Set in Stone
Origin of the phrase
"set in stone"

When we think of the phrases “set in stone” or “written in stone,” our mind goes to the figurative meaning: something so unmovable and absolute. However, what is lost is the actual, literal origin of the phrase, set in stone.
If you write something in pencil, you can easily erase your work if you decide to change it later. Even ink can be washed clean. If you write something on a computer, you can quickly delete your work and start from scratch. Faced with these obstacles (well, maybe not the computer), our ancestors searched for a way to make their thought permanent and immutable.
To codify thoughts of great importance, they literally carved words into stone, setting them for the world to see. Remember The Ten Commandments, probably the most historical stone tablet?
We believe that this historical method of memorializing importance still has a place in our modern world – a place that serves as commemoration and revitalization.
In The Imagination Reef, every foot of piling, every boulder, and every monument provide the opportunity to cement a legacy. Make a statement, make a commitment, leave a legacy, and have your legacy Set in Stone, on any boulder or plaque placed on the piling of the letters.
Companies, Organization, Individuals or Groups can be a part of our Project through the sponsorship of the eight Monuments of the Imagination Reef. Click here to view the Monuments.
A unique place
The Imagination Reef Project, will be a unique place to commemorate a special person, memories, events, moments in time or even just make a contribution to the message of Protecting the Oceans and Saving our Reefs.
At the same time, you will make a meaningful contribution to protecting the oceans and saving our reefs. At Imagination Reef, you can honor, pay respects, celebrate that which is important to you and at the same time, support the College and Universities that teach the Marine Biologists of today and tomorrow. These are the people that we will look to that are the future scientists working to solve one of the most important and burning issues of our time, Protecting the Oceans. You can help through your generous donation of the rock that builds the Imagination Reef Project.
The Imagination Reef, and it’s message, is destined to become the world’s most iconic message to the world to protect the oceans and save the reefs. It is designed and set in a uniquely beautiful location to commemorate a particular person, memory, event, or moment in time through a Set in Stone memorial.
By choosing to Set in Stone, you will make a meaningful contribution to protecting the oceans and saving our reefs through your financial contribution to the reef’s enduring legacy. Your stone isn’t only a stone in the ocean; it’s a building block upon which our reef will thrive for millennia. By choosing to Set in Stone at Imagination Reef, you celebrate that which is important to you. Your gift will support the college and university programs dedicated to fostering our Marine Biologists of today and tomorrow, supporting our future scientists in their quest to solve one of the most important and burning issues of our time: Protecting the Oceans.
Stone by Stone
The Imagination Reef will be built stone by stone, boulder by boulder, and block by block. Each block or boulder of our reef is hewn from carefully selected, expertly carved ancient coral rock deposits, allowing the shell and sands of old reefs to become the foundation of the reefs of tomorrow.
When you choose to make a gift through Set in Stone, your message is etched onto the foundation of our Imagination reef. Your contribution, along with your name and message, will be listed on our Reefs for Oceans Website. This way, you can share your efforts to revitalize our reefs with your family and friends, inspiring others to help support our mission in the process.
