Granite headstones in Tbilisi - black, red and grey granite, made in our workshop and installed

Granite compared with other stones

Granite is an igneous rock that formed over millions of years under enormous pressure. As a result it has almost no pores: water cannot get inside, so it cannot expand in a frost and split the stone. Unlike marble, granite does not need an annual protective treatment, and a polished surface keeps its mirror shine for more than fifty years. In practice this means very little upkeep: a few times a year, a wipe-down using warm water and a soft-bristled brush is enough.

The second reason is the portrait. On polished black granite, a portrait engraved by laser or by hand stands out more clearly than on any other stone: light lines on a dark background reproduce a photograph with near-photographic accuracy. That is why black granite has become the classic choice in Georgian cemeteries.

Granite varieties

Many families combine stones: a black granite stele with the portrait, a red or grey plinth, and tiles in the same lighter stone. The combination looks livelier and also brings the cost down, because a less expensive granite is used for the tiles and plinth.

Sizes and prices

The price covers the stone, cutting and polishing, the plinth, an inscription of up to sixty characters, a reinforced foundation, delivery and installation at Tbilisi cemeteries, and a ten-year guarantee.

Charged separately: an engraved portrait from 250 GEL, lettering beyond sixty characters at 3 GEL per character, tiling around the headstone at 180 GEL per square metre, and a grave railing from 400 GEL. For installation outside Tbilisi, delivery is added according to the distance.

Shapes

• Upright stele: the most common shape, with a straight or rounded top. It carries the portrait, the name, the dates and an epitaph.
• Wavy or asymmetric stele: modern lines, often with a cut-out holding a flower or cross motif.
• Cross-shaped headstone: an Orthodox or Georgian cross carved from a single block, or a cross set on top of a stele.
• Horizontal memorial: a low, wide slab covering the top of the grave, often chosen in sections where tall headstones are restricted.
• Heart, open book or angel: symbolic shapes, especially for a child, a young person or a mother.

From measuring the plot to installation

1. Free site visit: our craftsman measures the grave in person, checks the soil, how much the ground has settled and the distance to neighbouring graves, and tells the family what size of headstone the plot will take.
2. Visualisation: within three days the designer sends a 3D image showing the dimensions, stone colour, typeface and position of the portrait. You can ask for as many changes as you like until the family is completely happy.
3. Choosing the slab in our stone yard: every granite slab has its own pattern, so we invite the family to come and pick theirs in person. The contract is signed and half the cost is paid.
4. Production: cutting, edge finishing and polishing, then the portrait and lettering. A standard stele takes two to three weeks.
5. Foundation: reinforced concrete is poured at the cemetery and needs a week to cure. Its depth is calculated from the soil and the weight of the headstone so that it will not lean in years to come.
6. Installation and handover: the headstone is fixed to the plinth with special adhesive and steel dowels, the joints are finished and the area is cleaned. The family receives a written guarantee and pays the balance.

Timing a granite headstone

Georgian custom is to install the headstone for the first anniversary memorial, and a practical consideration lies behind this as well: the soil of a fresh grave keeps settling throughout the first year, and a heavy stone placed too early can tilt. Installing earlier, around the third month after the funeral, requires a deep, reinforced foundation that can cope with ground movement. In winter we pause concrete work at cemeteries, because a foundation poured in frost does not reach full strength, so installation moves to the spring. Many families order in winter: the stone is made in the workshop, and as soon as the spring weather turns mild it is already standing at the cemetery.

Lettering and epitaphs on granite

There are two ways to letter granite. The first and most common is incised engraving, which is then filled with gold, silver or white paint. It lasts for decades, and the paint can be refreshed every few years without touching the stone. The second is applied bronze or metal letters fixed to the surface, which give a classic, formal look. Besides the name, surname and dates, many families add an epitaph: a verse from the Bible, a line of poetry or a few personal words. The family approves the text in writing, because a mistake cut into stone is very hard to correct.

Georgian inscriptions can be cut in several typefaces, from classic Mkhedruli (the everyday Georgian script) to modern styles, and on request Asomtavruli, the old capital script that gives a traditional, church-like look. If some relatives speak another language, the inscription can be made in two languages, including Russian.

Telling good granite from cheap granite

• Depth of polish: in good black granite your reflection is sharp and undistorted. On cheap stone the surface looks dull or wavy.
• Even colour: grey stone dyed on the surface is sometimes sold as "black granite". When wet, such stone changes colour, while genuine gabbro does not.
• Thickness: a stele thinner than eight centimetres is cheaper, but it copes worse with wind and knocks and does not give the portrait enough depth.
• Foundation: the most frequent problem is not the stone at all, but thin concrete without reinforcement underneath it. We always include the foundation in the price and state its depth in the contract.

Granite headstones outside Tbilisi

Many families live in Tbilisi while a loved one is buried in a village cemetery in their home region. You do not have to track down a local stonemason and supervise the work from afar. Our craftsman measures the grave on site, or works from photos and dimensions the family sends, the headstone is made in our Tbilisi workshop, and the installation crew travels to the village to deliver and set it up. In mountain villages with long winters the window for installation is short, so we plan these orders early and pour the foundation deep enough that hard frost cannot push it up.

Frequently asked questions