Choosing a memorial crystal: an honest guide

If you are reading this, you are probably deciding what to do with a photograph of someone who has died. This page is not a sales pitch. It is what we would tell you on the phone: which shape suits which photo, what to do if the only picture you have is a bad one, and when a crystal is not the right answer.

When you are ready to look at what we make, the memorial photo crystals and pet memorial crystals are here.

Start with the photograph, not the shape

The photo decides almost everything. Look at how much of the frame the face fills.

• A close-up of one face works in any shape. The heart is the softer choice; the cube is the quieter one.
• Two people together — a couple, a mother and daughter — suits a heart if they are close together in the frame, or a rectangle if they are not.
• A full-length photo, or three or more people needs a rectangle. Put it in a small shape and the faces stop being recognisable, which defeats the point.
• A dog or a cat engraves beautifully, and about a third of what we make is a pet. The bone shapes are there if you want them, but plenty of people choose a plain rectangle.

“The only photo I have is terrible”

We hear this most weeks, and it is usually not true. A great many of the crystals we make come from a creased print photographed on a phone, a screenshot from a video call, or a picture taken twenty years ago on a disposable camera. The laser reads the shape of a face, not the sharpness of the file, and we remove the background as standard.

Send it to us before you order. If it will not engrave well, we will tell you and we will not take your money. That is a straighter answer than you will get from a website that only shows you a basket.

Size, and why bigger is not automatically better

Larger crystals hold more detail, which matters when there is more than one person in the photo. For a single close-up, a smaller crystal is often the better object — it sits on a windowsill or a bedside table without dominating the room, which is what most people actually want.

If you are not sure, our shape and size guide goes through each one.

The preview matters more here than anywhere

Engraving cannot be undone. If you would like to see your crystal before we make it, tick the preview box when you order. It is free, we will email it within 24 hours, and it shows exactly how the photograph sits in the crystal, with any name, date or line of text in place. You approve it, or you tell us to change it. Nothing is engraved until you say so.

If you have asked for a preview, check the spelling of names and dates on it carefully. It is the one thing that cannot be put right afterwards without starting again.

When to order, and when not to

Free UK delivery takes 2–3 working days, and 24-hour delivery is available as an option at checkout, so a funeral date is usually manageable if you tell us the date.

But there is no rush. A fair number of the memorial crystals we make are ordered months or years afterwards, sometimes on an anniversary, sometimes when someone finally feels able to look at the photographs again. Both are fine. Nobody should feel they have missed a window.

A word about light bases

They are optional and we will say so. In daylight the engraving reads perfectly well unlit. A base earns its place if the crystal is going somewhere dark, or if it is one of the smaller shapes. White is the setting almost everyone settles on.

Questions we get asked

Is a memorial crystal a good bereavement gift for someone else?

It can be, if you have access to a photograph they would want. It turns a picture they already treasure into something that stays out on display rather than something that ends up in a drawer. If you are unsure whether it would be welcome, a smaller keyring or a cube is a gentler thing to give than a large display piece.

Can you make a memorial crystal for a pet?

Yes, and we make a great many. Dogs, cats and horses all engrave well. Every order gets the same care, whatever it is for.

What photo should I use for a memorial crystal?

The clearest close-up you have of the face. Good lighting helps, close beats distant, and a photo of a printed photo is fine. If in doubt, send it and we will tell you honestly whether it will work.

Will the image fade over time?

No. The engraving sits inside the crystal, so there is nothing on the surface to fade, peel or rub away. Crystals we made four years ago look exactly as they did the day they left the studio.

Can I have a name, dates or a short message engraved?

Yes, and it is free. If you tick the preview box when you order, it appears on your free preview so you can check every letter before we engrave it.

Which shape is best for a memorial crystal?

A rectangle for portraits, which is what most people send us. A heart if you want something softer. The Prestige Iceberg if it is going somewhere it will be looked at properly.

How long does delivery take?

Free UK delivery in 2–3 working days as standard. 24-hour delivery is available as an option at checkout if you are working to a funeral or anniversary date.

What if it arrives and it is not right?

Full no-quibble refund — no hoops, no questions. Get in touch and Sarah or Shaun will deal with it personally.

When you are ready

Have a look at the memorial photo crystals, the pet memorial crystals, or send us the photograph and we will tell you what we think before you spend anything.

Sarah & Shaun