Retirement and long service 3D photo crystals

A retirement 3D photo crystal is a photograph engraved inside a solid block of K9 optical crystal, using up to 15 million individual laser points, with a name, dates and a short message engraved free underneath. It is what a department buys when a card and a bottle is not enough for thirty-two years. We work from any clear phone photo, and if you would like to see the 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.

Two photos work best, and they are opposites

Almost every retirement order we make uses one of two photographs.

The first is a group photo from the leaving do — the team crowded round the table, someone half out of frame. That needs width, so a rectangle crystal or the Prestige Iceberg is the shape to choose. The faces need to be reasonably large in the original, so a photo taken from a couple of metres away engraves better than one taken from the far end of the pub.

The second is an old photo from their first years in the job — the 1988 staff photo, the first van, them at twenty-three in the wrong glasses. These are usually prints, and prints are fine: lay it flat, photograph it on your phone in decent light without flash, and send that. Background removal is included as standard, so a creased, yellowing office backdrop does not come through.

Why the Prestige Iceberg suits a presentation

If someone is going to stand up in front of the team and hand it over, the Iceberg reads as a presentation piece. It has height and weight, so it looks like something rather than a nice ornament, and it sits properly on a desk afterwards. For a gift from the family rather than the office, a crystal cube or a heart crystal suits a close-up of dad or grandad better.

The engraved words are free — use them properly

Text engraving is included, so there is no reason to leave it blank. What works on a retirement crystal is the name, the years of service and one honest line from the people who worked with them. Long service awards usually take the same form: name, the number of years, the company.

Whatever you write, tick the preview box when you order and you will see it laid out before we engrave it, so if the spelling of a surname or a date is wrong you can catch it then.

Collections, deadlines and what it costs

Keyrings, necklaces and the 2D ornament start at £39.99, cubes from £40, rectangles from £59.99 and hearts from £69.99, all including the 3D conversion, free text engraving, background removal and free UK delivery in 2–3 working days. When a team is clubbing together, the keyrings are often ordered alongside the main crystal so that a couple of close colleagues have one too. See the full range on our 3D crystal gifts page.

Leaving dates tend to be fixed and collections tend to be late. If the do is the day after tomorrow, 24-hour delivery is available as an option at checkout.

Questions we get asked

Can you engrave a group photo from the leaving do?

Yes. A group photo needs a wide crystal, so a rectangle or the Prestige Iceberg is the right choice. The main thing is how big the faces are in the original photo — closer is better, because that is where the detail comes from.

The only photo we have is a print from the 1980s. Will that engrave?

Usually yes. Photograph the print flat on your phone, in daylight if you can, with no flash bouncing off it. Old prints engrave well because the laser reads shape rather than colour, and we tell you before you commit if we think a particular photo will not work.

Which crystal looks best being presented in front of people?

The Prestige Iceberg. It has the height and weight of a presentation piece, so it carries the moment when it is handed over, and it stands properly on a desk or shelf afterwards.

Can we have their name, dates and a message from the team?

Yes, all of it, at no extra cost. Name, start and finish years, department or company, and a short line from the team are all included. If you tick the preview box when you order, you check the exact wording on your free preview before we engrave.

What is the free preview and when do we get it?

It is a digital image of your crystal with your photo and text in place. Tick the preview box when you order and we will email it to you within 24 hours. You approve it or ask for changes, and nothing is engraved until you have said yes.

We are collecting money from the office. Can one person order?

Yes. One person orders, approves the preview if one was requested, and takes delivery, and the crystal arrives ready to hand over. Free UK delivery is 2–3 working days, with 24-hour delivery available as a paid option at checkout.

What if the spelling of a name is wrong?

If you ticked the preview box when you ordered, you will see it on your free preview and can correct it then. If something is still not right when it arrives, you get a full no-quibble refund — no hoops, no questions.

Who makes them, and how long have you been doing it?

Shaun and Sarah, from our studio in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Four years of trading, over 15,000 crystals made and 500+ Excellent reviews on Trustpilot. To see how the engraving is done, read how 3D crystal photos are made, or work through our frequently asked questions.