Abstract: An optical element for a laser, such as a mirror, includes a rectangular parallelepiped body of a material suitable for the element, such as glass, and a cylindrical projection extending from one surface of the body. The projection is smaller in area than the area of the surface of the body and the periphery of the projection is spaced from the edges of the surface. The edge of the surface of the projection is free of nicks or chips and serves as the mounting edge for the element in a laser. A plurality of the elements are made simultaneously by etching the surface of a sheet of material to form a plurality of spaced projections and dividing the sheet along lines between the projections. Prior to dividing the sheet, the surfaces of the projections may be coated with a suitable optical coating.