What The Color Says

Recently I had a sweet family in that was interested in purchasing a memorial for their mother. They wandered around the showroom, checking out our different styles and designs, when they asked an interesting question.

"We want a color that shows she was bold. Do you have anything bold?"
I sat and thought for a moment and in donned on me that I had spent a considerable amount of time studying the symbolism on monuments, but I had not necessarily studied how a combination of both color and symbolism can offer a very powerful depiction of one's life and life story.

So I set out to learn about colors and what their selection may say about a person, and I wanted to share my findings with you.


Blue. The two most popular blue granites that we deal with are Blue Pearl and Bahama Blue.

Blue Pearl Granite

Blue pearl gets it's name from the it's pearly specks of blue. It really sparkles in the sunlight and looks so much prettier in person than it does in this sample photo on the blog!



Bahama Blue

The second blue that we carry is called Bahama Blue. Contrary to it's name, Bahama Blue does not come from the Bahamas. (That is disappointing, I know!) This blue really varies in appearance and can look rather gray in the sunlight depending upon the stock that is selected. It also has streaks and/or dots of purple throughout.


Based on the information I have found online, blue can indicate a personality that includes the following character traits:

Peaceful - Stable - Calm - Confident - Tranquil - Sincere - Affectionate - Having Integrity

 

 

 

 

Ebony Mist Granite

Black. Believe it or not, there are countless variations of black granite! The difference in the black colors lies in the grain and also in the color combinations. So you may see black with a misty gray throughout such as Ebony Mist.

 

Or, you may see a black granite with "gold" specs throughout called Gold Star Black.



Gold Star Black Granite



 

Of course there are many, many options when it comes to black granite (too many to list on the blog!), but black can indicate the following character traits:

Sophisticated - Powerful - Mysterious - Formal - Saavy

 



 

 

 



Gray. There are several gray granites to choose from, with our most popular being the classic Georgia Gray. Our Georgia Gray granite comes from Elberton, GA. You will notice it is primarily gray with a smattering of black and white fine grain dots throughout the stone.   This color can change in appearance depending upon if the stone is polished, sawn, dusted, frosted, or honed. It is a classic color and frequently found in cemeteries, especially in the south. Gray can indicate the following character traits:

Stable - Secure - Strength of Character - Authoritative - Mature

 

 

 

Pink. There are several rose or pink colored granites to choose from, with each color looking very different from the others.



Chapel Rose Granite



 When a family comes in requesting pink granite, the granites available versus their expectations may vary wildly. Because granite is a natural stone, there is no "hot pink" or "pastel pink" to choose from.

 

Two of our most popular pinks are Morning Rose and Chapel Rose.





Morning Rose Granite

Pink can indicate the following Character Traits:
Beautiful - Sensitive - Compassionate - Faithful - Friendly - Romantic - Loving & Kind



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

India Red Granite

Of course you are probably wondering what color the family I referenced at the beginning of this blog post chose. You'll recall they wanted something BOLD.

And, after learning more about their mother, we decided that an India Red Granite would be most appropriate.

 

Character traits most commonly indicated by Red are:

Loves Danger - Passionate - Daring - Romantic - Stylish - Excited - Energetic

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are so many granite colors to choose from, that I couldn't possibly include them all in this blog post. However, if you are interested in creating a memorial that tells your loved one's unique story, give one of our professional memorial counselors a call and we will be glad to help!

 









Designing a Memorial

When I sit down with families to visit about their memorial they often say the same thing, "I have absolutely no idea what I want the monument to look like".

If you could easily find yourself uttering that very same thing, then this blog post is especially for you.

Each year I work with countless families who know that they want to place a memorial in the cemetery and often they even know what color they want. However, when it comes to the actual design, they could use some guidance.

Stock Designs for Sandblasting
At Emerson Monument Co. we have an entire library of designs that families commonly use. These designs are organized by the size of the monument and range from the very simple to the extremely elaborate. Sometimes families will select the entire design and other times the families will use the design as an "inspiration" and build on it.

We also have an entire library of components that are commonly used on monuments. Components are single images, such as an emblem, that represents a career, hobby, event, honor, etc.

Designs for Laser Etching
For those who choose to go the laser etching route, things work a little differently.
Typically when a family would like to do some laser etching I will sit down with them and go over their ideas and show them pictures of similarly etched memorials. We will then gather all necessary artwork from them and go from there.

Proofs.
At Emerson Monument Company we will not start making your monument until you have signed off on a rendering of the memorial. While the renderings are in black and white, they are to-scale and a great way to "see" the monument before it is complete. It is also an opportunity to allow both you and your family to make any necessary changes.

I hope you have found this information to be helpful. If you would like to start designing a memorial, please contact us via email and we will be glad to help.