Headstones could wear off as time goes by. And it’s something that we typically overlook as we’re too occupied with our lives.
However, constantly replacing the headstone of your loved ones could be expensive. So, the most practical way is to buy the headstone with the sturdiest material initially. But if you’re still worried about the designs, you could learn more here.
Why should you care about the headstones?
Death is natural and signifies the end of the life of an individual. With the increasing number of deaths worldwide, it’s become more challenging to identify your loved ones.
Headstones help you distinguished your family members or friends from the hundreds of dead people buried in the same cemetery as them, and the following factors are crucial for this choice:
Engraving
For easier identification, engraving has become the norm when it comes to headstones. The family members ask a professional to engrave the critical details about the dead.
Usually, this information consists of their name, birthday, and date of death.
You might occasionally see the commemorations such as “Beloved Husband and Father whom will be dearly missed” or some other forms of memorabilia like a favorite quote or the words the family would like to leave for their deceased loved one.
Either way, engraving is vital for distinguishing the dead from each other. A headstone made of low-quality material could not possibly save this feature when storms and heavy rain comes along once in a while.
It could be stressful to find the tomb of the deceased if these details were removed. Unfortunately, there is no way to locate the family’s respective graves when you encounter such situations. In the end, it’s just another heartbreak for the family.
Style
We all know that styles are commonly associated with culture, history, and even faith.
Just take the “Die on Base Headstone,” for example. This kind of headstone is seen mainly in a section of the cemetery where military officials die. Depending on your location, you might even notice that there’s a small planted flag on the side of the deceased personnel.
In this way, their family and the government can honor their deaths and remind them of their bravery and patriotism.
On the other hand, if you coincidentally encountered Tympanium Headstones, it’s quick to conclude that the tombs have been a part of history.
These tombs started to appear back in the early 1800s but have lost their appeal after a couple of decades.
To further explain the significance of the headstone’s styles, you could try to take a look at obelisk designs.
Obelisk-styled headstones are elegant and were inspired by the Egyptian faith. Egyptians see obelisks as a symbol for eternal life, heaven, and the rays of the sun that shines down upon the dead.
Want to know our take on the best headstones?
Based on the comparisons of the headstones, we’re able to conclude that a flat quartzite headstone is the sturdiest of them all!
Quartzite is denser and harder, enabling them to withstand any climate. The material, as their name suggests, was made from the quartz mineral.
This mineral is resistant to most physical and chemical weathering, so you wouldn’t have to worry much about it being easily destroyed or its color fading out in a short period.
In the case you still want to explore other options, you could decide to sneak a peek at the following:
Slate
This headstone has a smooth texture, allowing an easier carving for the engraving process. It is also porous, making the material withstand other elements.
In the long run, this type of headstone will be able to stay proud.
Iron
Using iron as a material for a headstone is uncommon itself, but don’t let that fool you as this bad boy is capable of surpassing several generations.
They are durable as they are often made by local blacksmiths or by specialist foundries.
Granite
This material is second-best to the quartzite headstone. They are igneous rock, which means that they are transformed through the solidification process of magma or lava.
And so, these types of headstones have become resistant to water, and their tough texture made them sturdier to be able to fight the elements.
They are a good choice for a family who wouldn’t like to have scratches on their chosen headstone since this material makes it difficult to do so.
Since we stated their properties, it’s no surprise that this headstone became durable enough to last a few generations.
You could also get them in various colors, which led them to be part of the trend a couple of years ago. This is practical if you’d love to give the tombstone a “youthful” look.
Limestones
Limestones add a personal touch and come with varying textures and colors for people to choose from.
However, these headstones are only recommended and allowed in churchyards.
If your loved ones would be buried in that location, it’ll be best to choose this instead of others. If not, you could jump onto the other choices we’ve given you.
What to do when you’re feeling stuck?
Though we’ve tried to give you options, they might not be sufficient for your needs. So, for that, we urge you to determine the factors which could provide you the solution for this dilemma.
First, you need to identify if the headstone you want is compatible with the location you’ll be transporting it to. Some cemeteries have a narrow space, so it takes too much time for the families to think of which headstone could fit and still be durable.
Second, pay attention to the desired way of engraving. Not all headstones could amount to the pressure of carving. It’s better if you know what you like to do since there are two ways to perform an engraving—sandblasted and laser-engraving.
The sandblasted puts a heavier pressure on the headstone, so you might want to pick a larger and thicker headstone for this process. But if you’re going secure that your headstone wouldn’t crumble, you could decide to choose a laser-engraving instead.
The trick is knowing that laser-engraving has more longevity than the life span of a sandblasted.
Lastly, choose the style that fits your needs. The styles don’t affect the durability of the headstone but know that bigger types would expose the headstone more to elements and even vandalism.