Granite Headstones, Gravestones, & Memorials

Granite is a very popular material for headstones and over the past 20 years or so has been become the standard offering for most memorial masons in the UK. Granite headstones are available in a range of colours, including black, reds, greens, blues, and pale greys which can be finished with a polished shiny surface or a honed to a matt effect.

Mostly it is imported from China or India where it is quarried in large quantities, cut and finished in a wide range of shapes and formats.

The great advantage of granite is that it is incredibly durable and, similarly to slate, it won’t age, resulting in a consistent appearance as the years pass.

Due to granite being so hard, it isn’t possible to deeply V-carve into this stone; instead inscriptions must be sandblasted. Sandblasting is a very simple way of inscribing a memorial which involves applying a stencil of the design to the headstone and directing a highly pressurised stream of sand and air at the stencil to etch the lettering design into the stone.

This very simple approach to lettering, combined with the relatively inexpensive imported material means that a granite headstone can be made at a very affordable price. Therefore if you are working to a budget, you may wish to opt for a granite headstone.

No matter what format you choose, when you work with Artisan Memorials, we’ll ensure that every inscription is crafted with precision and care. Unlike most memorial masons our background is rooted in the art of calligraphy and lettering.

To us the aesthetics, spacing and composition of an inscription is important.