Types of Stones for Headstones

Graves and memorials mark the remembrance of your loved ones. Gravestones, headstones or tombstones are memorial markers made of stones and placed over or next to graves at the site of burial in a cemetery. They are simple upright slabs carved out of stone with semi-circular, rounded or arched shaped tops. This is mainly done for marking identification on the grave of the person resting in peace in the same cemetery where there are other graves as well. War memorial are monuments made to mark the celebration of victory and commemorate those who died or injured in the war

Special emblems indicated on tombstones have several themes. Some of the most common ones are Angel of grief (resembling sorrow); Birds (the soul); Book (faith, wisdom); Cherub (divine wisdom); Column (noble life); Conch shell (wisdom); Cross, anchor and Bible (trails, victory and reward); Crown (reward and glory); Dolphin (salvation, bearer of souls to heaven); Garland (victory over death); Evergreen (eternal life); Gourds (deliverance from grief); Dove (purity, love and holy spirit); Hands (a relation); Anchor (steadfast hope); Heart (devotion); Horseshoe (protection against evil); Hourglass (time and its swift flight); Ivy (faithfulness, memory and undying friendship); Lamb (innocence); Lily (purity and resurrection); Lamp (immortality); Laurel (victory, fame); Lion (strength, resurrection); Mermaid (dualism of Christ); Oak (strength); Olive branch (forgiveness and peace); Palms (martyrdom); Peacock (eternal life); Pillow (eternal sleep); Rooster (awakening and courage); Shell (birth and resurrection); Poppy (Eternal sleep); Star of David (the God); Skeleton (life cut short); Tree trunk (the beauty of life); Snake in a Circle (everlasting life in heaven); Crossed swords (life lost in battle); Broken sword (life cut short); Torch (Eternal life if upturned); Triangle (truth, equality and trinity) and Weeping willow (mourning and grief).

Monumental masons usually create, repair and install the headstones. Many types of stones are used for making tombstone or headstones. The most commonly used are:

• Granite: Granite is a hard stone and requires good level of skill and expertise for carving. The carving is generally done by hand, but, modern methods of using computer- controlled rotary bits and sandblasting has made the carving work easy.

• Marble or limestone: Marble or limestone is meant to be the best for carving. Skilled sculptors use percussion tools like mallets, axes, toothed hammers and adzes for hitting. For rough shaping of stone and block size needed for carving, pitching and wedge tools are used. Tools such as lettering chisels, points and claw chisels are used for chiseling the figures and symbols.

• Fieldstones: They are considered to be the earliest markers for graves. Natural fieldstones are made with carving of a symbol and the name and age of the rested person.

• Sandstone: Sandstone is a sedimentary rock and consist quartz and feldspar sand sized minerals or rock grains. It is a semi hard stone and can not break under normal circumstances, until and unless being dropped. Waterproofing is done on sandstone to enhance its surface resistant against water and protect it from dampness, fungus and algae.

• Slate: Slate is a textured stone, but slightly porous. It is mainly used for letter carving and often highlighted with white paint.