Shaped Headstones

Shaped Headstones: When Stone Becomes a Story

Some lives resist the rectangle. They were too vivid, too devoted, too singular to be contained within a standard form. A shaped headstone begins where conventional memorials end — in the space between what is expected and what is true.

At Memory Headstones, our master sculptors spend their careers learning to listen to stone. Every curve, every carved detail, every custom form we produce is handmade from exclusive granite and guided by one question: what shape best honors this particular life? The answer is never the same twice.

Why Families Choose a Shaped Headstone

A shaped memorial is a statement of individuality. It says: this person had a form all their own, and their tribute should reflect that. Families choose special shape headstones when they want something that communicates — not just marks. A symbol that speaks before a single word is read.

Different headstone shapes carry meanings layered by centuries of tradition. A heart expresses devotion that outlasts life itself. An angel communicates protection and spiritual passage. A cross declares faith as the defining context of a life. A sculpted rose speaks of beauty and of grief in the same breath. Choosing a shape is choosing a language — and our artisans help families find exactly the right one.

"The shape of a headstone is not decoration. It is the first thing a visitor understands about the person resting there."

Beyond symbolism, shaped headstones are simply more personal. They hold more of the person — their faith, their relationships, their spirit — within the silhouette of the stone itself. For many families, no other form of tribute feels complete.

Exclusive Granite — The Only Material Equal to the Work

Sculpting intricate three-dimensional forms demands more from stone than standard memorial work. Curves must hold their edge. Carved details must remain legible for generations. The surface must accept fine engraving without fracturing. Only granite of the highest density and structural integrity meets these requirements — which is why we use nothing else.

Our exclusive granite is sourced from select quarries chosen for their geological quality and the rarity of their coloration. Because we work only with natural, undyed stone, every piece carries its own mineral signature — veining, depth, and tonal variation that no two slabs share. When our sculptors carve a heart shaped headstone or an angel companion monument, they are working with a material that is already one of a kind.

Rare colors, naturally formed

We offer a curated range of rare granite tones not available through conventional memorial suppliers: deep celestial blacks with silver flecks, luminous rose quartzes, warm amber-browns, forest greens, and cool Nordic grays. The color your family selects becomes part of the memorial's character — permanent, natural, unrepeatable.

Granite of this caliber also provides an exceptional surface for engraving. Letters, portraits, and fine decorative details remain crisp and clear for centuries without restoration. What our artisans carve today, your grandchildren will be able to read without difficulty.

Sculpted by Hand. Finished by Eye. Never Rushed.

Shaped headstones are among the most technically demanding work in monumental masonry. Sweeping curved silhouettes, three-dimensional relief carving, fine portrait etching, and hand-polished surfaces require a level of skill that cannot be replicated by machine — and we have never tried.

Every shaped monument that leaves our facility is entirely handmade by master artisans in the United States, under close supervision at every stage of production. Our sculptors treat each commission as a singular responsibility. They know that the stone they are shaping will stand at a graveside for a century or more, witnessed by generations of the same family. That knowledge governs every cut.

Since 1960, this has been the standard we hold ourselves to. It has not changed.

Signature Shaped Headstone Designs

Our catalog spans a wide range of sculpted forms, each available fully personalized with custom inscriptions, portrait etchings, and granite selection. The designs below represent some of our most requested commissions — but they are always a beginning, never a limit.

Heart Shaped Headstone

The heart is the most universally understood symbol of love — and among the most challenging to carve well. Ours are sculpted with a precision that gives the form real weight and presence without losing the softness the shape demands. Families choose headstones heart shaped to honor spouses, children, and parents: those whose bond with the departed was the defining relationship of a lifetime. Available as individual or companion monuments, in a full range of exclusive granite tones.

Angel Companion Heart Headstone

A monument of exceptional sculptural ambition. A highly detailed guardian angel is carved in full three-dimensional relief, its wings spread gently over a central heart — designed to honor two beloved family members resting together. The craftsmanship here is among the most demanding in our collection. The result is a tribute of rare emotional power: protective, devotional, and unmistakably personal. For families who want a memorial that truly commands the landscape with grace.

Carved Cross Upright with Rose Detail

Faith and beauty rendered inseparable. A deeply carved traditional cross forms the foundation of this design, while three-dimensional rose blooms are sculpted directly into the granite surface — not etched on top, but emerging from the stone itself. The roses bring warmth and fragility to a form associated with permanence and strength. An ideal tribute for those whose faith was the quiet center of everything they did.

Comfort Heart & Cross Memorial

Some lives were held in equal measure by love and by faith. This design honors both without privileging either. The cross and the heart are integrated into a single unified form — not placed beside each other, but genuinely merged — so that the monument reads as one complete statement of devotion. The result is a shaped headstone of remarkable visual coherence and deep symbolic resonance.

Companion Madonna Upright Headstone

A monument of genuine majesty. The Madonna figure is sculpted with the full attention our artisans bring to their finest work — expressive, reverent, and rendered in high relief against the polished granite surface. Designed for companion use, it brings an atmosphere of divine protection and grace to the memorial estate. For families for whom religious faith was inseparable from daily life, this is among the most meaningful tributes we offer.

Double Heart Companion Headstone

Two hearts, one stone. This design speaks with deliberate simplicity to the fact of a partnership — two lives so intertwined that a single monument is the only honest response. The hearts are carved as distinct forms that nevertheless read as one coherent whole, providing generous space for names, dates, and personal inscriptions. Among our most requested companion designs, and among the most quietly moving.

Fully Custom Shaped Headstones

Beyond our signature catalog, our sculptors accept fully bespoke commissions. If you carry an image in mind — a specific silhouette, a symbol from a life's defining passion, a cultural or spiritual form not found in standard collections — we will work with you to realize it in stone. Our custom shaped headstones have included everything from musical instruments to wildlife to architectural forms drawn from a loved one's homeland. Bring us the idea. We will carve it.

A Collaborative Process, from Concept to Installation

A shaped headstone is not selected from a shelf. It is designed in conversation. Our process begins with a dedicated consultation — unhurried, thorough, and focused entirely on understanding the person being honored and the family doing the honoring.

From there, our team guides you through every decision: shape, granite color, scale, inscription style, additional carving details, and any cemetery-specific requirements. Our sculptors then hand-craft your memorial to the agreed design, and we oversee delivery and installation with the same level of care we bring to every other stage.

You will always know where your memorial stands in the process. You will never be left to wonder. That level of transparency and support is part of what we mean when we say premium service.

Investing in a Legacy — on Your Terms

Sculpted shaped headstones represent some of the finest work in monumental masonry — and we believe every family deserves access to that level of craftsmanship, regardless of financial timing. We offer flexible installment plans with 0% in-house financing, so the investment can be structured in a way that causes no additional burden. Our artisans begin work the moment you are ready.

As a family business since 1960, we extend special discounts to military veterans, active first responders, and families who choose to pay their balance in full. These are not promotional offers — they are expressions of gratitude that have been part of how we operate from the beginning.

Let us help you carve something permanent — a tribute as singular as the life it honors, built to be witnessed by every generation that follows.