FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[NellsRocks]

Hello all

Last week I was driving past a cemetery that I have driven by at least once a week for years. For the first time, I noticed a pink grave marker that I HAD to pull over and look at. It turned out to be a stunning pink stone, I assume massive rose quartz. Because I am new at this, I didn’t think to measure the size. I’d estimate it is about 12-15” long, maybe a bit longer (you can use the dead chrysanthemum in the pot as a guide).

[NellsRocks]

Another stone of interest was much larger. This one GLEAMED in the sun. What I am confused about is the almost pure white all over it, BUT if you look into the engraved/chiseled name, you see plenty of graining. Is this marble? There were quite a few stones with dates from the 1800s with very little wear on them, and they seemed to be of similar stone.

[NellsRocks]

Note the date on this one, 1886. The top does appear to be old, but what about the main stone?

[NellsRocks]

One more from this location

[NellsRocks]

After seeing these stones, I remembered something I had read in a book (THAT will be posted here also, stay tuned) and decided to finally, after living rather close to it my whole life, visit Sleepy Hollow cemetery in Concord MA, known as the resting place for many famous writers.

As I drove by, looking for the entrance, what did I see from the road? YUP, another pink stone marker!

[Bob Harman]

Actually your observations and photos are quite interesting.
You ask about older death dates and recent appearing head stones.....well many are just that. Here in the USA Midwest many families choose to replace older weathering limestone headstones with modern ones, often more resistant granite. So when you see a stone that states someone died about 125 years ago and stone seems modern and recent, it probably is. CHEERS.......BOB

[NellsRocks]

Aaahhhhh... ok, makes sense. But the sheer number of stones that seem to be of the same stone in the first location make it harder to say they are ALL more recent.

Either way, new or old, some of the stone used there is stunning!

More pics to come, by the way... :-)

[Pete Richards]

[Pete Richards]

My favorite local gravestone is shown below. It is jasper conglomerate, and comes from an area near Bruce Mines in Northern Ontario (see Wikipedia). It was brought to Ohio where I live by the glaciers. George Fredrick Wright was a geologist and theologian who was on the (theology) faculty at Oberlin College.

[NellsRocks]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing! I never gave any thought to what type of headstone I want when I kick the bucket... now I may have to start planning!

;-) ;-)

[NellsRocks]

One more rose quartz from Sleepy Hollow

[NellsRocks]

Finally remembered to add some more pic here!

Here is another from Sleepy Hollow that may be hard to make out in the first pic. This stone was covered with mica. I need to go back and look again, because one of my close-up photos seems to show some red garnets as well, but I didn't notice them when I was actually there.

[NellsRocks]

Last one for now, Ralph Waldo Emerson's huge rose quartz marker was a bit of a letdown. As you can see, not nearly as pink as the others in the cemetery. Does this type of stone/mineral fade from years of sunlight?

[Pete Richards]

[NellsRocks]

I like Mary's family's style... Another from Sleepy Hollow...