01 · Digging the stone

From the earth.
Made personal.

A personal stone starts long before the lettering.

First, we dig the stone out. Before there’s a name, a design or a brush of color, there are layers of rock and the work of bringing them to the surface.

What begins as a rough piece of stone can become a welcome by the front door, a family name in the garden or a place to remember someone. Here’s how we take it from that first step to something personal.

Watch the first step

Natural character.
A personal touch, step by step.

Digging natural stone20 seconds

Where the natural-stone process begins. Press play to watch; sound is optional using the player controls.

In the video: an excavator bucket loosens layered stone.

02 · Breaking & sizing

Breaking it down.
Keeping its character.

The stone is broken into smaller pieces and sized for the design. Its natural edges, layers and texture help give each piece its own character.

We choose a piece with room for the words or artwork, working with its shape rather than making every natural stone look exactly alike.

03 · Sandblasting

Your words.
Cut into stone.

The personal part takes shape in the workshop.

Once the piece is ready, the words or artwork are sandblasted into its surface. The design becomes part of the stone, ready for the finishing touches.

Here’s a short look at that work in the Rock Solid workshop in Bath, New York.

Meet Brian and the workshop

At the sandblaster15 seconds

A moment from our workshop. Press play to watch; sound is optional using the player controls.

In the video: a stone maker works at the sandblasting cabinet.

04 · Painting by hand

A little color.
A personal finish.

The engraved design is painted by hand to bring the words and artwork to life. Color and contrast make the details stand out against the stone’s own texture.

We work with fieldstone, flagstone, bluestone and granite. Each finished piece brings together the stone’s character and something personal—a family name, a bright welcome or a small remembrance.

See the finished work

From our collection