Exactly what is
Rhinestone Jewelry?
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he name “Rhinestone”
came from the factory which used energy that was driven by the
Rhine
River
which passes through
Austria
. The sand in that region contained a high lead content which gave
it that characteristic rainbow sparkle. Defined
as colorless artificial gems that are made of paste, glass, or gem quartz,
rhinestones are usually cut into facets that make them sparkle to imitate
diamonds. The liberal use of
rhinestones was often associated with garb worn by Country and Western
music singers,
Las Vegas
dancers, and other show business entertainers. Today,
it is not limited to any industry and they have become everyday
wear for most areas in the world.
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Real rhinestones were originally cut and finished by hand.
In the late 1700s, a jeweler in western Europe came up with an idea to
coat the back side of the glass with a metal powder. This
newly defined process significantly enhanced the brilliance, complexity, and the
reflective qualities of the glass. Nowadays,
the majority of the rhinestones that are used in jewelry come from glass that
looks just like natural stone.
Rhinestone Cuts
Rhinestones can be found in many different cuts, sizes,
colors, and shapes. It is important to make note of the fact that the cut of the
rhinestone does significantly affect the stone’s brilliance. It
is important to remember that the rhinestones with more facets will reflect more
than those cut with fewer facets; although once there are too many facets, the
increase in brilliance does not improve. Rhinestones
that have been cut with fewer facets will flash straight on more than those cut
with more facets. Eight-facet
rhinestones comprise the very best.
Rhinestone Sizes
Rhinestone sizes are designated
using the abbreviation for stone size
which is “ss”. There is less demand for the larger sized rhinestones because
they have fewer colors; and the smaller stone size numbers (08 to 16) are too
small for adorning ballroom gowns.
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SS
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=
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Approx mm
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 08
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=
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2.3
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10
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=
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2.8
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12
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=
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3.1
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16
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=
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3.9
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20
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=
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4.7
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30
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=
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6.4
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34
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=
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7.1
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40
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=
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8.9
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42
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=
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9.1
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49
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=
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11.1
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Rhinestone Colors
Rhinestones can be found in a wide variety of colors which
can be confusing for consumers. Wider
varieties of colors are offered to consumers every year. The
colors for rhinestones can be broken down into four basic categories:
1.
Crystal
Colors
These rhinestones are also
referred to as the conventional ‘diamond look-a-like’ because they have no
color and are completely clear. This is the rhinestone that is seen the most
regularly.
2.
Transparent
Colors
Transparent colors are
rhinestones that usually are named after the gem that they replicate for
example:
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Gem
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Picture
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Color
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Emerald
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Green
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Peridot
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Lime or Apple
Green
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Sapphire
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Royal Blue
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Amethyst
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Purple
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For the stones that have the term 'Light' in front of the
color, it is a paler rendition of the actual color itself and referred to as
semiprecious gem colors.
3.
AB Colors
AB rhinestones are created by
applying an Aurora Borealis coating to the stone. In light refraction, this
coating makes a prism effect, which usually reflects all of the colors in the
rainbow. Generally, the base color
will be seen through this coating. At
times the coating will completely alter the stone’s color. Examples:
·
Jet
AB
is not black, but rather it shines green.
·
Crystal AB is the result of an AB coating on a crystal rhinestone.
It will disperse mild colors in all ranges:
-
Swarovski
AB
coatings replicate blues, greens, reds, and gold’s.
-
Czech
stones mirror other gold’s and yellows.
-
Korean
stones do not have AB coatings.
-
Chinese stone makers are now matching these AB coatings of better
makers quite well.
4.
Effect
Colors
These rhinestones are made by
polarizing the glass. The stones come in special colors and usually reflect two
or more colors, depending on the direction of the light or the light source.
