What are crystal plaques?

Crystal Plaques are wall-mounted recognition awards in the form glass panels that are engraved to recognize special people, events, or accomplishments. Though most glass and crystal plaques are wall-mounted, desktop versions are also available. Crystal wall plaques are often used when visibility and prominence are important, or when desk space is limited. Glass and crystal plaques are often presented as recognition awards to commemorate exceptional occasions or special people, though they can also be used as custom signage or certification.

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Crystal and glass have fascinated humans since they were invented. People love the cool polished feel of crystal and how it sparkles in the light, there’s almost something magical about it. Crystal is synonymous with excellence and clarity, and is also perceived as luxurious, valuable and desirable. It’s no wonder organizations love presenting crystal appreciation plaques, because people love receiving them! 

Crystal Plaques help elevate the stature of an event or recognition program. They add a sense of excitement and importance to events, which in turn helps to elevate the energy for both the presenters and the recipients. And when recipients see their name engraved permanently in the crystal, it immediately communicates that the crystal plaque is made with intention, which further amplifies the message of appreciation. A personalized crystal plaque is priceless to its recipient.  

See also Crystal Awards and Crystal Trophies. 


 

What are personalized crystal plaques?

Personalized Crystal Plaques are made to order and designed to your needs. Plaques are typically personalized with sandblast engraving to create a polished and professional look. Some crystal plaques are clear, while others are made of colored glass, like these Black Crystal Plaques. 

Personalized plaques are made using prefab crystal plaque “blanks” that we engrave with your unique text and artwork to create one of a kind pieces.

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Examples of appreciation plaques that you can order now!

 All in prices include design, personalization, artwork proof and engraving!

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High Profile Circular Glass Wall Plaque

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Black Glass Wall Plaque

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Tower Crystal Award

 

By personalizing prefab crystal wall plaques with great custom design and engraving, we provide a streamlined, proven, and cost-effective process to producing awesome glass and crystal plaques, every time!

Recognize. Empower. Repeat. 

Join "The Awards Insider" for tips on recognition & appreciation,
special offers, inspiring ideas, and the latest in Crystal Plaques!

 
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How much do crystal plaques cost?

Crystal plaques range between $60 to $250 or so, which is mostly determined by size, shape, and quality of crystal. Eclipse Awards offers crystal plaques at fixed, all-in prices that include design, artwork proofs, personalization and engraving. With no setup charges or hidden fees, you can order with confidence knowing the price you see is the price you will pay. 

Custom crystal plaques with uniquely designed shapes and sizes can be made upon request. For custom plaques, other factors that may affect cost are: 

  • number of crystal plaques needed

  • shape, size and color requirements

  • type of marking used for personalization (sandblast engraving or UV printing)

  • the style of presentation box, if needed

  • the lead time you have available 

  • If it’s a perpetual plaque, will you need to add nameplates over time?

Pro tip! Ordering off the shelf crystal plaques is the fastest and most cost effective way to produce personalized crystal trophies, because much of the work has already been done. We design your custom artwork and then sandblast engrave it to create beautiful crystal plaques, personalized exactly as you wish. 

Crystal plaques are an awesome addition to any certification or recognition program because they look great and they’re easy to hang in highly visible places. 

Ready to bring your award ideas to life? Browse our online catalog of wall plaques, choose your favorite plaque style, and let’s get your project started!

How are glass and crystal plaques made?

Glass and crystal plaques are first cut to size from larger sheets of glass, before they are bevelled and polished and attached to a backing. Wall plaques are typically made of either clear, or opaque coloured glass which is attached to a backing that includes hanging hardware.

Opaque coloured glass provides a nice contrast for the engraved and frosted areas, and also allows for the hanging hardware to remain hidden. When clear glass or crystal is used for plaques, it often has a darker material behind it to add contrast. 

At Eclipse Awards we carry a collection of high quality “blank” plaques that we personalize as needed. When you place your order, we create special artwork based on your requirements, then we use this artwork to custom engrave and personalize the crystal plaques in your order.

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Crystal plaques can be marked and personalized in several ways, though the most popular and impressive type of marking is sandblast engraving. With sandblast engraving, a fine stream of pressurized air and sand is used to carve text and artwork directly into the glass plaque, creating an effect that is both impressive and permanent. Sandblast engraving is an artisan skill that requires years of experience to perfect. The skill and experience of Eclipse Awards’ sandblasters ensures that all crystal plaques are engraved elegantly and beautifully.

Pro tip: be careful when ordering glass or crystal that is laser engraved as opposed to sandblast engraved. Laser engraving is a permanent marking on crystal, however the process does not actually carve out any of the crystal, so the effect can sometimes be faint or unclear. Sandblast engraving however uses high pressure sand and air to actually carve out the crystal, leaving a much more impressive imprint and marking

Another method of marketing is called UV printing, which allows for full colour printing directly onto the crystal plaque. UV printing is helpful when there are complicated graphics or when colour is required. In some cases, UV printing is used in addition to sandblast engraving to create some really memorable crystal plaques. 

Our prefab recognition plaques are ready for personalization! When you place your order, we incorporate your specific details into a custom design that we then sandblast engrave or UV print onto the crystal to create uniquely personalized crystal plaques. Our process allows us to create one crystal plaque for you, or hundreds!

 
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Where to order crystal plaques online?

Today, most clients order personalized crystal plaques from an online supplier like Eclipse Awards, from the comfort of their desk. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Detroit, Vancouver, Calgary, Boston, Portland, or Whistler, you no longer need to search for a "trophy shop near me"! Eclipse Awards offers free engraving, no setup charges, and a wide variety of quality crystal plaques that you can order and personalize from your desk, and have delivered within 2 weeks (or faster if needed)!

*Pro-tip When ordering crystal plaques online, look for a supplier that does all of their sandblast engraving in-house. This usually means better quality and faster lead times.

10 Reasons to Choose Eclipse Awards to Supply Your Crystal Plaques

 

How to order crystal plaques

If you’re preparing to order crystal wall plaques from an online supplier, consider these points as you’re getting underway:

  1. Who are you recognizing and how many crystal plaques will you be presenting?

    1. Will all trophies be the same size and style?

    2. Do you want these to be crystal wall plaques or crystal desktop plaques?

    3. Different levels of recognition may require different sizes or shapes

  2. When do you need your plaques delivered by? 

    1. Different suppliers offer different lead times, so plan accordingly to keep costs low. Eclipse Awards offers a 10 business day lead time, which means if you order before 10am PST on Monday morning, your completed order will be delivered by end of day the following Friday. The more time you can provide however, the better. 

  3. What you’d like to include on your crystal plaques? 

    1. If you have your personalization details and logo files ready, you can attach them when placing your order online

    2. ** You can order online without any personalization details or logo files. Our team will help you craft the perfect message and graphics for your trophy!

    3. For help with ideas and wordings for your crystal trophies, download our free Award Design Guide pdf

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Ordering personalized crystal plaques from Eclipse Awards is as easy as gathering a few details and then selecting the trophies that you’d like to personalize. There are 3 ways to place your order:

  1. Order online at www.eclipseawards.com by adding crystal plaques to your shopping cart. Complete the checkout process and let us know your required delivery date. You can attach your personalization details during the checkout process, or email them to us at a later time.

  2. Email your order details to orders@eclipseawards.com. Send us what you have ready and available and we will provide you with a dedicated service representative who will follow up with you to gather any remaining personalization details. 

  3. Call us at 888-294-7121 with your questions or order details, and speak to real people who are here to help you. 

However you choose to order from us, the first thing you will see is an email order confirmation that summarizes your order and timeline. Then we begin a design process to create the custom artwork for your plaques, which we email you as a digital artwork proof (pdf). 

Once you review your artwork proof, you can either approve it if everything looks good, or request changes. You can request unlimited design revisions at no charge, until you approve the artwork proof. We cannot start engraving your crystal plaques until you have approved your artwork. 

As soon as you approve your artwork, no further design changes are possible because we start production immediately. When then engrave or print your crystal plaques, clean them, inspect them, and safely pack them for shipping. We send you an email to let you know once your order has shipped out. 

Throughout the whole order process, we keep in you in the loop with a series of email order updates that let you know where we are in the whole process. Of course you’re always free to check in on the status of your order anytime!

How to Choose a Crystal Plaque Supplier

When selecting which online crystal plaque company to work with, consider asking a few of these questions to help you choose a good supplier partner:

     1. How long have you been in business?

A couple of years may mean the company is eager, yet inexperienced. 10 years or more and you know they are probably pretty great at what they do to have survived that long.

     2. Do you personalize your crystal plaques in-house?

Some companies outsource all design and production. Others do design and personalization in-house, which typically means better quality control 

     3. Do you have any setup charges or design charges?

Be aware of any hidden fees, add on-costs, engraving charges, or minimum order requirements. 

     4. What guarantees do you provide?

Safe and on-time delivery are important. So is quality and workmanship.

     5. Do you provide artwork proofs with every order?

Some companies don’t provide artwork proofs, or they may charge for them. Some may charge you to make design changes or updates. Some provide free engraving while others charge for it. 

Asking a few of these questions will help you select a high quality trophy store that will be both a good supplier and reliable partner.

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What to put on a crystal plaque?

Once you’ve selected the style of crystal plaques you’d like to personalize, it’s time to think about what to write on them. When considering what to put on a crystal recognition plaque, keep these tips in mind:

  1. Keep it simple. The beauty of the crystal plaque itself emphasizes and elevates your message of recognition, so keep the wording simple. If you have a lot to say, write it on a card or say it when presenting the trophy.

  2. Include their name. Engraving a person’s name onto their crystal plaque takes it from precious to priceless. Personalization shows your intention to make something special, just for them.

  3. Add an image or logo. Adding a graphic element to your plaque can really help balance the layout and design. Adding logos and branding your crystal plaques can provide years of marketing exposure over the lifetime of the plaques.

  4. Consider a date. Adding a date on your plaques adds context. Crystal plaques can last for decades, so a date can be a nice reminder. 

There are no rules when it comes to designing glass plaques and awards. We just want to ensure they convey your message of gratitude and appreciation. 

If you’re looking for more design ideas, phrases, or wording suggestions for your glass and crystal plaques, be sure to download our free Award Design Guide here. 

Pro Tip - you can order your crystal plaques before you have the wording and personalization details finalized. Our team will help you craft the perfect message and design!

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When to present glass or crystal plaques?

Consider presenting crystal plaques whenever you want to mark a very special occasion or accomplishment; when you want the recipient to place their plaque on a wall for high visibility; or when you need a large engraving area for your message of appreciation. Using crystal plaques in your recognition program helps capture people’s attention and creates a sense of importance, which in turn helps to amplify the message of recognition and appreciation intended by the plaque. 

Consider presenting custom engraved crystal plaques for any of the following occasions or programs:

  • Employee recognition awards

  • Marketing awards

  • Top sales awards

  • Safety awards

  • Corporate product launch

  • Board gifts

  • Sports trophies

  • Teamwork awards

  • Graduation gifts

  • New stock issues

  • Real estate transactions

  • Attaining fundraising goals

  • Years of service awards

  • Certification plaques and programs

  • Donor recognition 

  • Exemplary leadership

Because of their versatility, crystal and glass plaques can be personalized for virtually any event, accomplishment, or occasion. If you have a crystal plaque design ideas you’d like to explore, get in touch, we’re happy to help!

See also What Are Crystal Awards? and What Are Crystal Trophies?
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Crystal Plaques by Eclipse Awards - What Sets Us Apart?

Since day one, Eclipse Awards has specialized in making crystal plaques, trophies, and glass awards. From optical crystal star awards to globe awards and corporate award plaques by Eclipse Awards, over the past 20 years we’ve created thousands of customized and personalized crystal plaques that people covet and adore!

Our designers know how to make crystal plaques look awesome, and our team of experienced artisans includes masterful sandcarvers who are skilled at engraving fine artwork and bringing high quality crystal plaques to life!

We deliver value by curating a collection of timeless and popular crystal plaque styles that we engrave and individually personalized for each recipient and turn into uniquely branded crystal plaques for your organization. We only offer crystal plaque styles that are popular and proven.

You can order from us with confidence, knowing that your personalized crystal plaques will be made to the highest standards, with care and attention to detail that makes each crystal plaque sparkle and shine! 

Recognize. Empower. Repeat.