Rhinestone Facts Frequently Asked Questions about Swarovski Rhinestones
WHERE DOES THE COLOR IN CRYSTAL COME FROM?Crystals are formed by a very slow and controlled heat reduction process. Chemicals used during the process, as opposed to dyes, dictate the color. Different chemicals absorb different wavelengths of visible light. The result? We see the opposite of this color. For example, if the chemical added absorbed blue, we would see an orange crystal.
Interestingly enough, manufacturing a clear crystal is much more difficult than adding color. There can be no impurities during the manufacturing process as even a small contamination could change the clarity of the crystal. To see all the actual colors of the Swarovski rhinestones we stock, simply purchase one of our Rhinestone Color Charts. They are adhered to a clear plastic page which enables you to place the page directly on your garment to match the color. HOW MANY RHINESTONES ARE IN A GROSS? There are 12 dozen, or 144 rhinestones in a gross. WHERE DID THE NAME RHINESTONE COME FROM? The name rhinestone came from pieces of glass that were found in the Rhine River in Austria. When first produced, rhinestones were cut and finished by hand. In the 1700's, a jeweler in Paris created a way to apply lead to the back of glass. This process greatly enhanced the complexity, brilliance and reflective quality of the glass. WHO WAS DANIEL SWAROVSKI? Daniel Swarovski was born in 1862 in Bohemia (then part of the Austria-Hungarian Empire). In the early nineteenth century he began experimenting on methods of faceting glass and created a glass-cutting machine that cut faceted glass. This process produced a crystal far superior to hand-cut crystal. The company was enormously successful and soon produced many optical products, abrasives and grinding tools, as well as decorative stones made from crystal. FASHION INDUSTRY The arrival of these lovely crystal stones caused quite a stir in the fashion industry around the world in the 1920's. They quickly became popular worldwide! The "flapper" fashion for fringed and crystal creations brought about another patent: A ribbon of fabric studded with crystals ready to sew onto any garment. Fashion designers like Chanel and Schaparelli made costume jewelry not just acceptable but a fashion requirement for every fashion conscious woman of the time. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE "AURORA BOREALIS" CRYSTAL Around 1956 "Aurora Borealis" appeared in the crystal fashion world. These crystals were coated with an almost imperceptible layer of metal to give the stone a rainbow sparkle. Manfred Swarovski, Daniel's grandson, worked with Christian Dior to perfect this process. All rhinestones are carefully and meticulously cut glass - or crystal - and have a foil backing with lead content to enhance the reflectiveness and brilliance. However, not all rhinestones are Swarovski nor are they all Austrian Crystal, which may be confusing. Rhinestones other than Swarovski are generally Czech, Korean, Acrylic or Plastic. SWAROVSKI RHINESTONES The highest quality rhinestones by far are the genuine Swarovski Rhinestones. Much like champagne, only rhinestones made specifically by the Swarovski company can be labeled "Swarovski". Swarovski rhinestones have been made of lead crystal with eight or fourteen facets. Today, many are lead free and have many more facets and varying table heights. These additions have made the Swarovski rhinestones and jewels even more desirable by designers around the world. SWAROVSKI RHINESTONE CUTS AND SIZES Rhinestones come in a multitude of different shapes, sizes and colors. The cut of the rhinestone greatly influences its brilliance! Remember:
SWAROVSKI RHINESTONE SIZES Rhinestones are sold in many sizes, but the larger sizes have fewer colors, as there is less demand for them. Rhinestone sizes are designated using the abbreviation "ss", which stands for "Stone Size", or "mm", which stands for "millimeter". Round Rhinestones are available in the following sizes: ss6 = 2mm ss9 = 2.6mm ss10 = 2.8mm ss12 = 3mm ss16 = 4mm ss20 = 4.7mm ss30 = 6.4mm ss34 = 7.1mm ss40 = 8.6mm ss42 = 9.1mm ss48 = 11mm SWAROVSKI RHINESTONE COLORS
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- SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS
- SWAROVSKI FLAT BACK RHINESTONES
- Swarovski 2088, 2058, 2028, 2006 and 2034 Round Flatbacks
- Swarovski Nevettes, Drops, Marquise and Raindrop Flat Backs
- Swarovski Squares, Rectangles and Triangle Flat Backs
- Swarovski 2364, 2365 Pailsey Shapes, Flat Backs
- Swarovski 2738, 2739, 2740, Alpha, Beta & Gama Flat Backs
- Swarovski 2771, 2772, 2773 Geometric Shapes, Flat Backs
- Swarovski 2774, 2775, 2776, 2777 Geometric Shapes, Flat Backs
- Swarovski 2204 Pure Leaf Flat Back
- Swarovski 2585 Graphic Flat Back Crystals
- Swarovski 2709 Rhombus Flat Back
- Swarovski 2714 Fan Flat Back Crystals
- Swarovski 2797 Diamond Leaf Flat Back
- Swarovski 2798 Contour Flat Back
- Swarovski 2808 Heart Flat Back
- Swarovski 2813 Moon Flat Back
- Swarovski 2816 Rivoli Star Flat Back
- Swarovski 2826 Rivoli Snowflake Flat Back
- SWAROVSKI FLAT BACK, HOTFIX RHINESTONES
- Swarovski 2078, 2038, 2028, 2012 Round Flat Back, Hotfix Crystals
- Swarovski Drops, Nevettes, Marquise Flat Back, Hotfix Crystals
- Swarovski Squares, Rectangles, Triangle Flat Back, Hotfix Crystals
- Swarovski 2817, Star Hotfix Flat Back
- Swarovski Hotfix Bundles of Colors
- Swarovski 2712, Margarita Flat Back, Hotfix Crystals
- Swarovski 2364, Paisley Flat Back, Hotfix Crystals
- Swarovski 2365, Paisley Flat Back, Hotfix Crystals
- Swarovski 2714, Fan Flat Back, Hotfix Crystals
- Swarovski 2716, Rivoli Triangle Flat Back, Hotfix Crystals
- Swarovski 2738, 2739, & 2740, Alpha, Beta & Gamma Flat Back, Hotfix Crystals
- Swarovski 2753, Edelweiss Flat Back, Hotfix Crystals
- Swarovski 2771, 2772, & 2773, Geometric Hotfix Flat Backs
- Swarovski 2774, 2775, 2276 & 2777, Geometric Hotfix Flat Backs
- Swarovski 2788, Wave Hotfix Flat Backs
- Swarovski 2808, Heart Hotfix Flat Back
- Swarovski 2813, Moon Hotfix Flat Back
- Swarovski 2816, Rivoli Star Hotfix Flat Back
- Swarovski 2847, Pentagon Flat Back, Hotfix Crystals
- SWAROVSKI SEW-ON FLAT BACK RHINESTONES
- Nevette, Swarovski Sew-On Rhinestones
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- Slim Triangle, Swarovski 3271 Sew-On Rhinestones
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- Triangle, Swarovski 3270 Sew-On Rhinestones
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