3D Crystal Gem Rectangle for Back to School

Why Choose a 3D Crystal Gem Rectangle with a Photo Inside?

This is the workhorse shape with a jeweller's finish. The 3D crystal gem rectangle keeps everything that makes the upright format the most useful in our range - the portrait proportions, the generous space, the fact that nothing gets cropped - and adds faceted edges that break the light into points.

The result is a crystal rectangle that does two jobs at once. It holds a photograph faithfully, the way a plain block does. And it behaves like a cut stone on a shelf, throwing highlights as you move around it. Every one is engraved by our team in Chicago, thousands of laser points placed inside solid optical crystal, building the image in depth rather than printing it flat.

Is a Gem Cut Rectangle the Right Gift for You?

Choose this one when the smooth rectangle is the right shape but the wrong register.

The classic block is deliberately neutral - it disappears and lets the photo speak. That is exactly what you want for a memorial piece or a formal portrait, and if that is your occasion, buy the plain one. But it is not what you want when the gift itself is meant to feel like an occasion. A faceted crystal photo block reads as more of an event: it looks like it cost thought as well as money, and for a birthday or an anniversary that is often the point.

It suits the same photographs as the plain rectangle - portraits, standing figures, anything upright - so you are not trading away versatility to get the sparkle.

Occasions where it fits:

• Anniversaries. More celebratory than the plain block, without tipping into the heart's territory. See our anniversary gift ideas, sorted by year.
• Birthdays. Especially the ones with a zero on the end. Browse our birthday present ideas.
• Gifts for her. The faceting tends to land best with recipients who like a little shine. Our gift ideas for her are gathered here.

Picking the Perfect Photo for Your Gem Rectangle

Most photos work. Ours is a design team, not a filter - if your image needs adjusting, a person will adjust it. What we need from you is a photo that is well lit, free of blur, with the subject unmistakably the subject.

The upright proportions are as forgiving here as in the plain block: a standing figure fits head to foot, and a portrait has room around it. The one thing to watch is the outer edge, where the facets sit. Detail pushed right to the boundary can pick up a shimmer from the cut planes, so give your subject a margin. Centre it, and the faceting works for the photograph instead of competing with it.

Checked by Hand Before It Ships

A faceted rectangle is a harder object to get right than a plain one. The flat block has nowhere to hide a flaw - and the gem cut adds a dozen new angles for light to enter and expose one. Every plane is a fresh opportunity for a shallow engraving or a fingerprint to announce itself.

So a person, not a machine, signs off on every gem rectangle before it is packed. Each one is checked against the same eight points:

• Is the image centered?
• Is the face clear?
• Is the text readable?
• Are there visible defects in the crystal?
• Is the engraving depth correct?
• Is the crystal cleaned before packaging?
• Is the correct base/accessory included?
• Is the gift box protected for shipping?

Your crystal leaves our facility only once all eight have passed.