If your organization needs a custom designed award and you’re working on a tight deadline or have to make do with a small budget, then a custom crystal award might be the best option for your award choice.
Unlike bronze or pewter awards, which require a fairly intensive design and creation process, crystal awards come in a variety of pre-cut polyhedral shapes, saving a significant amount of time.
The lead-time to create crystal awards is usually about 2 weeks if the design is based on one of those pre-cut polyhedral shapes. The real custom design comes down to the engraving on the outside or inside of the crystal form.
The custom engraving on crystal awards can be done in two ways.
One option is to have a 2D image engraved on either the surface of the award or inside the body of the award. The engraved image could be a corporate logo or organizational icon, or more of an artistic and organic figure or geometric design—pretty much any form you can think of can be engraved into the crystal! A single image can be used, or, alternatively, a number of images can be combined to create a unique and striking effect. For instance, the New York AIR Society designed a crystal award that contained a variety of balloons (one of their organizational icons) in different shapes and sizes and had multiple shapes engraved within the crystal.
New York AIR Society used balloons suspended inside the crystal tower, creating a dramatic effect.
The other option is to have a 3D image engraved inside the body of the crystal award. This process is usually referred to as “sub-surface engraving” and the end effect is that the object appears to be “floating” inside the crystal block. The 3D image presents a new and unique view from every angle and looks as if a tiny sculpture has been encased in crystal.
If you can’t decide between the 2D and the 3D engraving options it’s actually possible to combine both in a single award! A 3D image, such as your organization’s icon, can be engraved within the award, and then text and a flat logo providing specific details about the award (name of the award, name of the recipient, date, etc.) can be engraved on the surface of the crystal. This is the design style a local football team winning the California state championship decided to embrace. It gives you the ability to really turn your crystal award into something utterly unique and more like a piece of artwork than an award.
In summary, crystal awards represent a simple, quick, and cost effective option to meet your custom award requirements. Like any other custom award, the most important thing is to ensure that your crystal award design matches the spirit of your organization and celebrates those who will be receiving your award.