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monument serves as a marker indicating the final resting place of your loved one. When it comes to including designs and messages, you have many ways to customize the gravestone. While all of these will create a beautiful image, they may create different effects. To help you choose one you love, here is a brief overview of some of your options. 

4 Ways to tell your story on Your Memorial

1. Sandblasting

Also known as a flat carving, this type of design typically involves cutting a name or shape into a rubber mask and then sandblasting the surface of the monument to create a 2-D image. Sandblasted carvings work well for flat gravestones placed horizontally on the ground. The beauty of these carvings may be more difficult to convey with upright monuments due to the angle.

2. Shadow-Shaping

These carvings are sandblasted as well, but only on their outlines. After that, the interior is shaped to look 3-D. You may want this type of carving for any designs that require small details, such as flowers and leaves. In this case, contour and shadow will help them stand out. This option works for all kinds of monuments. 

3. Etching

There are two ways to create etched carvings. One is to manually etch a design directly onto a monument with a diamond-tipped engraving tool. A craftsman can also do this with lasers to reproduce a precise and detailed photograph or image onto a polished gravestone. Although either type of etching works with memorials of different colors, dark shades are best, since the contrast makes the design more visible and striking. 

4. Sculpting

monumentsUsually made on granite, sculpting requires the use of pneumatic chisels and other carving tools. A statue or image is carved directly into the stone, leaving the background and shapes recessed to draw attention to the 3-D design. This creates a stunning, unique feature on a headstone or grave marker. Carving angels is a popular choice.


Located in Waterford, Norwich,and Willimantic CT, Tri-County Memorials is happy to show you a wide range of options for carvings for monuments east of the Connecticut River. In business since 1973, they’re highly skilled and will make sure your marker looks exactly the way you want. They also offer monument cleaning and restoration services to keep a memorial beautiful for years to come. Learn more about their designing services online or call (860) 443-8744 for Waterford location, (860) 886-6200 for the Norwich location, and (860) 456-8658 for the Willimantic location, to discuss a memorialization project. 

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