Building a legacy. It’s not just about handing things down to the next generation. It’s about setting things in motion that will live on into the future. It’s fitting that one of the first pieces ordered from the Crystal D Legacy Gallery was designed with movement in mind.
The gallery is a collection of 10 exclusive new awards honoring the company’s late founder, Chuck Dahlgren, by giving back to charity.
“I wanted to create something that other people would enjoy, love and want to give,” said Natasha Richter, a marketing coordinator and one of the company’s creative minds behind product development.
Natasha is naturally wired for this kind of work, always putting her flair on images and design materials. When it came to developing the Pioneer Tower, she knew she wanted it to be innovative, like Chuck was. She challenged herself to use her talent and curiosity to figure out how to convey movement in a static object.
Building blocks
The process began with Natasha sketching various shapes, considering how light and color can be manipulated with angles, bevels, curves and mirroring. Then, she quite literally put her “twist” on it, creating the Pioneer Tower — a multifaceted piece that refracts light at every turn and — without mirroring or backlighting — illuminates the brilliant translucent blue hue up through the optically clear crystal to the dramatically beveled tip.
The piece is available in three different sizes, each unique but related. Awards are often displayed beside one another as the recipient reaches new milestones. So, with that in mind, the Pioneer Tower was designed in a way that when awards are placed next to each other, their distinctive banding forms a line that points upward in the direction of achievement.
The Pioneer Tower’s unique details, which Natasha says feel aspiring and inspiring,
Click to watch the Pioneer Tower collection in action!
also reflect the character of Chuck, who was a pioneer not just for the company but for the awards industry. The piece represents what it takes to be a visionary, take bold steps forward, forge new paths and make connections.
“To create something that honors Chuck was a privilege. He was a pioneer in his life, starting out as a turkey farmer, then giving up everything to follow his dream of becoming an entrepreneur,” Natasha said.
“He built a multi-million-dollar company from nothing that is now the leader in innovation and quality in the crystal awards category. He is inspirational to me personally, and an example of exceptional achievement — both qualities I aimed to capture in the Pioneer Tower.”
Natasha says she feels lucky to be part of the development of the Legacy Gallery as well as Crystal D Cares, the company’s giveback program.
Giving back with every purchase
The pieces in the Legacy Gallery, echo Chuck’s deep belief in the power of generosity and profound desire to share what we have with others. With each purchase from the collection, Crystal D donates 20 percent of the product sale total to organizations with focus areas such as children, seniors, veterans, communities, animals, the environment, and health and research causes. Read more about the organizations chosen for 2024.
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