8 June 2011

A rose quartz gravestone

Posted by Callan Bentley

On Monday when I went to Powell’s grave, I noticed a few “boulder with a plaque” gravestones, the most distinctive of which was this lovely chunk of rose quartz:

Quartz is a good choice, since it’s very very very stable at Earth surface conditions, and thus will stick around a lot longer than, say, a marble tombstone. I still think I’d rather opt for a rock bearing tectonic structures or primary structures in the marker for my own final resting place, but a distinctive mineral specimen might not be a bad choice, either. What mineral would you like to have marking your grave? What’s your priority: attractiveness, longevity, or geological superlatives (weirdest P/T conditions, for instance, or rarity)?