How it works
The engraving process
Eight steps, no jargon, and a free proof before a laser is ever switched on.
Eight steps, one photograph
From the moment a photo lands in our inbox to the moment a courier collects the box is usually nine days. Here is exactly what happens in between.
Upload from any device, or add the crystal to your cart and email the photo later. We accept JPG, PNG, HEIC and WEBP up to 25 MB. Phone snapshots taken in a dark kitchen are genuinely fine.
Before anything is converted, a retoucher repairs scratches and fading, balances the exposure, and cuts the background out unless you have asked us to keep the scene. This is free and it is not automated.
A depth model estimates distance for every pixel. Faces get the most attention: eyes, nose and jawline are checked against the original so the portrait does not look like a mask.
The depth map becomes a cloud of 3D points, thinned or densified to match the size of the block you ordered. A Mini gets roughly 250,000 points; a Prestige gets 1.4 million.
We email a rendered preview of the finished engraving. Nothing is written into crystal until you reply. Edits at this stage are free and unlimited — ask for a tighter crop, a warmer base, a different line of text.
A focused beam is steered through the polished face and fractures the crystal at each point. It takes between 40 minutes and four hours depending on size, and it is completely silent.
The block is re-annealed so internal stresses cannot crack it later, then hand-polished on all six faces. Edges are bevelled, corners are checked under a loupe, and the engraving is inspected against the proof.
Moulded pulp tray inside a magnetic gift box, then a double-walled carton. Tracking is emailed the day it leaves the workshop.
About the proof step
The proof is the part customers thank us for most, and it is the reason we will not run an instant-checkout engraving service. You get a rendered image of the finished crystal before a laser is switched on. If the crop is wrong, or the smile has been flattened, you say so and we fix it. Nobody is charged twice for a correction.
Realistic timings
| Proof emailed | Within 24 hours of receiving your photo (often the same day) |
|---|---|
| Engraving | 40 minutes – 4 hours, depending on size |
| Polishing & inspection | 1 – 2 business days |
| Delivery | 10 – 20 days after you approve the proof, tracked |
| Rush service | 3 business days total, $39 — ask us before ordering |
The three things that go wrong
- A photo of a photo. Photographing a framed print introduces glare and curvature. Scan it if you possibly can, even with a phone scanning app — the result is dramatically better.
- Group shots taken at distance. Seven people in a wide shot means every face is small. We can crop to two or three of them, but we cannot invent detail that was never captured.
- Heavy filters. A vintage filter that looks charming on Instagram turns into mud once it is reduced to a brightness map. Send the unfiltered original if you still have it.
Ready to start?
Choose a shape and upload your photograph. The proof comes back tomorrow.
Create your crystal