Guardian Funeral - Headstones

Caskets
Embalming
Selecting a Headstone

Headstones and Plaques

Here is a selection of the different types of headstones and plaques we can arrange.

Headstones

Plaques

Guide to Selecting a Granite Memorial

The best way of selecting a memorial is by visiting the cemetery and viewing the many different sizes, shapes and designs present and deciding with the use of this guide the memorial that you would like.

If you see a style of memorial in a cemetery, please note the name, row and section of the cemetery, and we will view it and provide you details of what it is called and price it for you.

Once you have formulated your thoughts please call in or make an appointment to visit our showroom or for one of our consultants to call on you.

Types Available

There are two distinct types of memorial:

Plaques, which are mounted flat or tilted slightly off horizontal
Headstones, which are mounted on a base and stand vertically

Your choice of memorial depends on the section of the cemetery where the burial takes place.

Colour

There are five main colours which are always available: grey, black, red balmoral, blue pearl and green pearl.

Other colours, such as paradiso (pink and white) and multicolour (red and green), are available from time to time.

Shape

The shape is limited only by your imagination. We specialise in manufacturing memorials to individual designs.

Upright headstones in particular have a standard range of tops (head pieces) such as camber, saddle, book and heart.

Size

Cemetery regulations governing the maximum size of plaques and headstones vary considerably from division to division within a cemetery, and also from one cemetery to another. We can guide and advise you on these regulations.

Plaques are either:

a panel (20 mm thick)
a recumbent desk (25 to 75 mm thick)

Headstones are either:

a plate (75 mm thick)
a desk (75 to 150 mm thick)

Guardian Funeral - Guide to Selecting a Granite Memorial

Finish

The face of the memorial must be polished to allow the inscription to be sandblasted into it. However there are three types of finish for the edges, top and back:

All polished - This is an advantage for cleaning and maintenance, as it inhibits the growth of lichen and moss.
Axed - The stone is cut to an even surface but not polished.
Rock - A more natural "Rough" finish. This is harder to clean and maintain.

Base

The following options are available:

Concrete/Plastered - The least expensive option, but tends to deteriorate over time.
Granite - Superb weathering and lasting qualities, with the advantage of low maintenance. These can be made to match the granite chosen for the memorial.

Vases

Vase holes may be cut into the base of the memorial. Vases may be short or tall, and come in a range of colours: white, silver, brass, gold or black.

Inscription

You can choose a lettering style from the many available.

The inscription can be in any colour. The most common is; silver, white or gold (22 carat leaf).

There are unlimited possibilities with what can be incorporated on the memorial. For example ceramic portraits in black and white or colour, traceries of emblems, flowers or birds etc in any colour.

To work out exactly what you would like on the memorial we suggest you initially sketch a diagram. We can then provide a computer generated scaled layout of how the inscription will look on the memorial before the work is started.

Cost

Cost is dependant on issues of design work, size of headstone, type of base, colour and amount of lettering etc.