Illuminated crystal block featuring a family portrait silhouette

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      For the past 10 years, our family has had a cherished ritual: every spring, we visit the "Foire de Lyon" — one of the oldest and most beloved fairs in France — and stop at the booth of a well-known local radio station to take a family portrait together. It started almost by accident the first year, but quickly became something we all look forward to. A fixed point in the calendar. A tradition.

Over the years, that annual photo has become our most honest family album. No professional lighting, no retouching — just us, a little older each time, smiling in the same spot. Watching our children grow through those photos is something no words can fully capture.

This year, I wanted to do something different. Something that would honor 10 years of this ritual and transform it into a lasting, physical object — not just a photo on a phone or a print on paper.

Using AImake on Atomm, I converted our family portrait into a clean 3D silhouette model. I then used xTool F2 Ultra UV to engrave it inside a K9 crystal block — a technique called sub-surface laser engraving, where the laser focuses precisely beneath the surface to sculpt the image within the glass itself, without touching the exterior.

The result is stunning. When light hits the crystal from any angle, our silhouettes appear suspended inside — glowing, frozen in time. It sits on our shelf now with a small LED base underneath, and every evening when the light catches it, it feels like holding 10 years in your hands.

This project is more than a laser engraving exercise. It's proof that technology, when used with intention, can turn everyday memories into heirlooms. If you have a family tradition worth preserving, I hope this inspires you to give it a form that will outlast any screen or hard drive.

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