Over the past centuries many different types of material have been used to create memorials; from using simple piles of rock, to wooden crosses, to elaborate marble, granite or bronze. Mankind has tried to record for history the life of other individuals. Today, marble, granite and bronze are the most commonly used materials, quarried and manufactured from points all over the globe. Both marble and granite are natural materials quarried from the ground, while bronze is a man made metal that is comprised mostly of copper and zinc. Bronze artifacts, dating back thousands of years, have been found with little or no change, other than the natural patina that occurs with weathering due to the high copper content.
At Patten Monument Company, we recommend using granite for the following reasons:
* A wide range of colors available from all over the world
* Engraving techniques allow for unlimited design options
*Ability to vary finishes allows for unique design styles
* Durability
Granite’s natural composition will endure, for centuries to come, the temperature fluctuations found in Michigan. The National Park Service has researched erosion rates of national granite memorials such as Mt. Rushmore. They found that granite wears at the rate of 1 inch every 10,000 years. This link will take you to their site where this information is listed. http://www.nps.gov/archive/moru/park_history/geology.htm To put it another way, a marker made at the time of Christ's death would have eroded less than ¼ inch! For a more in-depth article on granite click "The Geology of Granite" from the Monument Builders News, July 2001 issue.
Because there is so little difference in erosion rates between all monumental grade granites, we at Patten guarantee all our granites equally! To view our stock colors, click Stock granite colors. We do not encourage the use of marble, due to the fact that it is a sedimentary stone and will wear much quicker than granite. If you look in your local cemetery at marble memorials over 100 years old you will understand. We also discourage using bronze for memorials, except when required by the cemetery, because of its softness. Lawnmower damage is common and most people do not like the green patina that comes with age.
The next decision you have to make is size. For more information click, Size.