The Benefits of Granite – Why it became used for memorials

There has been something of a rebellion against granite being used as a material for headstones and memorials in the last decade or so. Although it has been a very traditional stone for graves in Britain for centuries, and perhaps because of this traditional association, there have been an increasing number of memorials that use marble or other stones instead of granite. But there are many reasons, aside from just tradition, that granite is such a popular choice for headstones, and in this article we hope to demonstrate just what some of those reasons are.

The origin of granite being used for memorials is found more often in countries with climates that have more rainfall. There is a very obvious reason for this, which is that rain is one of the most important factors in determining just how quickly a headstone erodes. Wind and sun definitely do their part, but a constant attack from rain will do its work much quicker. Snow can also be very damaging, but snow is much rarer than rain in the countries that granite memorials are predominantly found, and even if it weren't, granite stands up to temperature changes about as well as other rocks that are used for remember people after they have passed.

So, the hard wearing nature of granite is definitely one aspect that has affected people's choices. Marble, the other big name in memorial creation, doesn't stand the test of time nearly as well. But what other considerations go into the selection of stone? Again, in countries that use granite, you will often find that the colours of mourning, or those associated with death, are all dark, just as unpolished granite often is. There is therefore an obvious connection between the stone and the death of a person. Granite is suitably solemn and respectful, capturing the same funereal atmosphere that everybody feels at the time.

Finally, one of the chief aspects that influenced the choosing of granite is that it is fairly hard to work. It is not a simple stone to quarry due to its density and weight, and once a sufficient slab has been collected it can be a long and tiring job to get it to the right size. Even after all of that is done, moving and positioning it can be something of a challenge, again due to its weight. What this means is that the work involved in getting a granite headstone created and then placed shows a level of respect for the deceased because of the difficulty of the act.