A
Alpha and Omega - “The Beginning and the End,” when used with Cross or some
other symbol of Christ. Meaningless without sacred symbol
Anchor - Symbol of Hope
Apex - The top of a die, cap, plinth or spire sloping upwards to a point
from the four sides
Arms - The two horizontal projections on a cross, also referred to as
Traverse bar
Ashlar - Small pieces of granite, rough or finished, which make up the
side walls of a mausoleum
Axed - A surface dressed with a bush hammer
B
Barre Guild - Barre organization of quarries-manufacturers to maintain high
standards of granite and craftsmanship
Base - The bottom part of a two-piece monument, or the lower parts
under a die as the first base is always the bottom, the second
base may be one tier higher, the third base one tier higher, etc.
Base-relief - Sculpture in low relief. (Pronounced Baa-relief)
Bed - The bed of a base applies to that part of its top surface cut to
fit the joint of the die
Bevel - A slanting top. A bevel differs from a “slant” in that a “slant”
refers to a sharply slanting face
Bleeding Heart - Symbol of Grief, Bereavement
Block - A large, rectangular piece of rough material
Blue Bell - Floral Symbol of Constancy, Sorrowful Regret
Blued - A surface darkened in color by a sand-blast abrasive
Bottom Jointed - Bottom of a die, or other connecting piece, squared up
for setting on a base
Buffer Head - The circular disk used to buff or polish the material
C
Calla Lily - Floral symbol for Sympathy and Zeal
Canopy - An ornamental or roof-like covering supported by columns
Candelabrum - An ornamental candlestick having 3, 5, and 7 branches
Popular as a Jewish symbol for a woman
Cap - Usually applied to the top part of a three or four piece
monument
Capital - The uppermost part of a column or pilaster which serves as a
crown to the shaft
Carving - See: Shaped carving, shaped with screen background, plain
or flat, plain or flat with screen background, skin, screen panel
Chamfer - Surface made by cutting away a square edge. A beveled edge
Check - A square cut member one inch or less. When larger than one
inch they are called rabbets
Chipped - A defect, a small piece broken out of edge
Columbarium - A structure of vaults lined with recesses for cinerary urns; also,
in plural, the niches in such a structure
Convex - Curving outward like a segment of a globe or circle-opposite to
concave
Cross - Symbol of Christianity
Crown of Roses - Symbol for Reward for Virtue
Crucifix - Latin Cross with figure of Our Lord upon it
Crypt - Enclosure for a casket in a mausoleum--when preceded by a
number, as 10-crypt or 2-crypt, it indicates the number of caskets
which may be placed in a mausoleum; a vault wholly or partly
underground, especially a vault under a church; a grave or tomb
Cubical Content - The cubic feet and inches in a die, base or block
Curbing - Fence or low enclosure for cemetery lot
D
Daffodil - Symbol of Desire, Regard
Daisy - Floral symbol of Innocence and Hope
Design - A photograph or an artist's rendering of a memorial
Diameter - The length of a straight line passing through the center of a
circle from side to side
Die - The main part of the monument
Dimension Piece - Rough material broken to size
Dove - Symbolic of The Holy Ghost
Dowel - A pin used on horizontal joints when necessary to bind pieces
together
Drainage Holes - Holes drilled in vases and bases for carrying off water
Drill - Tool used for boring holes in rough material
Drop - The distance between the lowest and highest points of an oval
or bevel , serpentine, wash, etc.
Dust Off - See “frost”
E
Egg-and-Dart - A classic moulding decorated with an egg-shaped ornament
alternating with another in the form of a dart
Ends - The right and left sides of a die as you stand facing it
Epitaph - An inscription or writing engraved on, or suited to be on,
a tomb or monument
F
Face - The front of a monument or front of a slant-face marker
Facet - The flat raised surface between the flutings of an Ionic column
Flat Carving - See skin carving
Flute - A channel or curved section; often applied to one of a vertical
series of such channels used to decorate columns and pilasters
Fluting - Decoration by means of flutes or channels
Front - The face of a monument
Frost - To remove the polish by sand-blasting
Fruit and Vine - Symbolic of the Personality of Jesus Christ
Full Size Detail - A drawing of a memorial, or part of same, to the exact size ordered,
showing carving, lettering or members as they will appear when finished
G
Gable Top - Top of a monument shaped like the roof of a house
Often called Two-way top
Garden Types - Benches, sun dials, flower urns and pergolas made for
normal or landscaped surroundings, not necessarily for
cemetery purposes
Gladiolus - Symbol of The Incarnation, Preparedness
Gothic Top - A convex top which rounds up to a peak on the center line
Granite - A hard igneous crystalline rock composed of quartz, feldspar,
hornblende and biotite. Barre granite has same basic elements
as contained in rubies and sapphires
Grapevine - Symbol of Religious Truths and Mysteries. The Church, Unity
Grass Marker - A flat top marker set approximately level with the ground
H
Hickey - A low, rectangular marker with bevel top of any desired finish,
but with rock pitched sides
High Relief - Sculpture in which the projection of the figures from the
background is half or more than half of the natural circumference
Hollyhock - Symbol of Ambition
Horizontal Type - Wherein the longest side is the joint or bottom
L
Laurel - Floral symbol for Glory
Ledger - A flat memorial placed full length on the ground, which usually
covers the whole grave
Lily - Floral symbol for Easter, Purity, Innocence, Heavenly Bliss,
The Blessed Virgin
Lily of the Valley - Symbol of Return of Happiness
Line - A line marked on the surface by pitching, chipping, or
sandblasting
N
Nosings On Markers - The top of a slant face marker; also the perpendicular face
surface below the slant. On Monuments - A small member
which projects beyond the surface. It is usually found on the
end of the die
O
Oak Leaf - Symbol of Courage, Strength, Endurance
Obelisk (or Spire) - A square or tapering shaft of impressive height
Ogee - A moulding consisting of two members, the one
concave, the other convex. It has a profile in the
form of the letter S
Olive Branch - Symbol of Peace
Ornament - A broad term used to describe carving, screening
or other ornamentation
Outline Frosted Letter - Letters formed by sandblast lines on polished surface with the
polish blown off between the lines
Oval Top Dies - With the top cut as a part or segment of a circle
P
Palm - Symbol of Victory, Spiritual Victory
Panel - A sunken, raised or flush compartment with a moulding or
other margin, as in faces of monuments
Passion Flower - Symbol of The Anguish of the Crucifixion Faith
Pedestal and Square - The base or foot of a column, statue, vase, or the like;
the part on which an upright work stands. It consists of
three parts, the base, the die and the cap
Perspective - (a) The art of drawing an object on a plane or curved surface
exactly as it appears to the eye. (b) The apparent meeting of
parallel lines as their distance from the observer increases
Pitching - The chipping of a rock surface to a line “Pitch to a line,” etc.,
or “rock pitch,” is a die or base that is pitched to a line in all
or part rock finish
Plain Carving - See Skin Carving
Plain Die - A finished die without ornament or lettering
Plinth - A square block serving as a base for a statue, vase, etc.;
the base of a column and often the second base of a three or
four piece memorial
Poinsettia - Symbol of The Nativity-Christ
Polished - A high gloss finish, when followed by a number as Polished -1-
or Polished -2-. The number refers to the number of sides polished
Poppy - Floral symbol of Sleep-Death when looked upon as sleep
Posts - Corner boundary markers for cemetery lot
Primrose - Symbol of Youth-Sadness
Proportion - The relation or adaptation of one portion to another or to the
whole, as respects magnitude; a harmonizing relation between
parts
R
Rabbet - Usually called a check when one inch or less wide and a rabbet
if wider than one inch
Relief - The projection of figures, ornaments, etc. from a background
Kinds of relief are named according to the degree of projection,
as high, bas-relief, etc
Return - The continuation of a wall or molding in a different or opposite
direction
Rift - The direction of easiest splitting in a granite mass, or the two
parallel surfaces of a block lying in the direction of easiest splitting
The vertical surface at right angles to the head grain
Rolls - A short column placed in a horizontal position with ends finished
to any specification
Rope - Symbol of Eternity
Rose - Floral symbol for Love, Wisdom, Beauty
Rosette - An ornament in the form of a conventional rose, or other design
of circular form, used as a decoration
Rough Stock - Material as it comes from the quarry before any finishing has
been done
Round Raised Letters - Letters raised in a half round above the surface
Rounds - An edge that is rounded
Rubbing - The impression of a carved, lettered or contour surface obtained
by rubbing with crayon over paper when applied to surface
S
Saw Block - A block of rough material large enough to run through a saw
Scotia - A concave moulding
Screen - Large monument suggestive of a chancel or sanctuary screen
Screen Carving - A process of sandblasting through a screen resulting in
symmetrical deep holes and lines like a honeycomb
Sometime called lace carving
Scroll - A rotary head with a series of concentric rings, used as a
grinding tool when “ironing”or "emerying”
Scroll - An ornamentation generally used in Christian art to symbolize
immortality.
Sculpture - Carving in full relief, statuary, bas-relief
Seam - A very fine crack
Seats - A type of cemetery memorial, exedra bench
Serif - The swelled ends of classic letters, generally called
swell-headed letters
Serpentine - A reverse curved surface, derived from the movement of
a serpent, often called Ogee top
Shamrock - Symbol of The Holy Trinity, St Patrick. Emblem of Ireland
Shaped Carving - Carving like sculpture
Screen Background - Same as above with screen background
Shell Rock - A rock surface irregularly broken in deeper and longer
scallops than in regular rock finish
Shot - Spherical grinding material of iron or steel used to level
surfaces-used in various sizes
Shoulder - A member or projection raised above the surface similar to
nosing
Sides - See “ends.” Sink-Sunk -Sinkage- Referring to lowered surfaces
Slab- A strip of granite axed or polished on one or two long faces
with the edges in the rough state and usually 8”, 10”, or
12” thick
Slant- An extreme bevel usually with a nosing at the top and bottom-
as slant marker
Square- A tool used to square up stone
Square Raised Letters- Letters raised above the surface, edges of letter square
Star- Symbol of Birth or Life
Steeled- A term sometimes used by competitive manufacturers to describe
a finish somewhat similar to Memokraft
Stock- Rough material
Straight Edge- A tool of wood or steel with a true edge on long narrow side used
to check accuracy of surfaces
Streak- A fine line of imperfect grain, either darker or lighter than the whole
Sword - A symbol of Power, Justice, Warfare, Fortitude
Symbolism - The language and meaning of flowers and other signs
T
Taper - A narrowing shape in monument design, the taper usually is
toward the top
Thistle - Symbol of Independence-Austerity-Emblem of Scotland
Tomb - A large sarcophagus type memorial with the center excavated
to receive a casket or caskets
Top - The top surface of a die or monolith
Torch - (Upright). Symbol of Eternal Life. (Inverted). Symbol of Death
Atheism
Tulip - Floral symbol of Charity Love
Turned Work - Memorial pieces circular in shape, rolls, columns, balls, urns
U
Urn - A vase solid or dished to receive flowers. Preferably urn if
solid-vase if hollowed out to receive flowers. Symbol of
Destiny-Eternal life in the hands of the Divine Potter
V
V-sunk letter by hand-tool - Letter sunken by hand-tool
Vase - See Urn
Vertical Joint - A vertical surface made ready to join another vertical
surface
Vertical Type - Symmetrical upright monument
Vestibule - An entrance or passage hall next to the outer door of
a mausoleum
Violet - Floral symbol for Modesty, Faithfulness
W
Wash - The exposed part of the upper edges of a base when given
a slope to shed water. A narrow beveled surface
Water Lily - Symbol of Charity
Wild Rose - Symbol of Love, Simplicity
Wings - Supporting stones that extend from either side of a central die,
usually to form a memorial of the screen type
Wreath - Symbol of Remembrance. Wreath of Roses: Heavenly bliss,
Of Laurel: Reward, Victory, Of Olive: Peace, Of Ivy: Conviviality,
Of Oak: Strength, Of Bay: Mourning, Of Willow: Bereavement,
Mourning. Of Yew: Immortality