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One of our prospects contacted us after speaking with another monument builder who, according to the caller, spoke a language that was “over my head.” This is understandable, but not excusable, as it is the responsibility of the monument builder to speak at a level that the client can understand. We have all had professionals such as doctors and lawyers who communicated badly by using alien terms, as if we had all been to medical or law school.
Plainly speaking, a stone may be “engraved” which may be carved, cut, or etched. Today, my subject is the terms “carving” and “etching” as used by monument builders. As is all art, these techniques are designed to be expressions of artistic talent. The modern monument builder has tools that were never imagined by Michelangelo.
In the monument industry, we have two primary tools for shaping stone, the sandblaster and the etching tool. Both apparatus are of great value to the industry. We use the term “carving” to describe sandblasting and “etching” to describe the finer, more detailed, engraved designs that may be produced either manually or through technology. A monument may and probably will have a combination of both carving, i.e. for lettering, and etching, i.e., for scenes.
As with all words, different monument builders may describe the processes differently, and my advice is to ask questions to confirm your understanding before purchasing from any monument dealer.
“Etching” is a finer process through which polished granite, or marble, is cut using a diamond-tipped tool to create stunning tailored imagery that is now becoming pervasive in our cemeteries.
Whether the monument is carved or etched, the goal is to create an expressive image that captures the life of a loved one. Etchings may be colorized through lithochrome (paint), or left plain or natural. In the opinion of many, the darker stone is more desirable as it allows greater visibility of the etching.
Standard, but beautiful, designs now exist in the digital libraries of monument builders. The beauty of etching is that personalized designs are readily available and affordable. Pictures of everything imaginable may be etched onto granite. We have a display piece with my college graduation photo, a U.S. Marine Corps emblem (Semper Fi!), a tractor, and my good friend, all emblems of different facets of my own life.
For those on a more limited budget, an insert into Georgia Gray granite will provide a suitable and quite beautiful option that will allow an etching to be clearly seen.
Whether you are seeking a carved or an etched monument, or more likely a combination of the two, build a memorial for your loved one that reflects great thought and love for the memory of a life.
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