Why Work With Us?

Memorial Stones Dealer
in NJ

Hand-carved memorials (general) by Memorial Stone Shop — 80+ years in Morris County, NJ.

NJ Memorial Specialists — Custom granite & bronze memorials
Custom Carving & Design — Hand-carved in Morris County
Veteran Memorials — VA-compatible, military-grade
Cemetery Compliance — Every piece meets cemetery rules
Foundation Installation — Below frost-line, level-set
Photo-Etched Portraits — High-contrast relief portraits
Memorial Restoration — Restore aged & weathered stone
American-Made Materials — Domestic granite & bronze
Companion Memorial Sets — Side-by-side memorial pairs
Over 80 Years in NJ — Family-owned since 1945
All 14 NJ Counties — Statewide installation
Multilingual Service — English · Russian · Polish
Call (973) 791-8962Get a Free Consultation
Serving all of New Jersey · English, Russian, Polish
granite Memorial Stone hand-carved by Memorial Stone Shop in NJ — image 1

Memorials (general)

Over 80 Years in NJ

Ready When You Are

Talk to a Memorial Stone Shop craftsman today.

Call, email, schedule a free quote, or visit the showroom in person. Real people answer the phone Monday through Saturday.

Call (973) 791-8962Email UsSchedule a Free QuoteVisit Our Showroom
Service Area

Serving All 14 NJ Counties

Our Morris County, NJ workshop is the heart of everything we do, but Memorial Stone Shop serves families throughout the entire state. From Bergen and Essex in the north to Monmouth and Ocean in the south, our team handles every step — design, carving, delivery, and cemetery-compliant installation. We have placed memorial stones in cemeteries across all 14 New Jersey counties for more than 80 years, and we understand the specific rules, soils, and traditions that vary from one county to the next. No matter where your loved one rests, we come to you.

  • Morris
  • Bergen
  • Essex
  • Passaic
  • Hudson
  • Union
  • Sussex
  • Warren
  • Hunterdon
  • Somerset
  • Middlesex
  • Mercer
  • Monmouth
  • Ocean
Cemetery Guide

Cemetery Compliance Guide

Cemetery Regulations

Every cemetery in New Jersey operates under its own set of regulations governing the size, shape, material, and finish of memorial stones. Some newer sections of municipal and non-denominational cemeteries permit only flat flush markers, while older sections often allow upright monuments of varying heights. Before any design is finalized, Memorial Stone Shop reviews the specific rules for your cemetery — whether that means checking height restrictions at a Sussex County municipal ground or confirming acceptable stone types at a private cemetery in Middlesex County. We handle that research so your family does not have to navigate unfamiliar paperwork during an already difficult time.

Foundation Requirements

A properly set foundation is what keeps a memorial stone plumb and stable through New Jersey’s freeze-thaw winters. Most cemeteries require a concrete sub-base poured to a specified depth below the frost line, typically between 36 and 42 inches in northern New Jersey counties. Memorial Stone Shop coordinates directly with each cemetery’s monument supervisor to confirm foundation specifications before we begin installation. Our crews pour, level, and cure foundations to cemetery standards, then set the granite or bronze memorial on top with precision. The result is a stone that stands as firmly in thirty years as it does on the day it is placed.

Religious Cemetery Considerations

New Jersey is home to a broad range of faith-based cemeteries — Catholic, Jewish, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant — each with distinct guidelines that shape memorial design. Catholic cemeteries in Essex and Morris counties, for example, often have sections that require a crucifix or religious imagery to meet lot rules, while Jewish cemeteries follow halachic traditions that favor simple upright or flat granite stones without figurative decoration. Eastern Orthodox traditions, familiar to many of our Russian-speaking families, may call for a specific cross form. Memorial Stone Shop’s team, which serves families in English, Russian, and Polish, understands these distinctions and will guide you to a design that honors both your faith and your cemetery’s requirements.

Our Collection

Our Memorials (General) Collection

Memorial Stone

The term “memorial stone” covers a broad family of granite and bronze markers, each suited to a different cemetery setting, family tradition, and personal aesthetic. Upright memorial stones — the tall, vertical monuments most people picture first — range from modest single tablets to wide companion stones designed to carry two names and two life stories side by side. Slant markers offer an angled face that catches light differently than a flat surface, making inscriptions and hand-carved portraits particularly legible. Flat grave markers sit flush with the ground, an option required by many New Jersey cemetery sections and favored by families who appreciate a clean, understated appearance. Pillow markers combine a flat base with a gently curved upper face, lending a softer profile to the grave site. Across every style, Memorial Stone Shop uses American-made granite — quarried and finished domestically — in colors ranging from classic Jet Black and Balmoral Red to softer grays and blues. Bronze lettering panels can be paired with any granite base to add warmth and long-term legibility. Whatever form the memorial takes, the hand-carved details — borders, motifs, portraits, and inscriptions — are executed in our Morris County workshop by artisans who have spent careers learning this craft.

Unspecified Options

Beyond the standard silhouettes, Memorial Stone Shop’s full memorial product line includes companion benches that allow family members a place to sit and reflect at the grave site, columbarium plaques for above-ground cremation niches, and footstones that mark the foot of a burial plot in cemeteries where a separate footstone is traditional. Veterans’ memorial markers — with branch emblems, flag holders, and service inscription panels — are another specialty. Families who are unsure which memorial form best fits their cemetery’s rules or their budget are welcome to bring their questions directly to our Madison, NJ showroom, where our staff can walk through every option with patience and without pressure.

Custom Design Process

Every memorial stone begins with a conversation. Our design team listens to what mattered most about the person being remembered — their faith, their passions, the symbols that made them who they were — and translates that into a design rendering you can review and revise before any stone is touched. Digital proofs are prepared in-house and shared with the family for approval. Once the design is confirmed, skilled artisans transfer it to the stone surface and hand-carve every element: the lettering, the borders, the imagery. No two memorials leave our Morris County workshop alike, because no two lives are alike. The process typically takes several weeks from first consultation to installation, and we remain your point of contact throughout.

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Memorials (general) process
Our Process

Our Hand-Carving Process

Creating a memorial stone at Memorial Stone Shop is a deliberate, six-stage process that keeps the family informed and in control from the first meeting to the final installation. Step one is the initial consultation — a conversation, in person at our Madison showroom or by phone, where we learn about the person being remembered and the cemetery’s requirements. Step two is cemetery research: our team contacts the cemetery directly to confirm regulations covering size, material, and foundation depth before any design work begins. Step three is design. Our in-house designers prepare a detailed rendering showing lettering style, border motifs, imagery, and overall proportions. Families receive this proof digitally and may request revisions until the design feels right. Step four is material selection: American-made granite in the color and finish suited to the design, sourced from domestic quarries and verified for consistency. Step five is hand-carving. Artisans in our Morris County workshop transfer the approved design to the stone surface and work each element by hand — the incised letters, the relief borders, the portrait or symbol — using techniques passed down through more than 80 years of this family’s practice. No shortcuts, no mass-production methods. Step six is delivery and installation. Memorial Stone Shop coordinates with the cemetery, pours or verifies the foundation, and sets the stone level and secure. We photograph the completed installation and share it with the family.

Memorials (general) memorial installed in NJ
Voices

What Families Say

New Jersey families have entrusted us with their memorials for three generations.

“We came in not knowing what we wanted, and the team walked us through every option without rushing us. The stone they carved for my father looks exactly like the rendering — the portrait is beautiful, and several people at the cemetery have stopped to ask who made it.” — Margaret, Morris County NJ
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not see your question here, call us.

How long does it take to design and install a memorials?

The timeline varies by complexity, but most memorial stones move from initial consultation to cemetery installation in six to twelve weeks. Simpler flat markers with standard lettering are on the shorter end; companion upright stones with custom portraiture or intricate hand-carved imagery take longer. We give each family an honest estimate at the start of the design process and keep you updated throughout.

Do you serve cemeteries throughout New Jersey?

Yes. Memorial Stone Shop serves all 14 New Jersey counties. Our Morris County workshop handles design and carving, and our installation crews travel statewide — from Sussex and Warren counties in the northwest to Ocean and Monmouth counties along the shore. We have worked with hundreds of cemeteries across the state and are familiar with the rules and staff at many of them.

Are your memorials cemetery-compliant?

Cemetery compliance is built into our process from the beginning. Before we finalize any design, we confirm the specific size, material, and foundation requirements with the cemetery directly. We do not present a family with a finished stone that cannot be installed — that would be a failure of our responsibility. Every memorial we deliver is made to meet the rules of the cemetery where it will stand.

Can I bring my own design or photo?

Absolutely. Many families bring sketches, photographs, meaningful symbols, or reference images from other memorials they have admired. Our design team works from whatever you bring us and builds a rendering around it. If you have a portrait photograph you would like hand-carved into the stone, that is something our artisans do with particular care and skill.

Do you offer veteran companion markers?

Yes. Memorial Stone Shop produces veteran memorial stones and companion markers that incorporate military branch emblems, service dates, and appropriate inscriptions. We are familiar with the VA’s provided government headstone program and can also coordinate a custom private memorial that complements or replaces a government-furnished marker. Please let us know at the consultation if a veteran’s memorial is needed.

What languages do you serve families in?

Yes — English, Russian, and Polish.

Showroom & Gallery

See Memorial Stones in Person

Browse a few of the stones we have set, then come visit us in person. Sample stones, finishes, and lettering are all on display.

Memorial Stone Shop Madison, NJ 07940
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Memorials (general) · Serving all of New Jersey

Schedule a Free Consultation Today

We serve families across Morris, Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Hudson counties and all of New Jersey. Fill out the form, drop by the showroom, or call us. Real people answer the phone Monday through Saturday.

Request Your Free Consultation

A specialist contacts you within one business day. House calls available across Morris County and the surrounding region.

Or call (973) 791-8962