Category: Lucite Tombstone

Lucite Vs. Acrylic: The Differences And Uses Of Both
Acrylic: it’s one of those words that’s become part of everyday life. Having said that, most of us would probably struggle to define exactly what it is. We just know what it looks like.
Lucite is a term that probably isn’t as familiar. What exactly is Lucite? And what’s the difference between Lucite and acrylic? Read on for our complete guide to Lucite vs. acrylic.
Getting to Know Lucite vs. Acrylic
Acrylic and Lucite are both transparent plastics developed as alternatives to glass. Like glass, you can use them in many different applications.
Here’s the first hurdle in differentiating Lucite vs. acrylic: all Lucite is acrylic, but not all acrylic is Lucite.
Acrylic is the broad term for a range of thermoplastics. Lucite is a type of acrylic, that is of particularly high quality. Acrylic is a generic term and is often marketed under the brand name Plexiglass.
On the other hand, Lucite—and this explains why we make a point of capitalizing the word— is actually a brand name. The chemical giant DuPont developed Lucite in the 1920s. They trademarked the name Lucite. When you consider that its chemical name is polymethyl methacrylate, you can see why they chose to market it as Lucite.

All Lucite is acrylic—but not all acrylics are Lucite.

This 5-gallon water jug design illustrates Lucite’s vesatility in replicating shapes. The piece was distibuted to employees in honor of the 30th annivesary of a water distibution company.

Many (but not all) objects can be placed in both Lucite and acrylic designs. This piece, given to utility restoration crew members in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, is just one example.

Bitcoin-themed deal toy featuring gold-painted Lucite “coins”.
Lucite vs. Acrylic: What’s the Difference?
While acrylic and Lucite are both transparent plastics, Lucite is the highest-quality acrylic. If you see that a deal toy or award manufacturer uses acrylic, that can have many meanings.
Acrylic comes in a range of different grades. Some offer outstanding clarity, scratch resistance, and strength. Other, lower grades of acrylic will only look good at first.
Over time, after maybe a year or so, you may notice that it starts to degrade. Rather than being crystal clear, your award or deal toy may take on a yellowish tinge. Not the look you were going for, and not the enduring impression you want to leave with a client.
If you want a deal toy or award that will stand the test of time, Lucite is the way to go.
Qualities of Acrylic
Acrylic has a number of characteristics that have made it a more practical alternative to other materials such as glass over the years. Those characteristics include:
- Durability
  You probably see acrylic regularly used in security barriers and safety partitions, especially in settings such as airports, banks, and certain retail locations. The obvious concern here is safeguarding against bullets and other high impacts. When formed into sheets, acrylic can be extremely strong and stiff, while remaining clear. It’s also water-resistant, making it suitable for use in aquariums. Even submarine windows and airplane canopies can make use of acrylic.
- Malleability and Versatility
  Given this strength and durability, acrylic is nevertheless remarkably flexible. Acrylic is thermoplastic, meaning that you can subject it to high temperatures and mold it into a wide range of shapes. On cooling, it can also be drilled, machined, and sawed.
- Weight
  Despite its superior resilience and strength, acrylic weighs 50% less than glass. Its lower weight can translate into greater convenience and ease in using acrylic over glass in, for instance, the installation of skylights and windows.
- Clarity
  While it is superior to glass in its strength and resiliency, acrylic is equal to glass in light transmittance. It is also more fade-resistant than other plastics, ensuring that it will maintain its effectiveness in applications such as automobile windows.
Common Applications of Acrylic
- Roof Panels
  Acrylic is a popular choice for structures like pergolas, where its weather- and UV-resistance come into play. Unlike some materials, acrylic roof panels won’t yellow from the sun, ensuring a clear, bright space below year after year. Their lighter weight compared to glass also makes installation much less cumbersome.
- Windows in High-Impact Areas
  When safety matters—say, near golf courses, baseball diamonds, or anywhere projectiles might be a concern—acrylic windows offer robust protection without sacrificing visibility. They’re also a practical option for both residential and commercial settings, where their impact resistance is a distinct advantage.
Whether you’re considering acrylic for its structural properties or its performance in everyday applications, its blend of durability, clarity, and versatility consistently outperforms many traditional materials.
Special Qualities of Lucite
As mentioned previously, acrylic is a broad, generic term. Lucite, on the other hand, is a particular brand of acrylic. Lucite, therefore, shares all of the characteristics of acrylic noted above. But Lucite is also generally regarded as having qualitative advantages over other acrylic materials with respect to these features.
Lucite, for instance, has a higher refractive index than acrylic, giving it a clearer and brighter appearance. It’s also more resistant to UV light. This can be a significant point of differentiation since lower grades of acrylic can take on an unsightly yellow tinge from UV light exposure over time.
Uses of Lucite and Acrylic
Acrylic has a wide range of uses beyond deal toys and decorative items. Many people appreciate the aesthetic of acrylic furniture. Because of its transparency, acrylic can harmonize well with a minimalist, open plan and give an airy feel to an interior design. Interior furniture can include stools, chairs, dining tables, coffee tables, and shelves. It can also be used to provide a distinctive touch to more utilitarian items such as door handles and pulls.
But here again, terminology can be confusing. What’s often marketed as acrylic furniture is often actually Lucite. Lucite tends to be the favored material for furniture over other acrylics since it’s not only stronger and more durable but also easier to clean.
For outdoor furniture, which must likely sustain prolonged sun exposure, Lucite also carries the distinct advantage of higher UV resistance.
Jewelry & Artistic Uses
But Lucite wasn’t always just the material of choice for acrylic furniture. One of the original uses of Lucite was costume jewelry. Vintage pieces are now highly sought after and can be worth a lot of money. Jewelry makers appreciated its clarity, the fact that you can dye it easily, and it is easy to carve and polish.
Lucite is also an excellent medium for artists. That’s because it is highly sculptable and possesses unique ethereal qualities. People appreciate the play of light through the sculptures. This adds different dimensions depending on the angle of view.
A Lucite sculpture can make a stylish addition to any home. Artists exploit its ability to give dazzling transparency. They also appreciate its capacity to be dyed and made opaque, depending on the desired look.
Lucite can also be used to make hard-wearing door furniture. This includes door handles and knobs. They give the luxurious appearance of glass and can be custom molded into a huge range of shapes and styles.
Embedding Objects Inside Lucite and Acrylic
One prized characteristic of both acrylic and Lucite is their capacity to contain and showcase items. It’s therefore possible to “embed” actual items within a Lucite or acrylic design.
The piece shown above is a prime example. The Lucite honors the extraordinary efforts of emergency workers in restoring power in the wake of Hurricane Michael. Each piece incorporates a small section of the actual conductor wire workers used in repairing power lines.
But pieces incorporating embedded objects of this sort can also highlight the crucial difference between Lucite and some acrylics that were noted above. In cheaper, low-grade acrylics, these objects can take on the same yellowish haze over time.
The Lucite designs in the gallery below provide further examples of Lucite embedments. They demonstrate not only the capacity of Lucite to showcase embedded items, but also the diversity of materials that can be embedded.

Comparing Costs: Lucite and Acrylic vs. Glass
When it comes to price, both Lucite and acrylic typically offer a more budget-friendly alternative to traditional glass. No matter if they’re produced as cast or extruded sheets, these plastics generally cost less than glass while also boasting impressive durability. This winning combination is one of the key reasons designers and manufacturers often reach for Lucite or acrylic when seeking an economical yet sturdy substitute for glass.
How Scratch-Resistant Are Lucite and Acrylic?
Both Lucite and acrylic have a reputation for withstanding everyday bumps and scuffs better than you might expect. While neither is completely impervious to scratching, they are generally more resistant to surface marks than many other plastics—and they fare better than glass in most everyday applications.
If your Lucite or acrylic piece does end up with a scratch, it’s not the end of the story. One upside of these materials is that a wide range of light scratches can often be polished away, restoring clarity. This gives Lucite (and high-quality acrylic) a practical edge for applications where maintaining a pristine appearance matters, such as awards, commemoratives, and deal toys.
Where Does Resin Fit in?
Resin is another commonplace term—and material– that also gets confused with both Lucite and acrylic.
Resins are natural and synthetic materials that are flexible and durable. They can be cast into different-shaped molds. Once the resin hardens using a catalyst, it is taken from the mold in its final shape. At that stage, the molded design is typically painted and assembled with other elements, as in the satellite-themed deal toy above.
Resin can be a great choice of materials for more complex designs. These designs typically are three-dimensional, and require a considerable amount of detail.
The capacity to bring to life highly customized and detailed designs has an obvious appeal. The drawback of selecting resin for an award or deal toy is that the process (especially the mold preparation) can be both labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Lucite vs. Acrylic: Which One’s the Winner?
If you’re looking for deal toys or awards, in the battle of Lucite vs. acrylic there’s only one winner: Lucite. Regular acrylic can be a versatile material, but it can present real pitfalls for deal toys and awards
For one thing, many acrylics used for deal toys and custom awards—acrylics that are of a lesser quality than Lucite— can yellow and discolor over time, even as quickly as within a year.
You obviously don’t want a once-sparkling deal toy or award to turn dingy within months. What kind of impression does that convey to the recipient? Whether you’re providing custom awards or Lucite tombstones, the goal is to provide clients, employees, and team members with an enduring symbol of achievement and appreciation.
The Corporate Presence has over 40 years of experience. We create bespoke deal toys, tombstones, and awards for both financial institutions and corporate clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to startups. We use a range of top-quality materials to fit your desired aesthetic.
Click here to request a quote for deal toys or awards today!
David Parry is the Director of Digital Strategy for The Corporate Presence, and for Prestige Custom Awards, a designer and provider of custom corporate awards ranging from creative employee and client recognition pieces to the N.F.L. Commissioner’s Awards, and ESPN’s ESPY awards.
January 9, 2026
Custom Lucite Embedments: The Questions You Should Really be Asking
Custom Lucite embedments, as you may already know, offer an ideal way to preserve, showcase, and honor prized items and objects.
Unless you don’t know what you’re doing.
Or you don’t know enough about Lucite embedments to ask the important questions. Because the embedment process also offers a great way to singe, tinge, melt, mangle, and fry those same beloved objects.
Too often, the expertise offered up about the process is reduced to simple terms: yes or no.
Yes, this can safely be embedded; no, that won’t work.
Make no mistake: knowing what is and isn’t possible is a necessary starting point. And you should always have realistic expectations of whether something will hold up to the embedment process.
Placing something inside Lucite (acrylic) is always tricky. One of the biggest challenges here, for instance, isn’t the vial—but the label.
But embedding items in Lucite (acrylic) is actually a little more complicated than you might think.
First off, some things you’re likely to hear will seem completely counter-intuitive.
For instance, Lucite embedment involves extremely high heat (similar to baking something in a kiln). But if that’s true, why you can usually successfully embed a cookie but not a rock? And why do even related objects produce different results?
How is it, for instance, that peanuts typically embed? Almonds, on the other hand, typically do not.
But an answer to the question “Will this embed in Lucite?” is usually only part of the concern most people have, or should have, heading into the process. So what is it about custom Lucite embedments that most people are missing?
Embedding any product in Lucite—especially one as iconic as this bottle—should truly showcase it. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Is Lucite Embedding Possible? There’s More to Consider
When it comes to Lucite embedments, there’s a whole qualitative aspect that tends to get overlooked.
Yes, you want an answer to the question “Will this embed?”.
But the expertise necessary to answer that question only goes so far.
Because what you’re probably really asking is, “Will the embedment truly capture the effect I’m hoping for?”
Here’s an example. Suppose you’re in the pharmaceutical industry and want to recognize a team for their contribution to the development of a new drug. The exact occasion might be the first successful in-human trial or FDA approval.
It would be great to hear that, yes, you can embed the vial in Lucite.
But is that really all that’s involved?
What if, as is often the case, you also want to make sure that the label on the drug vial is included in the embedment? After all, for you, this might be a crucial part of replicating the authentic look of the vial.
So what if, during a test embedment, the print on the vial fades or disappears? Or it slips off the vial?
Those are challenges that can be dealt with but, again, you have to be able to anticipate these kinds of problems.
And, again, you also need to know what you’re doing.
A great example of how embedding the real thing can transform the perceived value of a commemorative. What’s inside isn’t just some random piece of metal.
Why Perceived Value Matters in Custom Lucite Embedments
Here’s an example of how using a genuine article can heighten perceived value.
The piece above celebrates the extraordinary disaster recovery efforts of teams from PowerSouth in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in 2018. Embedded within the piece is a section of the actual conductor strand used to restore power.
Another example involves embedments in the energy industry.
You might want to embed an oil drop, say to commemorate the “first” oil extracted from a site, or shipped from a port.
Custom Lucite with embedded oil vial—a vial containing not generic liquid but the client’s actual oil.

Yes, it’s possible to embed an oil drop. You can see oil drops inside Lucite all over the place online.
But what if you want to embed “your” oil? Do you really have to use the same generic “oil” that’s been used for every other project (and will for all future projects)?
After all, this does commemorate something to do with a specific oil. Wouldn’t using some interchangeable inky substance (which often isn’t even oil) undercut the impact of the commemorative?
Here again, the use of the genuine object can transform the perceived value of the commemorative. Here it’s a design honoring contributions to the development of a new surgical implant—with a design incorporating the actual implant itself.
The goal of any recognition gift or award is pretty straightforward: perceived value.
You want the recipient or honoree to attach value to whatever it is that’s being given—to recognize that his or her contribution or achievement has truly been appreciated.
And yes, you can use your own oil. But you have to be aware of that the option exists, and that the vendor you choose has the capabilities to do exactly that.
It Successfully Embedded! (But It Looks Lousy)
There are other some considerations that can also be figured in this “Will it embed?” question.
These involve aesthetic issues.
For instance, the chosen shape of the Lucite could either complement or undermine the embedment. And distortion could cause your drug vial, for instance, to end up looking more like a natural gas canister.
Also, you may have an object that successfully embeds in Lucite.
The only problem is that, when embedded, it looks terrible.
Just as an example, a banking customer of ours once wanted to embed an aircraft component manufactured by its client.
The client stressed that the part could withstand temperature extremes. It should therefore have absolutely no issues withstanding the extremely high temperatures involved in the Lucite embedment process.
Which proved to be true.
And the part did fully stand up to the heat. The only issue was that, once subjected to that high heat, it looked bad. This was, after all, an internal part not intended to be seen regularly.
So if your goal is to showcase one of your (or your client’s) cherished products, is showing something in this kind of tarnished condition really the best way to do that?
And if it isn’t, what do you do instead? What’s the Plan B?
A beautifully framed commemorative celebrating FDA approval of the drug Cosela.

How Long Does It Take to Produce a Custom Lucite?
A common question we hear: how soon can you actually have your finished custom Lucite deal toy in hand?
Generally, you’re looking at a production timeline of about 10 to 15 business days after you approve the final design. Of course, this can vary a bit depending on the specifics—more intricate designs, unusually shaped embedments, or particularly large orders may take a few days longer.
Need something sooner? In many cases, there are ways to fast-track certain projects. It never hurts to ask—sometimes our team can pull off a small miracle, especially if your event date is looming.
The important thing is: communication counts. When you reach out, let us know your timeline and we’ll be up-front about what’s possible.
What Sizes and Shapes Can You Create with Acrylic Embedments?
The possibilities here are nearly endless—and that’s not hype. Acrylic (Lucite) embedments can be fashioned into a wide variety of shapes, far beyond the confines of rectangles or circles. Want something classic and understated? We’ve done plenty of simple blocks, wedges, and domes for everything from product launches to corporate anniversaries.
But if you have a vision that breaks the mold—think silhouettes echoing your logo, the shape of a key product, or something wild like a miniature oil rig or transmission tower—it’s absolutely doable. Custom contours are no issue; we’ve helped clients capture everything from geographic outlines to actual product cross-sections inside Lucite.
Size-wise, it’s equally flexible. Pieces can be crafted to fit perfectly on a crowded desk, or scaled up for serious boardroom presence. Whether you’re looking for something subtle and handheld or a true statement piece for a presentation, dimensions are truly up to you.
Just let us know the look you’re after—from petite tokens to showstopper centerpieces—and we’ll make sure your embedment measures up.
Lucite Embedments in Construction Completion Ceremonies
When it comes to marking the successful completion of a major construction project, Lucite embedments offer a compelling way to capture those milestone moments in a tangible, memorable form. Instead of simply handing out another plaque or certificate, many teams are choosing to enclose symbolic items—think: scaled-down architectural models, fragments of building materials (like a core of structural steel), or the final, stamped blueprints—right inside Lucite.
These pieces aren’t just desk ornaments. They serve as lasting reminders of the collaboration and expertise that brought the project to life. Sometimes, they’re presented during ribbon-cutting ceremonies, with key project leads, architects, and even city officials receiving their own uniquely customized pieces. Other times, they’re handed out to the project team as a collective nod to months—or years—of hard work.
It’s not just about nostalgia, either. Having something like a miniature version of the finished building or an original occupancy certificate artfully preserved in Lucite elevates the sense of achievement. It carries more weight than a digital file or flat printout ever could. And when someone glances at that embedded model on their shelf, the effect can be very powerful.
How the Production and Approval Process Works
First, you’ll receive detalled, digital proofs of several possible design. They’ll provide a preview of each variation. This isn’t just a formality. It’s your opportunity to scrutinize every detail: the placement of your embedded object, the text layout, and how everything works together visually. It’s a lot like reviewing architectural blueprints before breaking ground; you want to be sure every the design .
Once you’ve given your thumbs-up and signed off on the proof, that’s when production begins. The entire process is far more artisanal than people expect. Each piece is carefully produced by hand—and by people who have been doing this for years. The item being embedded is set with precision to guarantee that it’s showcased at its best—with no accidental tilting.
The Lucite is then cast around your object in a multi-step process, with attention to temperature, clarity, and finish. Anything less, and you risk cloudy resin or a misaligned item—neither of which are words you want attached to your commemorative. Because the Lucites bake in a kiln, there will, however, be slight variations in the final position of the object within the Lucite. So not all your pieces will look exactly the same. Again, this is result of the labor-intensive, handmake nature of these embedments.
Lastly, once the piece is fully cured, it’s inspected one last time for clarity, flawless embedding, and overall appearance. Only then does your piece get packed up and shipped out, ready to be displayed on someone’s desk or shelf.
Get Real Answers for Your Custom Lucite Embedments
Experience and expertise can go a long way. They can ensure that you do, in fact, get a correct answer to the question “Can I embed X in Lucite?”
At The Corporate Presence, we draw on more than forty years of experience in embedding objects in Lucite.
But we can also point to two other, equally important things we additionally bring to any project: design insight and production knowledge.When it comes to embedments, we know what works—both practically and aesthetically.
We also appreciate all the challenges—and the possibilities—of the embedment process, and are ready to share them with you.
Get your project started. Reach out to us today.
David Parry is the Director of Digital Strategy for The Corporate Presence, and for Prestige Custom Awards, a designer and provider of custom corporate awards ranging from creative employee and client recognition pieces to the N.F.L. Commissioner’s Awards, and ESPN’s ESPY awards.
December 30, 2025
The Right Approach to Lucite Embedded Awards
Lucite embedded awards can provide recipients with something that is truly deserving of that overused description “unique”.
Most award and commemorative options are simply taken off some factory shelf. Your “unique” award might, ten minutes later, be yanked off the same shelf. But by then, it will serve to commemorate some entirely different occasion for an entirely different company or organization.
Embedding items in Lucite (a kind of clear acrylic), on the other hand, can provide an array of options completely customized for the specific event, occasion, or achievement that you are looking to commemorate.
This level of customization can greatly enhance the perceived value of the award or commemorative for recipients.
But what exactly are Lucite embedded awards? Can anything be placed in Lucite, or do some materials work better than others?
This post covers some of the practical and aesthetic considerations involved in Lucite embedments. It will help guide you to awards and commemoratives that are actually deserving of the word “unique”.
A truly unique commemorative—incorporating a special-edition Coca Cola bottle celebrating LSU’s 2023 NCAA women’s basketball nationally championship.
Why Would I Want to Embed Something in Lucite?
Asking what can be embedded inside Lucite anticipates another logical question:
“Why would I want to embed something in Lucite?”.
There are an infinite number of occasions for embedding something in Lucite. But the underlying reason is generally the same. That core reason is to preserve and showcase something that will have unique resonance and meaning to recipients.
Some Examples of Successful Embedment Awards
For instance, here are some examples of Lucite embedded awards and commemoratives we’ve provided recently:
- A custom Lucite, with an embedded vial of the actual drug, is used to honor researchers following FDA approval of an ovarian cancer treatment (see above).
- A team award, ordered by a construction company for its own employees as well as its client, celebrating the completion of a large municipal tunnel extension.
- The Lucite commemorative incorporated actual metal pieces removed during the construction project.
- A Lucite commemorative, featuring a real, embedded Coca-Cola bottle, celebrating the company’s long-term relationship with a Florida university.
- A custom award recognizing the first oil loaded onto the first vessel at a newly commissioned Texas dock, and incorporating in a vial some of the actual oil.
- An oil barrel-shaped Lucite incorporating pieces of low-carbon Green Cement, and celebrating its use in the capping of two Texas wells (see below).
An barrel- shaped custom Lucite—in this case incorporating not oil but newly developed Green Cement used to vastly reduce carbon emissions from capped wells.
What gives all these pieces cachet, and again, contributes to their perceived value? Again, he main reason is that they incorporate something that is so closely and so uniquely connected to the event, occasion, or achievement being honored.
That “uniqueness” can take many forms. That might mean, as in the design mentioned above, using the actual oil involved (as opposed to some generic, black liquid).
Another unique award—with an embedment tied to the achievement it honors.
The piece above, for instance, honors the extraordinary efforts of emergency crew members in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. Each piece incorporates a segment of conductor strand— the same strand used by these workers to restore power.
Can Anything be Embedded in Lucite?
So, if Lucite is so versatile, does that mean anything can be placed inside it?
Unfortunately, no. Embedding objects inside Lucite involves a baking process using something similar to a kiln.
Some materials, such as rubber and plastic, simply will not hold up to the high temperatures involved.
Beyond that, the rules of Lucite embedment can get complicated, even counter-intuitive.
Just as an example, we’ve discovered over the years that some cookies can survive the heat of the baking process. Rocks, by contrast, can’t. (The physics here are actually fairly straightforward: rocks, like some objects, actually store the heat they’re subjected to, causing the Lucite itself to crack).
So how can you tell what will work?
The Right Approach to Lucite Embedded Awards
An experienced firm should be able to tell you the likelihood of the object you have in mind surviving the embedment process. Beyond that, a conscientious firm might also insist that a test run be conducted, before any order is placed, to be certain that its best guess is actually accurate.
An experienced firm will also know that what “works” here also involves an aesthetic judgment. Yes, your object might survive the baking process but it could come out looking slightly singed or discolored. And what’s the point of showcasing something that’s going to look lousy?
Some Alternatives to Lucite Embedment
What do you do if the object you have in mind doesn’t successfully embed? There are alternatives.
Sometimes we can come up with a workaround. In the case of one commemorative, for example, we designed a recess so that the actual sand from a site being preserved was never subjected to the baking process.
Another alternative involves the use of pewter miniatures as substitutes for the “real thing”. This is fairly common since there are obviously any number of items, such as aircraft engines and auto parts, that would otherwise simply be too large to place inside Lucite.
In other cases, we may actually advise a client not to use a Lucite embedment, or at the very least, to consider another material that might still deliver the desired effect.
For example, we might suggest, as an option, that the client consider an effect in crystal that allows objects to rendered three-dimensionally . This can result in a captivating effect showing a surprising degree of detail. Depending on the circumstances, this can prove to be a better practical, and aesthetic, option.
The Corporate Presence and Lucite Embedments
At The Corporate Presence, we have over 40 years of experience in helping clients embed items in Lucite. More importantly, we’ve developed the expertise to guide clients if turns out they either can’t, or shouldn’t, embed something.
We’re experts at the Lucite embedment process. But we know enough not to push any one process or design on our clients. Our goal is always to help you celebrate success and achievement and to provide you with the best possible design options to do precisely that. Contact us today to learn more.
David Parry is the Director of Digital Strategy for The Corporate Presence, and for Prestige Custom Awards, a designer and provider of custom corporate awards ranging from creative employee and client recognition pieces to the N.F.L. Commissioner’s Awards, and ESPN’s ESPY awards.
November 6, 2025
Celebrating FDA Approvals with Pharma Lucite Tombstones
In the pharmaceutical industry, few milestones rival the moment a drug receives FDA approval. For researchers, executives, and investors, that approval represents years of research, clinical trials, and regulatory navigation. It’s an achievement that can seem as meaningful as a multi-billion dollar merger or IPO. And just as bankers mark their wins with deal toys, pharmaceutical teams increasingly turn to Lucite tombstones to commemorate regulatory victories. These awards celebrate not only the underlying science, but also the perserverance, and collaboration, behind these life-changing breakthroughs.
Types of Pharmaceutical Recognition Awards
Pharmaceutical tombstones are often created to recognize four key milestones. The first is FDA approval itself—the ultimate green light to bring a therapy to market. The second invovles clinical trial successes, particularly Phase III trials that pave the way to approval. The third centers on intellectual property, where patents granted for new drugs or delivery systems mark a company’s innovative edge.
A fourth stage can involve the licensing of the drug or technology to widen its availability. Each of these moments deserves recognition, and Lucite awards are a natural way to capture their significance in tangible form.
Embedding Vials and Other Actual Items
What makes Lucite especially powerful in pharma recognition is the ability it offers to embed real objects. Tiny drug vials, for instance, can be suspended with a piece of Lucite, creating a visually striking award that directly connects the therapy being celebrated. These embedments go beyond traditional, off-the-shelf commemoratives, transforming the tombstone into a storytelling device. When recipients see a vial within the award, they’re reminded not just of the approval itself, but of the medicine that has the capacity to alter patients’ lives.
Regulatory Storytelling through Design
Pharma awards also lend themselves to unique storytelling. Designers often incorporate approval dates and clinical trial identifiers into the designs. Color themes may echo a drug’s branding, while shapes can symbolize its purpose—for instance, a heart motif for cardiovascular drugs or a DNA helix for genetic therapies. This regulatory storytelling honors the complexity of the approval process while celebrating the scientific triumphs that make the milestone possible.

Commemorative for Migraine Treatment NDA

Custom Lucite marking FDA approval of an adrenal condition treatment
Examples of Pharma Lucite Awards
Some of the most memorable pharmaceutical tombstones combine creativity with scientific relevance. For example, oncology approvals have been commemorated with Lucite blocks embedding miniature test tubes or ribbon symbols representing cancer awareness. Vaccine approvals have been marked with embedded syringes or vials. Gene therapy milestones have featured DNA strand or layered 3D helix designs. These examples highlight how pharmaceutical recognition pieces don’t just honor the regulatory hurdle itself, but also embody the therapy’s mission to improve lives.
How Recognition Motivates R&D Teams
For R&D teams, recognition is about more than vanity—it’s about morale and motivation. The long journey to FDA approval can be grueling, often spanning a decade or more. A Lucite tombstone acknowledging that achievement validates years of effort, energizes teams for future projects, and reinforces a sense of purpose. These awards can also serve as recruitment tools, signaling to new and prospective hires and partners that the company values its people and their breakthroughs. In a highly competitive industry, this kind of recognition fosters pride and loyalty.
From Labs to Lucites–Capturing Breakthroughs in Awards
FDA approvals mark turning points not only for companies but for patients who depend on innovation. Capturing these breakthroughs in Lucite tombstones ensures that the achievement is celebrated, remembered, and displayed with pride. Whether embedding vials, modeling molecules, or showcasing trial details, these awards transform regulatory milestones into lasting symbols of progress. For pharmaceutical teams, they are more than recognition pieces—they are reminders of science translated into real-world impact.
At The Corporate Presence, we’ve been helping teams celebrating success—in a range of industries—for over 40 years. See how we can recognize your particular achievement. Reach out to us today.

September 16, 2025
Exploring the Possibilities of Custom Lucite Award Designs
“Custom Lucite” is a term that’s been subject to a good deal of misuse and confusion. Some vendors offer “custom” Lucites, especially “custom Lucite awards”, with promises of off-the-shelf availability and next-day shipment. But if these vendors are truly able to fulfill your “custom” order merely by plucking a piece off a factory shelf, just how custom could the design really be?
These “custom” creations are, in fact, just mass-produced, prefabricated, lookalike stock pieces. These vendors would argue, of course, that the customization element comes in the form of personalized engraving.
But that’s a pretty low bar when it comes to meeting common expectations of what constitutes a custom product.
After all, five minutes after your employee’s years-of-service award is taken from the shelf and engraved, that same piece could be used for a “custom” sales award for some entirely different individual—at an entirely different organization.
Representing custom designs this way is obviously misleading. But beyond that, it also does a disservice to a material that’s as versatile and truly capable of customization as Lucite is.
(And the most compelling evidence of that versatility is the sheer range of uses for Lucite. They go well beyond custom awards, and include far-flung applications such as jewelry, furniture, and even handbags.)
This post explores some of the many ways Lucite can be customized for awards—and not just in the superficial sense of merely changing “personalizations”.
Key Areas of Custom Lucite Award Customization
There are a number of materials that might be suitable for the customized award you have in mind. Elsewhere we’ve discussed, for example, the differences between Lucite and acrylic, Lucite and resin, and Lucite vs. crystal.
Again, in this post we’re just focusing on the advantages of Lucite—and they can be considerable. They include:
Color Matching
Color matching tends to be underestimated as a design consideration. But branding is (or should be) a crucial factor is organizational awards. Awards recognize success; but they also offer a prime opportunity to celebrate and adavnce your organizational brand and mission.
Organizational awards are not only about recognition. They’re also offer a crucial branding opportunity for an organization. Lucite furthers this branding element by enabling precise matching of logo colors.
And even if your company or organization doesn’t have strict branding guidelines, you may want your custom award to incorporate your precise logo colors—and not just an approximation. Whatever its other virtues, crystal, for example, doesn’t allow for accurate PMS color matching.
Top view of a jug design celebrating the 30th anniversary of a water delivery company. The capacity of Lucite to capture shapes is highlighted in the ribbing along the bottle’s sides, as well as the contours at its top.
Versatility in Shapes
Here again, crystal vendors have vastly increased their customization capabilities in recent years. But crystal still doesn’t approach Lucite in its ability to render more complex shapes (especially logos and products).
A custom Lucite award recognizing members of a team responsible for a new surgical implant. The allure of this piece is that it incorporates the actual device they designed and developed.
Potential for Embedment
Acrylic is the only material that allows for the embedment of objects, and among those acrylics, Lucite offers the best means of showcasing those objects.
There are a variety of award designs that make use of a custom Lucite embedment. These include, for instance, awards recognizing team members responsible for the development of a new drug—and incorporating a vial of that actual drug to celebrate its approval by the FDA or other regulatory clearance.
Durability
Lucite is a highly resilient material. That makes it far less susceptible than, say, crystal or resin to chipping and breakage. But there is another dimension to this durability. Truly custom awards, unlike interchangeable mementos, tend to have special resonance and perceived value for recipients.
Why is that important?
It means, importantly, that those recipients tend to both value and hold on to custom awards. We can vouch for this, having routinely replaced over the years custom Lucite awards and deal toys sometimes decades old). Also, having an award that’s transportable, that can survive unscathed a number of moves from job to job and office to office (or from office to home) can be a real selling point.
Creative Design Enhancements
The durability and malleability of Lucite makes a number of design effects possible. The designs below would not, for instance, be possible in a material like crystal. Seen here are photos (one assembled, one unassembled) of a modular Lucite design commemorating various stages in a construction project. Also shown below is a design celebrating a strategic partnership, with spinning logos representing each party.
Finally, you’ll see a design that incorporates removable magnetic pieces.

Custom Lucite at The Corporate Presence
Make no mistake. This post isn’t intended to disparage more standard Lucite designs. At The Corporate Presence, we have been providing custom Lucite designs in standard geometric shapes for over 40 years.
But even with the most “basic” shapes, we often find ways to enliven the designs and give them more cachet. And at no time do we fulfill Lucite orders simply by grabbing items off a factory shelf—and worse, trying to pass them off as “custom”.
Keep in mind that custom Lucite may ultimately prove not to be the right material for your project. But whatever you have in mind, we can guide you to a design appropriate for your budget, timeline, and preferences. Tap our experience and expertise. Reach out to us today.
David Parry is the Director of Digital Strategy for The Corporate Presence, and for Prestige Custom Awards, a designer and provider of custom corporate awards ranging from creative employee and client recognition pieces to the N.F.L. Commissioner’s Awards, and ESPN’s ESPY awards.
December 9, 2024
Lucite Mementos At TCP: Our Capabilities And Some Ideas
There’s a lot more to Lucite mementos than just rectangular slabs of sparkly acrylic. Not that those options aren’t great, but Lucite has way more to offer. Pretty much the only limit is your imagination!
But what Lucite designs have proved successful in the past? How can you come up with a custom deal toy design that’ll give your clients a Lucite memento they’ll treasure? Read on to learn more about what The Corporate Presence can create with Lucite!
Classic Designs for Lucite Mementos
Let’s start with the classics because they’re called classics for a reason. They’ve been popular with our clients for years and continue to be.
Classic shapes include circles, cubes, cylinders, pyramids, and prisms. We can make a stylish Lucite memento in any standard 3D shape. These are often customized with creative printing and wording that makes them specific to the deal.
Standard Lucite Memento Ideas
Let’s segue from standard shapes to popular ideas. Some industries don’t lend themselves as easily to creative ideas. That’s why your client’s logo may often become the inspiration for a deal toy design.
This can work well and The Corporate Presence has created thousands of creative deal toys over the years based on logos. The problem can be that the logo may not be that inspirational.
That’s when you can really benefit from our design experience and expertise. We can provide you with a range of other design possibilities.
We’ve been pushing boundaries and exceeding our customers’ expectations for over 40 years.
Designs That Push the Envelope
Lucite is an extremely adaptable material. It is super-strong and can be molded into endless shapes. This means that there are many possibilities for Lucite mementos beyond the obvious.
Project Name Designs
The best creative designs are those that mean something to the client and you. Design elements hint at inside jokes, project names, or code names for projects. This may leave outsiders in the dark, but it’s significant and meaningful to the intended audience.
Some examples include Lucite mementos created for a transaction with the code-name ‘Project Rex’. The client chose a design that included a 3D T-Rex.
Another example was a custom deal toy that featured a book on a stand. This took inspiration from the code name: Project Hemingway. Some ideas are obvious; some are more subtle. A subtle idea included an ancient boat design for a project codenamed ‘River’.
Shared Passions
During the course of the deal, you likely spent a lot of time together. Shared passions often emerge and form part of the glue that binds you.
These shared passions can become meaningful design elements in Lucite mementos. Whether it’s a passion for rock climbing, motorcycles, or baseball, they make perfect toy design ideas.
The best thing about this kind of personalization is that these deal toys stay on display. They’re the ones your client is happy to see day in day out and will pave the way for a strong relationship going forward.
Incorporate Local Designs
Sometimes a deal takes place across states or nations. This cooperation gives you a chance to draw inspiration from the origins of one side or the other.
Numerous Lucite mementos have been created in the shapes of states and countries over the years. Even this can be given an updated twist. Consider including the state motif as a background, a spinning element, or even for the base. This is a technique we used effectively at The Corporate Presence. Among numerous designs, we created a California-themed plinth for a teardrop-shaped tombstone design.
The state or country-shaped base can even be overlaid with a map of the country to seal the connection. Rather than shaping the entire Lucite block in the shape of a country, just one section can follow the shape of the territory involved. Creative printing or etching on the block can complete the effect. The E-CL piece did this, making creative use of the map of Chile.
Deal Type Designs
Financial terminology is full of creative language that we can take inspiration from.
For example, a play on the term accordion tranche led to the creation of an accordion-shaped deal toy. Bolt-on acquisitions, cinderella bonds, Dutch auctions. They’ve all inspired design elements for a custom deal toy.
Moving parts or spinning features are cool additions to deal toys that make them more memorable. Planning a spin-off? We’ve created spinning Lucite mementos for just this occasion in the past.
Special Deal Toys for Special Deals
Sometimes you need Lucite mementos to commemorate a deal or event that really out of the ordinary—because of its size, its timing, its newsworthiness, or just its special meaning to you or your client.
It could be an unexpected merger, a strategic acquisition, even a record-breaking deal. Ordinary toy design ideas aren’t going to cut it. You need to harness what’s special about the deal and make it the focal point.
Lucite gives you the flexibility to bring these ideas to life. Get a feel for what’s possible by checking out some of the landmark deal toys we’ve designed.
Extravagant Embedments
An excellent quality of Lucite is that you can embed just about anything in it – as long as it can stand the heat of the oven. This opens up a lot of opportunities for creativity.
Nothing’s obviously more unique to a company than its products. Many products–or some replica of the product–can be embedded to great effect. The goal is to find something that will touch them, something meaningful. Showcasing it in Lucite, with its outstanding transparency, is a great way to preserve it.
Choose The Corporate Presence for Your Lucite Mementos
Lucite mementos are so much more than a token or trinket. Get the design right and they can solidify business relationships. They are little monuments to momentous events. Get them right and they’ll treasure them for a lifetime.
We have over 40 years experience of delivering outstanding Lucite mementos for our clients. The Corporate Presence has both the design and production capabilities to bring almost any design to life.
Contact us today to get the design process started on your mementos!
September 24, 2021