Materials & Finishes

Granite

Granite is not only a strong stone but a beautiful one too, it comes in many colours including black, red, blue and grey. It is the most durable stone of all and very suitable for British weather. Granite can be polished or honed (matte), offering a wide variety of options. Polishing the granite brings out the true beauty and deep colour of the stone but there is also the option of a honed finish if you prefer a more matte look.

View our full range of Granite headstones.

White Marble

White in colour, veined with blue/grey markings. Due to its porous nature marble is not recommended for use near to trees or damp areas. Always given a finely rubbed finish which is very smooth but never polished. Not permitted for use in churchyards.

View our full range of Marble headstones.

Nabresina

This beige to pale grey flecked limestone with an exceptionally fine grain, is suitable for most churchyards. As with white marble it is given a finely rubbed finish which is very smooth but not polished.

Finishes

These are the most common finishes for memorial stones. Which one you choose will be dictated partly by personal taste but also by what is allowed by your particular cemetery, crematorium or churchyard. We can advise you on this as part of the order process or you can email us to check now.

Polished

All visible areas of the memorial are polished with the exception of any design work or inward facing surfaces. Suitable for virtually every cemetery except those run by the Church of England.

Honed

A honed finish can be best described as an ‘eggshell’ finish. Whilst extremely smooth it is non reflective and particularly suitable for most churchyards.

Part Polished

The polished or honed area of a memorial is restricted to the inscription face and top of base where applicable. All other surfaces will be pitched, sawn, sanded, blasted or rubbed as appropriate to the individual memorial.

Pitched

A pitched finish is one that has been obtained by using a bolster and hammer which gives a rough finish to the memorial.