3D Crystal Heart for Back to School

Why Choose a Glass Heart with Picture Inside?

Most gifts need explaining. This one does not. A glass heart with picture inside says what it means before the recipient has looked closely enough to see whose face is in it - the silhouette does that work on its own, from across a room, in the half-second before they pick it up.

That directness is the whole argument for this shape. It is not the most versatile thing we make and it does not try to be. It has one job, and it is very good at it. Every one is engraved in Chicago by our own team, with a laser that places thousands of points inside solid optical crystal to build the image in depth. Nothing sits on the surface. Nothing can wear away.

Is a Heart-Shaped Crystal the Right Gift for You?

Be honest about who is receiving it. This shape is unambiguous, and that is a strength or a problem depending on the person.

For a partner, a spouse, or a mother, the heart with picture inside is close to unbeatable. It carries an emotional weight the other shapes have to earn through the photograph alone. For a colleague, a client, or a friend you are not that close to, it will land as too much - and in those cases the square or the rectangle will say the right thing without overstating it. A heart shaped 3d photo crystal is a declaration. Make sure you mean to make one.

Occasions where it belongs:

• Valentine's Day. The obvious use, and still the best one. See our Valentine's Day gift ideas.
• Wedding anniversaries. A crystal heart with picture of the two of you on the day, given back years later. Our anniversary gifts are grouped by year.
• Mother's Day. A photo she took, engraved and handed back. Browse Mother's Day gifts.
• Gifts for her. A crystal glass heart is the shape most often chosen when the gift is for a wife, a girlfriend, or a daughter. More in our gift ideas for her.

Picking the Perfect Photo for Your Heart Crystal

If you are anything like us, there are dozens of pictures you would love to see in glass. The tricky part is choosing one. The truth is that most photos will work - you can even work directly with our design team to adjust any photo as needed. Just remember that the image should be well lit, blur-free, and that it should clearly feature the figure or figures you want to include.

One thing to know about this shape specifically: a heart narrows sharply toward the bottom point and curves in at the top. A tight portrait or a two-person shot sits beautifully inside that outline. A wide landscape with detail at the far edges will lose some of it to the curve. If your photo is wide, crop in before you upload - or send it as it is, and we will show you what we would trim. As long as the photo is meaningful to you, it is meaningful to us too.

Checked by Hand Before It Ships

There is a version of this gift that arrives on the morning of an anniversary with the engraving sitting slightly off-centre in the curve, and the recipient smiles anyway and says nothing. We would rather that version never leaves the building. The heart is less forgiving than a flat block - the curved edges mean an image placed even a few millimetres off looks visibly wrong, in a way it would not inside a rectangle.

So every laser etched crystal heart is inspected by a person before it is packed, 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 ships only once all eight have passed. If you have chosen a personalized heart shaped 3D photo crystal with LED light base, the base is switched on and checked too.