2D Crystal Bone

The same bone silhouette, 3.94 inches across, with your dog's photograph engraved inside the crystal as a single tonal layer. The shape carries the same argument as the thicker version: a bone reads as a treat and a toy rather than as mourning, so it suits the dog whose character was the story. What differs here is the engraving, and the difference decides which photographs come out well. For a great many pictures this is the better of the two rather than the lesser.

When Flat Beats Deep

A depth model is built from what the file actually contains. Give it a close, sharp dog against a clean background and the result is remarkable; give it a snapshot taken across a garden, a scan of an old print or a phone photograph from years ago, and it has to invent detail nobody ever captured. Flat engraving reproduces the tones that are there and nothing more, which is why it handles the ordinary photographs in most owners' phones without flattering or fabricating them. At 0.79 inches thick the block is also lighter and slimmer on a shelf than the deeper version, which some people prefer on a crowded mantelpiece.

Retouching and the Background

Our designers prepare the file before anything is engraved: lifting a dark muzzle, cleaning a cluttered background, sharpening fur where the original went soft. You can choose to keep the background or remove it, and keeping it is worth considering when the setting is part of the memory rather than clutter. You then receive a free proof by email, and nothing goes to the laser until you approve it, so there is no moment of hoping it turned out right. A name and dates can be engraved beside the image.

Display, and the Other Shapes

The crystal stands on its own, and an LED base can be added to light the engraving from below, which is how most owners display it in a room without much daylight. The engraving sits inside the material, so dust, sunlight and handling cannot reach it. If your photograph is sharp and close, the three-dimensional bone gives it more depth; if the dog was a cat, or the household had both, the paw shape suits any animal. Gift box included, made in 1-2 business days, US delivery in 3-5.