It’s difficult to imagine the incredible amount of work that goes into creating a memorial.

This video shows brief scenes from several steps of the process.

Memorializing the life of a loved one is a difficult process. Finding a professional

can make this process a lot easier. Create a monument that will preserve the story

of a lifetime for generations to come by choosing a professional monument builder

from North America’s largest and most respected Monument association–the MBNA.

This 30 second video shows elements of the monument design process.

Diamond etching is the process of creating a picture with thousands of impact

marks from a diamond-tipped chisel. This old-world technique creates a

long-lasting picture that is actually engraved into stone.

There are times when cost is not the most important factor in a decision.

When you only get one chance to get it right, a professional can make all the difference.

This thirty second shows how a design is cut into a thin sheet of rubber

and prepared for sandblasting.

Stone is polished by hours of work by a skilled craftsman. There is no

“coating” that is applied. The beautiful, nearly permanent shine on

memorials is created by a series of diamond impregnated pads, water,

and a skilled craftsman. If the polishing process is done incorrectly,

the stone can overheat causing the stone surface to prematurely crumble.

One of the most iconic tools of a stone mason is the square-tipped chisel

used to break stone in a straight line. This video shows the centuries-old

process of rock pitching.

A memorial can tell a person’s life story in many ways: through the words

carved into it, through its location, and through the form it takes. Custom

carved memorials are beautiful and unique. They help to capture the story

of a lifetime. This video shows brief snippets from the process of carving a

custom monument.

Why do we choose to remember? Because remembering is beautiful and ennobling.