New baby and christening 3D photo crystals

A new baby 3D photo crystal is a photograph of your grandson, granddaughter or godchild engraved inside a solid block of K9 optical crystal, using up to 15 million individual laser points. The picture sits in the middle of the glass, so you can turn it and look at it from any side. We work from any clear phone photo. Free preview — tick the box when you order, emailed within 24 hours — plus free text engraving, background removal and free UK delivery.

Hospital photos usually engrave better than people expect

Most newborn photos are taken in poor hospital light, on a phone, at three in the morning. Those photos engrave well. The laser reads the shape of a face rather than the colour of the room, so a slightly yellow, slightly dim photo of a six-hour-old baby normally comes out fine. Background removal is included as standard, so the drip stand, the curtain and the clutter on the bedside table all disappear and only the baby is left.

If we look at your photo and think it will not engrave well, we tell you before you have paid for anything and ask for a different one. And 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 nothing is engraved until you are happy with it. If you are still not happy when it arrives, you get a full no-quibble refund — no hoops, no questions.

Which shape suits which baby photo?

The shape of the photo decides the shape of the crystal more than taste does.

• A close-up of the face — the sort of photo where the baby fills the frame — suits a heart crystal or a crystal cube. Both are roughly square, so a face sits in the middle of them without losing anything.
• A family-of-three shot, or mum and baby side by side, needs the width of a rectangle crystal. Put a wide photo in a heart and you lose a shoulder, sometimes a whole person.
• A christening photo with the gown is usually full length, so again the rectangle is the safer choice.

If you are not sure, send the photo through anyway. Tick the preview box when you order and you will see the crop for yourself — if it is wrong we change it. Our shape and size guide compares them all if you would rather decide first.

The words are free

Text engraving is included, not an extra. Grandparents usually ask for the baby's name and date of birth. Godparents often add the christening date and the name of the church. Keep it short — a name and a date reads beautifully in glass; a paragraph does not.

What it costs

Keyrings, necklaces and the 2D ornament start at £39.99. Cubes are from £40, rectangles from £59.99 and hearts from £69.99. Every price includes the 3D conversion, free text engraving, background removal and free UK delivery in 2–3 working days. If the christening is on Saturday and you have only just remembered, 24-hour delivery is available as an option at checkout. There is a fuller breakdown in how much do 3D crystal photos cost in the UK?

You can see the full range on our 3D crystal gifts page.

Questions we get asked

Can you use a photo taken on a phone?

Yes. Almost every crystal we make comes from a phone photo. What matters is that the face is in focus and reasonably close, not that the camera was expensive. You can also photograph a printed photo and send that. See our guide to choosing the right photo.

The hospital photo is quite dark. Is that a problem?

Usually not. Newborn photos are nearly always taken in poor light and they still engrave well, because the laser works from the shape of the face rather than the lighting. We look at your photo before anything is engraved and tell you honestly if we think it will not work.

Do I have to crop or edit the photo first?

No. Send it as it is. We remove the background as standard and crop it to suit the crystal you have chosen. If you tick the preview box when you order, we will email you a free preview within 24 hours so you can check it.

What is the free preview?

It is an emailed image showing your photo laid out in your chosen crystal, with any text in place. Tick the preview box when you order and we will email it to you within 24 hours. You either approve it or ask us to change something, and nothing is engraved until you tell us you are happy with it.

Can I have the baby's name and date of birth engraved?

Yes, and there is no charge for it. Names, dates of birth, christening dates and a short line of your own are all included in the price.

Will it arrive in time for the christening?

Standard UK delivery is free and takes 2–3 working days. If the date is tighter than that, 24-hour delivery is available as a paid option at checkout.

What if I don't like it when it arrives?

You get a full no-quibble refund — no hoops, no questions. In practice this is rare, especially if you asked for a preview and approved it before we engraved.

Who actually makes them?

We do — Shaun and Sarah, from our studio in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. We have been going four years and have made over 15,000 crystals, with 500+ Excellent reviews on Trustpilot. If you want to see how the engraving works, read how 3D crystal photos are made, or have a look through our frequently asked questions.

Other occasions and guides

Wedding photo crystals · Crystal anniversary gifts · Graduation crystals · Retirement & long service · How do they engrave inside glass? · Can 3D crystal photos fade? · 3D crystal photo gift ideas