Crystal Cubes: 5 Creative Design Options You Should Know

Crystal cubes are a popular option for many deal toy and award designs. It’s not hard to understand their appeal. They combine the elegance of crystal with the subtlety of a simple geometric shape. What tends to be far less known and appreciated is the range of design possibilities offered by “basic” cube designs. There are, in fact, a number of techniques and features available within the “simple but elegant” effect that Crystal promises—and that most clients are seeking.

This post will explore five variations that can give your crystal cube design additional impact and cachet.

1) 3D Laser Etching: Uniquely Suited to Crystal Cubes

Laser engraving in crystal is a visually striking effect that is unique to crystal. The obvious depth of the cube shape makes it ideal for capturing the rich detail of this three-dimensional etching process.

The gallery below features a number of examples of 3D laser etching. You can see the high level of precision possible in replicating complex artwork. This opens up a wealth of creative options.

For example, the first cube design (in profile, on the top-left corner) celebrates a commercialization agreement between American and  Japanese pharmaceutical firms. The virtue of this design is that it conveys the very nature—and significance— of the agreement itself. The internal etching depicts human lungs; the drug at the center of the agreement was a treatment for lung disease.

Not many other designs could convey this kind of information (that the piece celebrates an agreement making a lung disease treatment accessible to Japan) so seamlessly and elegantly. The piece below it, with the laser-etched syringe, is another example. It not only celebrates the successful launch of an investment fund but also makes clear its primary focus: healthcare.

2) Base Variations in Cube Designs

The addition of a base opens up another creative avenue for cube designs. Several of the pieces below (such as the Blackstone fund launch commemorative) involve the addition of a simple offsetting black base. Some of the other designs are more elaborate. The green motherboard-patterned base also featured here provides some contrasting color to the overall design. But it also conveys unmistakably the focus of the investment fund whose successful launch is being celebrated: the technology sector.

Other base options can be even more involved. In the Zendesk piece, also featured here, the crystal piece itself is a much smaller component of the overall design.

3) Shape Variations that Can Enliven Crystal Cubes

A small repositioning of a crystal cube can transform its visibility and prominence—and therefore increase its perceived value among recipients and others. This can be achieved simply by laying the cube on its corner, as in the Blackstone piece above, and the two pieces shown below. Again, the alteration to the design is relatively minor, but the effect on its impact can be considerable.

4) Introducing Color to Your Crystal Design

Many clients have seen crystal pieces in a variety of tints and colors. But they tend to have seen them only in decorative household pieces such as vases and glasses. They tend to assume for relatively small-quantity orders (such as for deal toys and most awards) crystal is only available in two variations: clear and jade green.

In fact, crystal is available in an entire spectrum of colors and tints. The pieces shown below represent only a small portion of possible color variations.

5) Assorted Tweaks to Your Crystal Cube Design

There are any number of additional techniques that enhance a cube design . The designs shown below highlight just a few. The Spirit piece below demonstrates how the mere addition of bevelled edges can heighten the effect of a design. The UL piece illustrates the effect of external laser etching, and the Martin Scorsese DOC NYC award the effect of “frosting”.

Crystal Cubes and The Corporate Presence

At The Corporate Presence, we’ve been providing clients with crystal cube deal toys and awards for over 40 years. Many have incorporated some of the design techniques and features we’ve discussed above. But we’ve also provided clients with countless designs that were simple, unadorned cubes. And that may ultimately prove to be a design that is neither crystal or a cube.The important point is that we have the expertise and experience to guide you to the piece that best suits your budget, deadline, and design preferences.

Get the creative process started. Reach out to us today.