Glass Awards for Clear Winners

2007-07-18 16:23:30

( Hobbies )



Whether you are giving awards to the employee of the year or the boss of the century, glass awards are a charming, classy alternative to the wood, stone, and metal of old. Modern etching techniques can allow a variety of colors and shapes to be added to a block of glass; while modern glass carving and blowing methods can mold the glass trophy into forms that may resemble a company’s emblem, a figure from mythology, or a simple, graceful pillar engraved with the name of a clear winner.

More and more companies today are using glass trophies to hand out recognition to lucky recipients – but what advantage does glass have over the old types of awards materials?

Most awards used to be made of wood, but wood could break down or be eaten away by termites and other insects. Stone was also a material of choice, but it was heavy and hard to work with. Metal, though grand and supreme-looking at the onset, would rust or discolor, rendering the reward unreadable.

Glass awards are now the primary trophies of choice: although it can break if improperly handled, and scratch if wrongly etched, glass can make for striking, charming awards. Glass is also heavier than most materials, which is why awards makers have turned to other types of glass-like plastics and resins to make awards.

Acrylic Awards

One alternative is to use acrylic awards. Acrylic is a clear plastic material seventeen times stronger and more flexible, and 50% lighter than glass. Acrylic also has a transparency rating of 93%, making it more transparent than glass, but also more easily scratched.

Although acrylic is more easily scratched, scratches can be lightened or removed. And, since acrylic is softer, it can be molded into more graceful shapes than glass can.

Lucite Awards

The highest quality acrylic is known by the commercial name of Lucite, a clear, strong plastic which was once used to make jewelry and purses. Lucite, as the name may connote, has an optical quality and brightness close to crystal.

Although bright and sparkling, some materials cannot be embedded in Lucite, limiting its use as an awards material. Certain plastics and printed matter, high density metals with sharp edges, and other items that may be crushed cannot be incorporated into Lucite awards.

Whether you choose glass awards or their alternatives, you can be sure that you will be receiving – and giving – an award worthy of its own recognition.


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