A 2020 gifting study from DeBeers found that 56% of people want meaningful gifts. While a real diamond may be a great gift, it is costly and leaves little room for personalization.

But what about a customized diamond painting? That's right, a picture of a loved one made from hundreds of glittering faceted diamonds that shimmer from every angle in the light.

Diamond paintings are a great way to display cherished memories in a form that is the perfect gift and keepsake.

Wondering how you can create personalized memories and give the perfect gift? Keep reading for more information on 5D diamond paintings.

What Is a Diamond Painting?

The best way to describe a diamond painting is that it is like a paint by numbers kit, except the colors you add to the canvas are in the form of tiny multifaceted colored resin dots. These are referred to as diamonds but are also known as drills or diamond dots. Diamonds have a round or squarish top that sticks up and a flat bottom. 

A diamond painting's canvas is a thick woven polyester with a sticky adhesive covering it. The adhesive is protected by a protective plastic layer to keep the adhesive sticky. The canvas is printed with small squares in a grid with a corresponding number or letter.

A full drill diamond painting is completely covered by diamonds with no space in-between. While a partial drill focuses on certain areas or design patterns and leaves blank space in other areas of the canvas. Partial drills are better for beginners since they are not as labor-intensive or time-consuming

In your diamond painting kit, you should receive little bags of "diamonds" or poly resin pieces of colored plastic. There will be several leftovers of each color in case you spill or lose some diamonds. These bags will be labeled with numbers or letters to match the colors on the canvas grid. 

How Do You Complete a Diamond Painting?

First, take out one color of the diamonds you want to use and open it carefully, emptying a small amount into the included tray. You may want to keep resealable snack bags or a craft organizer tray nearby for storing your open bags of diamonds when not in use. Ensure your canvas is flat on a clean, dry surface.

To complete a diamond painting, you add each resin diamond one at a time to its corresponding number or lettered square on the canvas grid using a wax pad and a special stylus pen.

Press the stylus pen tip into the wax square so that the diamond will stick to it while it is transferred to the canvas. Peel back the protective plastic on the section you want to work on first, focusing on one small section at a time. Press the diamond onto the canvas and repeat until you cover all of the canvas' adhesive grid with the diamonds.

The result is a glittery multifaceted design that pops with color and dimension. It is a unique and distinct creation that makes the perfect gift.

While it is possible to buy kits with pre-made designs, you can also customize a diamond kit using your own photos.

What Is the Difference Between 3D and 5D Diamond Paintings?

A diamond painting's dimensions refer to the type of diamonds used to create the image. The facets or cuts on a diamond's surface determine the amount of shine they give off in the light, similar to how a real diamond's cuts influence its facets and sparkle. 

Diamonds are also square or circular in shape. The circular diamonds allow more of the color of the canvas to peek through while the square diamonds allow for a tighter and closer together fit for finer details and no gaps.

3D diamond paintings utilize 3D diamonds which have three larger facets on each side for a total of 9 facets. This makes the diamond look smoother in appearance. These diamonds are good for pictures that don't need as much detail.

5D diamond paintings, on the other hand, have 5 facets per side for a total of 15 facets. 5D diamonds create the illusion of extra sparkle in the light and show off more depth and detail on the diamond painting's canvas. 

Tips for Creating Custom 5D Diamond Paintings

Diamond paintings yield beautiful and dazzling works of multidimensional art. When creating 5D custom diamond paintings, there are some tips to keep in mind to ensure that your diamond painting is of the best possible quality.

Follow these photo tips to create your diamond painting and perfect gift keepsake.

Choose the Largest Photo

This not only applies to the overall size of the photo but also the number of pixels in the digital photo. Small photos will not transfer well when creating a custom diamond painting canvas.

Since a diamond painting canvas is already comprised of small grid squares for the addition of the diamond drills, a small photo will come out too grainy and be unusable.

A larger photo has a higher resolution and therefore will have a greater number of pixels for detailing your diamond painting. If you need to scan a photo to upload for your diamond painting choose the high quality or high-resolution scan option to preserve your photo's HD quality.

Choose a Clear and Focused Photo

Likewise, you should also choose a photo that is in focus. Using blurry images won't work for diamond paintings. Action shots from sporting events or concerts tend to turn out fuzzy and overly pixelated so the details will get lost. 

If you are using a photo with multiple faces in it, be certain everyone you wish to feature in the photo for your diamond painting is visible and in focus. Also, make sure that the background is uncluttered and that there are no distractions that may detract from the focus of the photo. 

Choose a Photo with Good Lighting

Avoid using photos where the lighting is too dark or you will not be able to see the details in your diamond painting. On the other hand, you should also avoid photos where the light causes parts of the photo to appear overexposed or washed out. 

A photo with unbalanced lighting will result in these areas of discoloration becoming more noticeable in your diamond painting. The colors of your diamonds will reflect this as well to make up for the improper light imbalance on your canvas. Pay attention to how shadows and shading affect your photo and how they will be featured in your diamond painting.

Older photos with brown or reddish tones to them may also not have the desired effect for custom diamond paintings. They lack detail and focus, and these tones do not replicate well with diamond paintings, which may appear muddy. Try to get these photos professionally touched up before attempting to use them in custom diamond paintings.

Choose the Appropriate Canvas Size

While there are many standard and custom sizes of canvas available, it is recommended to stay with a canvas size that is closest to your photo's original size. If there are multiple people or animals you wish to focus on, a slightly larger canvas will allow for finer details.

Taking a photo and blowing it up much larger than its original size may compromise its quality. Each time a photo is edited or increased in size, you run the risk of losing the crispness of its details and focus.

It is also best to stay with a photo's original orientation on the canvas. If your photo is in landscape format, you should keep the same ratio and orientation for your diamond painting. If your photo is a portrait, keep this same aspect for your diamond painting.

Autographed 5D Diamond Painting

You can choose to have the recipient complete the custom diamond painting or you can complete it yourself. A completed custom diamond painting makes presenting the gift even more special because it was made by you. You can even frame your diamond painting for an added layer of style to increase its gift presentation.

Once you have completed your 5D diamond paintings for their intended recipients, take it a step further and autograph the paintings. Autographing your work of art will remind the gift recipient who gave them the diamond painting.

For milestone birthdays, weddings, graduations, or retirement parties, having family members or co-workers add their signatures to the diamond painting will create a true keepsake and remind them of cherished memories for years to come. 

Think of it as a greeting card that is also an eye-catching work of art they can hang on the wall and enjoy. Personalized memories make the perfect gift for those in your life who mean the most to you. And specialized gifts show you put the time and effort into creating something heartfelt and one-of-a-kind.

Sparkling Custom 5D Diamond Paintings That Make the Perfect Gift

For the perfect gift, your recipients will adore a gorgeous and glimmering custom 5D diamond painting. Dazzle them with a gift that is original, personalized, and handmade.

Create a unique keepsake that is sure to become a treasured memento. Cherished memories come to life enhanced by faceted diamonds. Thoughts With Diamonds can help you design your custom 5D diamond paintings. 

Choose from 10x10, 10x14, 14x14 inch, and other custom canvas sizes. Make your memories sparkle with Thoughts With Diamonds.

Contact Us today to book a consultation about your custom diamond painting.