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A symbol does on a gravestone what no description can: it sums up all faith and all remembrance in a single sign, legible from the far end of the path. The three letters IHS, the lamb with a banner, the dove with a branch, the heart with a teardrop – people have refined each of these shapes over the centuries precisely so that at a grave, many words are not needed.
In this category you will find a full alphabet of signs of faith and remembrance cut from stainless steel: Christ monograms in four versions, Eucharistic and Passion symbols, doves of the Holy Spirit, hearts, a lamp of eternal light, the gate of heaven, and Alpha and Omega. The designs are available in two sizes and four finishes – from mirror-polished to graphite black.
Below you will find a guide to this whole alphabet: we explain the meanings of individual signs, suggest how to combine them with letters and other decorations, and show which symbols work well on secular gravestones. It closes with an extensive FAQ – because symbols, though small, raise the most questions about meaning: what this sign means, where it comes from, whether it is appropriate to use it.
Christological signs declare to whom the family has entrusted the deceased: the IHS monogram is the name of Jesus in an abbreviation older than many a cathedral; the Lamb of God with a banner stands for the Paschal victory; the crown of thorns for the price of that victory; and the Greek Alpha and Omega for the faith that life has an Author from the first letter to the last. Symbols of the Holy Spirit, led by the dove, speak of the breath that guides the soul onward.
Alongside strictly liturgical signs stand symbols of remembrance that anyone can understand: a heart with a teardrop joins love and longing in a single stroke; hands shielding a flame speak of memory tended by the living; an oil lamp illustrates the prayer for eternal light; and an open gate of heaven stands for hope that knows no closed doors. This second alphabet is often chosen by families looking for a sign that goes beyond divisions.
A symbol works best when paired with lettering. A heart placed beside a name acts like a handwritten note saying "we love you"; combined with a short inscription in steel letters, such as "Always in our hearts," a name or a date, it makes the kind of composition that families look for when they type heart with inscription for a grave into a search engine. An IHS monogram placed above a surname crowns it like a seal, and a dove "carrying" a twig toward the inscription gives the slab direction and movement.
All our letters and digits are available in the same four finishes as the symbols. This way the symbol and the inscription come from one palette and look as though they were designed together, not bought separately. It is the simplest way to give an ordinary slab the character of a thoughtfully designed composition.
Not every family bids farewell to a loved one in the language of religion, yet the need for a sign remains the same. That is why part of our collection speaks a universal dialect: a heart with a teardrop expresses love and longing without a single word of doctrine; hands shielding a flame speak of memory tended by the living; an oil lamp speaks of a light that does not go out; and a fern leaf and a pine cone wreath bring the language of nature itself to the slab. A dove with a twig can be read in a Christian way, or simply as a bird of peace, so each person will find their own meaning in it.
Secular symbols are also appreciated by families with differing worldviews: a sign that excludes no one lets every visitor feel at home at the grave. In practice a simple rule works well: the less declarative the symbol, the more weight falls on the inscription. A heart together with a carefully chosen quotation in tombstone letters can say more about a person than many an elaborate scene.
We offer the IHS monogram alone in four versions, and this variety teaches a general rule for choosing symbols: the meaning may stay the same, but the temperament never does. A glory with rays and nails sounds solemn and Eucharistic, pure typography sounds modern and restrained, a flaming shield is expressive, and the version with a monumental cross carries cathedral gravity. The same applies to hearts, gates or doves: before you choose a sign, decide in what voice it should speak from the slab, in a whisper, calmly or at full volume.
The second thing that sets the voice is the finish of the steel. Polished finish gives symbols brilliance and presence: the sign "shines" from the slab, catching the sun and the flames of grave candles. Satin tones it down to a noble patina; gold adds liturgical warmth, especially to monograms and the lamb; black turns the symbol into a distinct seal on light granite and terrazzo. The same crown of thorns can be dramatic in polished steel and contemplative in satin, so it is worth picturing both versions in your mind before deciding.
A symbol wins wherever restraint matters: on minimalist gravestones of raw granite, on small slabs with no room for an elaborate scene, and for families who value the language of brevity. It also wins through its universality. A crown of thorns or a lamp will never go out of style, because they belong to no fashion, only to a tradition counted in centuries.
Stainless steel adds a practical dimension to this timelessness: a sign cut from a single sheet will not fade, will not rust and will not peel off like stick-on emblems, and its mounting remains invisible. If, after choosing a symbol, you feel the slab calls for something more, you will find full images in the neighboring categories with Jesus, Mary and patron saints; the symbol then accompanies them nicely as a guiding sign.
It is the monogram of the name of Jesus: the first three letters of the Greek spelling, also read as the Latin "Iesus Hominum Salvator," Jesus Savior of Men. On a gravestone it states briefly to whom the family has entrusted the deceased. We offer it in four graphic versions, from a glory with rays to pure typography.
The signs that are simplest to read lead: the IHS monogram, the dove, the heart and the crown of thorns. On the graves of married couples, doves at a chalice and hearts are popular; on the gravestones of deeply devout people, the Lamb of God and Alpha with Omega. The choice usually reconciles the faith of the deceased with the sensibilities of the family.
Yes. A symbol is a shorthand for the same message: the crown of thorns tells of the Passion without a figure, the Lamb replaces the scene of the Resurrection, and IHS replaces a portrait of Christ. Choose a sign when the gravestone should speak discreetly, and an image when the family needs a face to look at.
Love that mourns: the two simplest signs of human feeling joined into one. The feeling endures, even though a tear flows from it. It is a non-denominational symbol, chosen for the graves of those closest to us; in a version with an inscription in steel letters it becomes a personal dedication from the whole family.
The safest choice is universal signs: a heart with a teardrop, hands with a flame of remembrance, a lamp, a fern leaf, or a dove read as a bird of peace. They express love, remembrance and peace without religious references, so they respect the beliefs of the deceased while still giving the family a form for their feelings.
Yes, if they speak with one voice: a heart beside the dates and a dove above the inscription sit together naturally, as do a monogram above the surname and a crown of thorns beside a cross. Avoid, however, duplicating signs with the same function. Two monograms or two hearts compete instead of working together, and variety of roles is the key to harmony.
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