Rhinestones, alternately called ‘strass’ and ‘diamente’ in Europe, were originally gathered as rock crystals from the banks of the River Rhine in Austria. An Alsatian jeweler by name of Georg Friedrich Strass coated the lower side of these crystals with metal powder to make them appear like diamonds. Over time, because of the excessive demand, the stones became depleted and resourceful jewelers started making imitations of the originals.
A century later Daniel Swarovski introduced the techniques of cutting facets in the stone that made them glisten even more. The lead content in these crystals were high and the refractions they produced were stellar. Many of them were backed with gold, silver, tinted foil, to make them resemble other gems.
Swarovski rhinestones are mass produced today, which accounts for their popularity. They are made from materials like glass, acrylics, paste, and clear crystalline quartz. Glass paste refers to glass that is ground into fine dust and then made into a paste. It is molded and then melted to get a frosted surface. Crystal rhinestones are manufactured in Austria and The Czech Republic. Acrylic
rhinestones are manufactured in many places in the world. Rhinestones are measured and sold in ‘ss’ or mm size. A stone of size ss5 would equal 1.8 mm in diameter.
Swarovski rhinestones are popular for their colors and the special effects that they display. The two most popular colors are the clear crystal and the crystal AB. The crystal AB stones, where the AB stands for Aurora Borealis, are coated such that the coating gives a rainbow color effect. The AB coating can be given on stones of any color and the effect is vastly different Swarovski rhinestones are used to decorate skaters’ dresses, wedding tiaras, apparel, jewelry, suits, and bridal costumes. Rhinestones are glued on fabrics to create a shimmering effect and they are used in place of sequins. Rhinestones are used to embellish tattoos and fingernails and even cell phones and laptops! There are ‘hotfix’ rhinestones that can be ironed on to surfaces as well as sew-on models used on clothes and footwear. The sew-on type is easier to remove than the glued-on variety. Flat-back crystals with or without metal foil backing are used for setting in pieces of jewelry. However, handle rhinestones with care for them to last longer.