 Engraved Stones : Artisans Meet Technology
by Liz Hekimian-Williams
May 24, 2003
Have you ever seen an engraved garden stone, address marker rock or
memorial stone and wondered, "How did they do that?" The process of
etching words and designs onto such dense and strong objects is
actually accomplished through a masterful combination of imagination,
art, skill, technology and nature.
Stones found in a South African cave dating back about 77,000 years,
etched with lines and triangles, appear to be among the earliest hand
carved engraved stones. Time intensive hand engraving with chisels
and hammers actually continued as the primary manner of etching
stones even into the 19th century. Technological advances, however,
have since helped many stone artisans with their craft, resulting in
finely engraved rocks that are created with more efficiency. And
while hand engraving tools still find a place within the stone
artisan's toolbox, sandblasting has become a more common technique
for carving into stones nowadays.
Interestingly, the first patent for sandblasting equipment is traced
back to 1870. That is when a Benjamin Tilghman is said to have
obtained the British patent. However, sandblasting machines seem to
have become more widely available and used only after about 1930.
What is a sandblaster? It is like a pressure tool that blasts out
sand. It uses compressed air or steam to force sand particles at
high speed onto the rock. This wears out the targeted areas on the
stone surface that the artisans direct the nozzle towards. As you can
imagine, sandblasting equipment has helped stone engravers to greatly
reduce their production time. So this has become an invaluable tool
in their trade.
Before the actual engraving work begins, the stone engravers must
first select the right stone and work on design and layout issues for
each custom job. This includes deciding on or including specified
font type and size, designs, and layout of the elements on the
stone. Locating and selecting the right one-of-a-kind stone with
attention to size, coloring and shape for the current stone engraving
project also requires the artistic eye of the stone artisan.
Then, a
stencil is prepared and attached somehow to the stone before the
engraving starts. Here again, technology has come to the rescue. It
used to take the stone artisans many more hours than it does now to
complete a stone engraving project. But the design and preparation
phase is much speedier now thanks to computers, scanning technology,
drawing software, rubber cutting machines and rubber or vinyl
stencil sheets already complete with adhesive backings. Finally, the
stone artisans use sandblasting and hand engraving as desired to
deeply engrave the message or image requested into the rock. Cleaning
the stone and, if requested, painting inside of the engraving,
finishes up the engraved stone project.
Throughout the ages, etchings in stone and rock have been used as
long lasting symbols for meaningful communication and decoration.
This continues today. Personalized engraved stones and rocks can be
carved to include individual names, family names, dates, corporate
logos, memorial or commemorative words and sentiments, designs,
single words or even your favorite saying.
Ideas for personalization and for uses are only limited by a person's
imagination. Custom engraved stones are often used as home and garden
decor accents and unique personalized gifts. However, many
individuals continue to use engraved stones for special and
meaningful communication. A recent stone engraving project we
completed illustrates how this particular person used the stone for a
very important message and also as a symbol of strength and
longevity, one that will stand the test of time. The engraving on the
stone elegantly read: "Will You Marry Me?" Romantic proposal, wasn't
it?
- Liz Hekimian-Williams
©
2004
Liz Hekimian-Williams is owner of Giftsprings.com, an online gift
shop featuring gifts, home decor and personalized gifts including
custom engraved stones and rocks. To see the variety of stone sizes,
fonts and images that are available, visit the engraved stones
department here: http://www.giftsprings.com/category/estones
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