Each of the carving options below can be customized with any design of your choice. We have a large selection of memorial designs as well that you can browse at our store. Art In Stone specializes in personalizing each monument or headstone to exact specifications.
Shape Carving: The outline of the design is sandblasted and the interior is shaped to create a 3-D look to the design. Shape carved designs are commonly used on roses, flowers and leaves. They can also be used on many other designs such as praying hands.
Sculpture / Statues: Sculptures and granite statue carvings consist of an image that is hand sculpted using many different pneumatic chisels and other granite carving tools. The quality of a hand sculpted statue will vary greatly depending upon the individual sculptor.
Fonts and Lettering Styles: The choice of lettering plays a significant role in a memorial’s overall look and character. A wide variety of font styles are available, ranging from traditional and elegant to modern and highly personalized, allowing each inscription to reflect the personality and legacy of the individual it honors. Lettering can be created using different techniques, including hand carving, sandblasting, and machine cutting, each producing a distinct appearance in depth, texture, and finish that may vary depending on the selected granite or marble color. Our memorial consultants will guide you through these options, helping you select the most appropriate lettering style and technique to ensure clarity, durability, and a beautiful, lasting presentation.
Etching: Photo etching is a specialized process that permanently reproduces photographs directly onto polished granite with exceptional detail and realism. After decades of beginning with traditional hand etching, we refined our craft into advanced photo etching, allowing us to create precise tonal contrast, natural shading, and lifelike expressions—especially on polished black granite for maximum clarity. We can etch a single portrait or create beautifully balanced collages combining multiple photographs into one seamless composition. We are proud to be the only monument company in Northern California specializing exclusively in this photo etching technique, delivering a level of photographic accuracy and craftsmanship that is truly unmatched.
Sandblast or Flat Carving: This particular type of work consists of placing a design on a rubberized mask, cutting out the lines and outlines of the design and then sandblasting the exposed surface. Sandblast designs are the most basic type of carving available.