When a larger motif for remembrance is required, a monument stone or a grave marker is the best choice. Monuments erected in the memory of the pet can either be in the garden where the ashes have been buried or else at the pet cemetery if there happens to be one. Here it is important to select the right kind of material to make sure that it will not erode or break with the passage of time. Granite is the most favored material but it should be hard enough to be durable. The etched or the engraved lettering on the stone is an additional significant aspect of the memorial and this should be entrusted to a professional designer who has a thorough knowledge of fonts.

The headstones are usually created from a sand blasting or sand carving process, and it is important to check that real stones are used and not fake resin or molded stone pieces that only look like the real thing. The topmost quality of stone is always the one sourced in the form of premium river rock. Varieties of stones include slate, polished granite, marble, bluestone, or sandstone, depending on the quarries from which they come.

While the quality of the stone relates to the durability of the marker, the other factors that come into play are the composition, color, texture, density, and shape of the material. Some stones have natural flaws in their structure that can actually help enhance the appeal of the final design. Tombstones or markers are made from a special material called Vashon Buff with Grog. Thanks to the "grog," the wet clay does not shrink when it is fired and is much more durable. After firing, it turns reddish in color and a glaze could turn it to any color you want. The stone should handle weathering just fine in most climates, so long as it is not subjected to long periods of freezing