Every keepsake we make at Sarnia 3D Crystals starts with the same promise: only the finest K9 grade A crystal is used to create your keepsake. It's the single decision that shapes everything you see when you hold one up to the light.
What K9 grade A crystal actually is
K9 is a high-purity optical crystal, the same family of material used in quality lenses and prisms. Grade A is the cleanest tier of it: no clouding, no bubbles, no internal flaws or ripples. What you get is a block of glass that is genuinely, uniformly clear all the way through.
Why it matters for your photo
A 3D photo crystal is made by laser-etching millions of tiny points inside the block. Those points are what your image is made of. If the crystal has impurities, the laser scatters, the points blur, and fine detail such as eyes, hair and the edges of a smile softens into a haze. In clean K9 grade A crystal, every point lands exactly where it should, so your image stays sharp, deep and three-dimensional from any angle.
Clarity, light and longevity
K9 also has excellent light transmission, which is why our crystals glow so beautifully on an LED base. The etched image catches the light while the rest of the block stays invisible, giving that floating effect people love. And because it's a hard, stable optical material, it won't yellow, cloud or fade over time. A keepsake made today will look the same in twenty years.
The cheaper alternative, and why we skip it
There are lower grades and softer glass substitutes on the market, and they cost noticeably less. They also scratch more easily, carry a faint green or grey tint, and lose detail in the etch. We'd rather charge honestly for a keepsake that holds up than sell something that disappoints the first time you show it to someone.
Your photo deserves the good stuff
Most of what we engrave is irreplaceable: a wedding day, a new baby, a much-loved pet, a parent who's no longer here. That's not a moment for compromise on materials. So every single crystal we cut, polish and etch is K9 grade A. No exceptions.
Ready to turn your favourite photo into something you can hold? Browse our crystal keepsakes and upload your image to get started.