What Do You Need To Know Before Choosing A Gravestone

Selecting a gravestone should be one of the things that you spend a lot of time on. You cannot buy the first headstone that you find because they need to be chosen for their material, how they will be marked, and how long you think they will last. Most people who are trying to get a gravestone for someone that they love should choose the thing they think will be the easiest to mark and mount. If you are buying for the future, you might prefer to buy something that you can pay for ahead of time, that can be engraved in a special way, and that will be ready when the day comes.

1. The Material

The material that your gravestone is made from should be selected based on what you think looks the best. Most people will choose a granite gravestone because they like the way this gravestone looks. The material could be any other kind of stone or rock. You could have a gravestone fashioned from marble, or you might have it cast from concrete. Some people actually get a marker that is made from cast iron, or they choose a nameplate that is made from cast iron. Granite is the most popular material because it is so easy to find, and it is one of the easier things to engrave.

2. The Color

You can choose a number of materials that will be delightful, but you also need to be away of the color that you will get. Not all granite and marble stones are the same. You get a granite that is very dark in color, or you might find one that has pink, blue or black running through it. Some granite looks like it has a lot of silica buried in the surface, and there are other types that appear to be more porous.

You could choose a color or style that you think would be the best for you based on what you think is right for you. You should look at as many samples as you can because artists tend to have their samples lying around. If you have time, you can actually go to the quarry with your artist to pick the samples that you would like. Each artist has their favorite place to go, and they could help you pick a stone that will easiest for them to cut from. The artist has to know that they can cut the letters properly, and they will show you what all these different samples would look like when the work is done.

3. The Nameplate

The nameplate that you choose should be selected based on what you think will look best. Some people put cast iron on a regular stone, but other people have the name engraved on the stone itself. If you are choose a cast iron nameplate, you need to be sure that you have chosen something that you know will be easy for you to read in the future. Most of these cast iron name plates will wear over time, and it would be smart to get something that will have clean edges that you can read. The stone nameplate is just as important if you are planning on engraving on the stone.

4. How Are The Names And Numbers Cut?

You could get the names and numbers on the stone cut by a professional into the stone, but you need to ask them which fonts they use, how much they can fit on the stone, and how large the stone needs to be. They could put the Engraving on a stone that is a certain size, and you might have them engrave on a monument that is going to be very tall or ornate. You need to talk to your engraver about how they can make this work, how they will put the monument together, and how long it will take to do the job. You could have any monument built that you like, and it could use any stone you like. However, the names and numbers only cover up so much of the monument.

5. Buy In Advance

People who are planning for the future might buy these things in advance because they are much easier to purchase and pay off if you have bought from the artist early on. The people who buy early can usually get a good price, and there are many people who would like to get much of the stone done before they die. You could ask the artist to set up the stone, do much of the engraving for a family stone, and let you know what your options are so that you can have the monument filled in when you are ready. This is a good way to buy family gravestones, and it gives the artist plenty of time to get ready.

6. Laser Or Hand Engraving?

You could have laser or hand engraving done when you get the gravestone ready, but it all depends on the look that you want. Some people want to get the very clean Nd modern look that you get from laser engraving. You could ask for laser engraving because it does not take that long, and it would be very smart for you to ask for laser engraving when you need the work to be done quickly. This all depends on which aesthetic you like.

If you want a hand engraving job done, you should ask the artist for help early on. You might be caught by surprise by a sudden death in the family, but you can wait a couple weeks until the work is done on your new hand engraving. When this is the case, you can see what it will look like in a sketch, and the artist will deliver the stone polished and ready to be mounted. Hand engraving is not as clean as laser engraving, but it still looks nice. Laser engraving tends to look that much better over time because less damage is done to the stone itself.

When you get hand engraving, there is a lot of stress on the stone. This means that you will need to be very careful with the stone in the future. This is not a problem for most people but you might have a worry if someone is not around to take care of the gravesite.

7. How Much Does It Cost?

You can work on pricing for your gravestone when you are shopping with an artist who can take you to the quarry, help you pick the stone, and show you what the stone will look like when they are done. It is very important that you have had a talk with the artist before you buy, and you need to see many estimates so you know how much money you will be spending either now or in the future.

8. Conclusion

The gravestone that you have purchased is something that you need to think about now while you still can. You can get one of these stones in the style that you like, and you will find that these gravestones are very helpful because they provide you with the memory that you need at the gravesite in a color or font you prefer.