Take your time choosing a headstone
Choosing a headstone is an important, long-lasting decision made more challenging by the need to celebrate a loved one’s life while also working through powerful emotions of grief.
In many parts of New Zealand, councils narrow the headstone options by prescribing what materials may be used, maximum sizes, and how arrangements should be made for a headstone’s placement in a public cemetery.
For example, a monumental mason may be required to liaise with the council; granite may be the only acceptable stone; and the height of the headstone may be limited to 120 centimetres.
A good starting point for exploring options is by contacting a specialist headstone company registered with the New Zealand Master Monumental Masons Association. A list of members can be found at headstones.org.nz
Most masons will encourage you not to rush; an empty space for a short time is usually better than a permanent reminder of a hurried decision.
Temporary plaques are also an option until decisions on a headstone, its epitaph and finances are sorted.
A basic headstone with engraving usually starts at about $1800. Prices increase depending on the size, shape and type of stone, the style and amount of lettering, and the inclusion of extras like a vase, photo or customised carving.
About 95 per cent of New Zealand’s headstones are imported, with the stone mined in China, India or even Norway. They are shaped offshore and sent to New Zealand masons to create a personalised inscription.
This approach, along with council requirements, is what gives a lot of uniformity to our modern cemeteries.
The advantage of an imported headstone is that it is cheaper than local stone while still high quality, and you know exactly what you’re getting. The disadvantage is that you are likely to wait several months for the headstone to arrive and the finished product is not as personalised.
New Zealand stone may provide more of a spiritual connection. Options used around the country include Takaka marble, Wanaka schist, Timaru bluestone, limestone, native basalt and Coromandel granite.
An experienced mason can help guide your decision and, if local, should be able to tell you if the material is approved for the chosen cemetery.
Since New Zealand stone is not quarried in big blocks, every piece has a different character. You may be able to use shapes other than rectangular and have areas of natural face rather than all polished.
However, higher labour costs in New Zealand mean a locally made headstone may cost more.
Granite is a favourite for its affordability when imported and because it can be polished to a mirror-gloss finish that is highly resistant to weathering and lichen growth.
The type of stone can also affect the message you want to place on it because more textured stones, such as limestone, require larger lettering to remain legible with weathering. This may be especially important if you want to leave room to add a spouse’s name later.