hard (or soft) it is. Some are very hard and some are very soft. Only time will tell.
For more Granite Markersinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
Boulders are the least expensive of the three headstone material. They're plentiful and require no mining, cutting, and polishing. However, what you save in material cost you will pay back in the increased costs of engraving and installation. Since a boulder is not flat or polished, it takes much longer to engrave it correctly. Likewise, since the boulders are not flat on the bottom, they take much longer to correctly set in wet concrete at the cemetery.
There are a number of unique ways to use a boulder as a memorial. You can engrave them, polish them, and even install color photos in them.
Always in Stone designs custom memorials for the people of Elkhart County in Indiana. If you want more information on how you can order headstone material, come to our showroom or give us a call. We can help you with the design and offer delivery and installation to any cemetery in our service area.
Serving: Goshen, Elkhart, Warsaw, Nappanee, Bremen, and all of Elkhart County.
Use the form below and tell us a bit about your needs and we'll be in touch to discuss your personalized monument
Max. file size: 256 MB.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
For more information, please visit Natural Quartz For Sale.
Previous: None
Next: Moon Marble Company
If you are interested in sending in a Guest Blogger Submission,welcome to write for us!
All Comments ( 0 )