The 3 Difference Between Acrylic vs. Crystal Awards

It's great to recognize your employees or team members for their hard work and ongoing contributions to your organization, and you have myriad options to choose from for your awards. You can opt for a traditional custom wood plaque, or you can go for something really special with and acrylic or crystal award. However, before you decide, it is important that you understand the difference between these two materials. At first glance they may look very similar, but there are some key distinctions that you need to be aware of.

1. Pricing

While an acrylic or crystal award is likely to cost a bit more than a custom wood plaque, the unique beauty of these pieces makes up for the additional cost. Acrylic tends to be slightly cheaper than crystal because it is easy to work with and mold into the desired shape. Crystal takes more time to cut and carve, so it is a much more labor-intensive process to produce a crystal award, hence the higher price tag. However, even crystal awards can be affordable if your design is not overly complex or delicate. It all depends on the amount of time and attention to detail your design will require, with intricate designs costing significantly more to produce. Your timeline also contributes to the pricing, with rush orders entailing additional costs over orders placed well in advance of your awards event.

The difference between acrylic and crystal awards

2. Texture

In the texture is where you will find the most obvious differences between acrylic and crystal awards. Acrylic materials are very lightweight, making them easy to transport. Crystal, on the other hand is usually on the heavier side, so it is in your best interest to keep them a bit smaller so as not to overburden your awarded team members. Although the material is heavier, crystal is significantly more delicate than acrylic and can easily break if dropped or knocked over. Acrylic is fairly difficult to break, but its surface can scratch relatively easily. Luckily, these surface scratches can usually be buffed and polished out, bringing the award back to its original appearance. Crystal offers a much tougher surface, so it is highly unlikely to scratch due to normal wear and tear.

3. Appearance

It is the appearance that offers the most striking differences between acrylic and crystal awards. From far away, the two can look very similar, but upon closer inspection, it is clear that the two couldn't be more different. Light is able to pass through both materials, giving them their clear appearances, but when it comes to crystal, you can see the light shimmer on its way through, giving it a much more lustrous and elegant look. When compared to crystal, acrylic can look and feel somewhat cheap. To truly show your team members how special and important they are to your organization, crystal is definitely the way to go.

Trust the Experts at Able Recognition with Your Acrylic & Crystal Awards

Here at Able Recognition, we offer a wide range of awards for you to choose from for your next awards banquet or employee recognition dinner. Ranging from the classic custom wood plaque to the dazzling crystal trophy, and with everything in between, you are sure to find just the award you are looking for. We can handle custom orders as well and will work closely with you to develop the perfect award to suit your organization's needs and preferences. Give us a call or browse through all of the options on our website now to start planning out your new awards and to learn more about our products and services.