Blue Pearl Granite Headstones
Blue Pearl granite carries a depth no other stone matches: a dark, near-black base flecked with flashes of silvery blue that shift as you move around the stone. Fram Monument has hand-carved memorials for families across Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia since 1922, checking every design against your cemetery's requirements before it's carved.
Popular Blue Pearl varieties
Fram Monument works with several grades of Norwegian larvikite, each with a different crystal size and depth of shimmer. Your design consultant can show you physical samples of each.
Blue Pearl Classic
The standard grade of Norwegian larvikite, with a fine, even crystal structure and a consistent blue-silver shimmer across the full face of the stone.
Blue Pearl GT
A rarer, large-crystal grade of the same stone (Grand Texture), prized for dramatic, oversized flashes of blue that catch the light from a distance.
Emerald Pearl
A deeper, near-black variety of larvikite with a hint of green in its shimmer, often chosen for a more subdued, formal look.
Silver Pearl
A lighter grey-toned larvikite with a softer, more silvery flash, popular for contemporary and dual-tone designs.
Types of Blue Pearl granite memorials
Every shape below can be carved in Blue Pearl Classic, Blue Pearl GT, Emerald Pearl, or Silver Pearl. Your cemetery's rules usually decide which ones are allowed on your plot.
Upright Headstones & Memorials
A tall, freestanding monument set on a base. Offers the most surface area for lettering, portraits, and emblems, and reads as the most traditional, prominent option.
Slant Headstones
An angled face set on a base, low to the ground but still easy to read from a standing position. A middle ground between an upright monument and a flat marker.
Flat Headstones
Set flush with the ground. Often required in memorial garden sections, and appeals to families who want a quieter, low-profile memorial.
Bevel (Pillow) Grave Markers
Sits low like a flat marker but with a gently angled top edge, giving a bit more presence and lettering surface while still meeting most memorial garden rules.
Single Grave Markers
Sized for one plot and one name. The most economical Blue Pearl option, available in upright, slant, flat, or bevel form.
Double / Companion Grave Markers
One memorial placed over two adjoining plots, with both names on a single stone. Many families order one name now and add the second later.
Ledger Markers
A large flat slab sized to cover most or all of a single plot, used in some older or historic cemetery sections in place of a smaller flat marker.
Veteran & Military Markers
Service branch emblem, flag, and rank details carved into Blue Pearl granite, often paired with a civilian design for a spouse on a companion marker.
Family Estate Monuments
A larger central monument paired with matching individual markers, built for a family plot with three or more burials.
Laser Etched Memorials
Photo-realistic portraits, scenes, or artwork etched directly into polished Blue Pearl granite, its dark base giving fine etched detail strong contrast.
The advantages of Blue Pearl granite
Dimensional Shimmer
Blue Pearl's crystal flecks catch light from every angle, giving a memorial a subtle movement and depth that flat black or gray granite can't match.
Lasting Polish
Blue Pearl's dense, fine grain holds its high polish for decades with only occasional rinsing, and its shimmer resists fading from sun exposure.
Low Porosity
Its density means Blue Pearl absorbs very little water, which helps it resist staining, moss growth, and freeze-thaw damage over time.
Distinctive Look
No two Blue Pearl slabs shimmer quite the same way, giving each memorial a one-of-a-kind character that a mass-produced stone can't offer.
How much does a Blue Pearl granite headstone cost?
Because every Fram Monument headstone is custom designed and hand carved in house, we quote each family individually rather than publishing a fixed price list. Blue Pearl generally runs above both standard gray and black granite, since it's quarried only in Norway; here are typical ranges by marker type.
| Marker Type | Typical Size | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| Single Upright Monument | 24"–36" W × 20"–24" H | $4,200 – $7,200 |
| Double / Companion Upright Monument | 36"–48" W × 24"–30" H | $6,600 – $9,600+ |
| Single Slant Marker | 20"–24" W × 12"–14" H | $2,700 – $3,800 |
| Double / Companion Slant Marker | 28"–36" W × 14"–18" H | $3,800 – $5,800+ |
| Single Flat / Grave Marker | 16"×8" – 24"×12" | $1,800 – $3,400 |
| Double / Companion Flat Marker | 24"×12" – 36"×12" | $3,600 – $5,800+ |
| Single Bevel (Pillow) Marker | 16"–24" W × 4" thick | $2,200 – $3,400 |
| Double / Companion Bevel Marker | 28"–36" W × 4"–6" thick | $3,400 – $5,000+ |
This table is a general guide only. Your exact price depends on granite grade, size, and personalization, and will be confirmed by a design consultant.
Why inscriptions stand out on Blue Pearl granite
Blue Pearl's dark, shimmering background gives sandblasted lettering, silver or gold leaf, and laser etching an unusually crisp, dimensional finish. Most families work from the same handful of building blocks:
- Full name and birth & death years, or dates left blank to add later
- Silver-filled or gold-filled lettering for maximum visibility at a distance
- A laser-etched portrait, scene, or fine-line artwork
- A shared epitaph or verse, in sandblasted or hand-carved lettering
- Religious, military, or fraternal symbols placed above or beside the name
Your design consultant will proof the full layout with you, including a sample of how silver leaf or etching will look against Blue Pearl's shimmer before anything is carved.
From consultation to installation
Consultation
Meet a design consultant in person at our Annapolis, Baltimore, or Rockville showroom, or schedule a virtual consultation, and view granite samples.
Design & Proofing
Our in-house team designs your monument and walks you through a detailed proof before carving begins.
In-House Carving
Your headstone is carved entirely in our own facility, start to finish.
Installation
Our own crews set your monument at the cemetery and remain available for care and repair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Blue Pearl is quarried only near Larvik, Norway, and cut in more limited supply than black or gray granite, so it typically costs more than either, with the exact difference depending on grade and size.
Its polished surface can make water spots, dust, and pollen slightly more visible between cleanings than a lighter stone. An occasional rinse with clean water and a soft brush keeps the shimmer looking sharp.
Yes. Larvikite is a dense, low-porosity igneous stone that holds up to weather and freeze-thaw cycles as well as, and often better than, many black or gray granites.
No. Quality Blue Pearl holds its color and shimmer for generations with basic care. Avoid bleach, wire brushes, or pressure washing, which can dull the polish and mute the shimmer over time.
Yes. Many families pair a Blue Pearl die with a black or gray base, or use a Blue Pearl panel inset against a lighter frame. Your design consultant can show you combinations during your consultation.
Most cemeteries do, but some older or historic sections restrict granite color or require a minimum polished area. Fram Monument confirms your specific cemetery's requirements before production.
Blue Pearl Classic and Emerald Pearl are the most popular choices for laser-etched portraits, since their finer, more uniform crystal structure gives the etching the most tonal detail without the shimmer competing with the image. Blue Pearl GT's larger crystals suit bolder, less detailed designs better.
Reach out through the contact form on our site or call your nearest showroom. A design consultant will walk you through granite samples, styles, and next steps for your family.