Method for structuring a decorative of technical pattern in an object made of an at least partially transparent amorphous, semi-crystalline or crystalline material

A method for structuring a decorative or technical pattern in the thickness of an object made of an at least partially transparent amorphous, semi-crystalline or crystalline material, the object includes a top surface and a bottom surface which extends away from the top surface, the method comprising:

• providing at least one of the top or bottom surfaces of the object made of an at least partially transparent material with a mask which defines at least one opening whose outline corresponds to the profile of the decorative or technical pattern to be structured, wherein the mask covers the at least one top or bottom surface of the object made of an at least partially transparent material at positions which are not to be structured;
• and
• structuring the decorative or technical pattern by implanting ions with a mono- or multicharged ion beam through the at least one opening of the mask, the mechanical properties of the mask being sufficient to prevent the ions of the ion beam from etching the at least one top or bottom surface of the object made of an at least partially transparent material at the positions where this top or bottom surface is covered by the mask,
• wherein the object is an element of a timepiece or of a piece of jewelry, and
• wherein the decorative or technical pattern is implanted with an ion implantation dose to provide hydrophilic properties to the decorative or technical pattern.