History of Swarovski Rhinestones

Definition: rhinestones - colorless imitation stones of high luster made of glass, paste, or gem quartz

Rhinestones are pieces of faceted glass. The original rhinestones were pebbles of rock crystal from the Rhine River (Austria's western boundary). The true sparkle began in about 1775 when a French jeweler named George Frederic Stras had an idea to coat the lower side of glass with metal powder. The resulting quality closely imitated diamonds. They still were not real affordable because the stones were individually handcrafted.

1892 Daniel Swarovski, son of a Bohemian gem cutter, applied for a patent on his first invention: a machine that cuts crystal jewelry stones with unprecedented precision.

1895 Swarovski moves to Austria, where his invention could be powered by water, to set up a factory specializing in the production of cut crystal jewelry stones. Success in producing rhinestones economically without compromising the quality of the cut is achieved which meant acceptance in the jewelry industry.

1911 Daniel and his three sons refine methods to produce stones to a state of flawless brilliance. 1917 the company succeeds in producing grinding wheels for cutting crystal stones to increase production capacity.

1955 the Aurora Borealis is presented; a coating is applied to crystal stones to produce a rainbow of colors effect.

1956 Daniel dies at the grand old age of 94 leaving one of Austrians largest companies and one of the world's largest producers of rhinestones which exports 80% of its production.

 

 

Swarovski Alternative

Preciosa™ Genuine Czech Crystal™

Preciosa™ Genuine Czech Crystal™ is a world leading producer of cut crystal, specializing mainly in the production of machine cut chatons of top quality and in a broad variety of shapes, colors and sizes. The VIVA12™, featuring 12 facets, is the most commonly used flat back offered by Preciosa. The company’s headquarters are in Jablonec nad Nisou (Northern Bohemia), in a region with hundreds of years of glass making tradition. 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

How to Attach Flat Back Rhinestones (Crystals)

Adhesives (Gluing) Method

Many types of glue are acceptable for attaching rhinestones or crystals, except (1) the isocyanate glues (e.g., instant adhesives), (2) any glue containing acetone, and (3) hot glue. There are several brands of glue that are specifically formulated for bonding rhinestones or crystals to fabric. Our product line of recommended adhesives & glue product line includes Beacon Gem-Tac, E-6000, Devcon epoxies, and Aleene's.

We personally prefer Beacon Gem-Tac because it is the least expensive, you only need a small amount, and it dries completely clear, which means no more globs of glue around the rhinestones—just pure shimmer and shine. It's easy to attach rhinestones with adhesives. Please remember to do a test on a spare piece of fabric or in an inconspicuous spot, use glue that dries transparent, make sure to cover all edges of the stones to minimize them from peeling off, follow the manufacturer's instructions, always wash with great care and on a low temperature.

How to Use and Apply Hotfix Rhinestones (Crystals) and Metals

Hotfix rhinestones and metals can be applied with various tools and methods, as described in the manuals from Swarovski and Preciosa, listed below. Be sure to follow the instructions for the brand of hotfix rhinestones you are using. We also offer some general information about using hotfix trims.

Hotfix rhinestones and metals are not recommended for attachment to plastic, metals, glass, or denim. 

General Guidelines for Using Hotfix Rhinestones (Crystals)

Fabrics should be pre-washed and free of any chemical finish, such as water resistant treatments. When working with stretch fabrics, try to slightly pre-stretch the fabrics before applying hot fix crystals. Always test the application on a sample swatch or in an inconspicuous area.

Some general guidelines for using handheld hotfix wands or applicators, such as BeJeweled or Crystal Craft:

• Note there are two types of tips included with most wands. Flats (spots) are designed for use with metals and hotfix shapes. When using these types of trims, you will place the trim on the garment and set the tool tip on top of the trim until the glue is heated.
• The second type of tip is the concave rounded tip. These are for use with flat back rhinestones and pearls. The shape of the tip allows you to pick up the rhinestone with the tool. When the glue is melted, you will place the rhinestone on the fabric. Be sure to use the same size tip as the rhinestone size you are working with.
• While the tool is heating up, get your rhinestones ready. For example, pour out some of the rhinestones onto a paper plate, glue side down. By doing this, the rhienstones are spread out and are easier to pick up with the hot fix wand.
• After you pick up the stone with the hotfix tool, you may want to angle the tool a bit so the stone does not fall out.
• Do not "slide" the rhinestone once you have placed it.

Placing Rhinestones Accurately for Your Design

And here are a few tips about making sure you place your rhinestones according to your planned design:

• To speed up the process, you may want to "chalk dot" the pattern on your garment before starting. That will allow you to work quickly because the locations of the rhinestones are already dotted out for you.
• If you are working on a complicated or detailed design, consider using hotfix transfer paper. You can trace your design onto the paper to make the placement of the hot fix stones easier and more precise, then apply heat using a household iron to set them all at once.
• If your handheld hotfix tool didn't come with the size tip you need, or if a tip wears out, we have replacement tips available.

Color Cross Reference for Sequins and Swarovski Elements Rhinestones

Here are some tips: Combine sequins and rhinestones in your designs. For example, you can glue an 8mm Zodiac sequin to fabric, then glue a smaller flat back rhinestone centered on top of the sequin. The larger sequin creates more coverage and a sparkly base, and you still get that brilliant flash from the flat back—without the cost of a larger stone! Or, another great way to get more sparkle on a budget is to mix stones and sequins; this works with any pattern or design!

Use this page to cross reference sequin colors to Swarovski Elements rhinestone colors. Use rhinestones for the maximum impact, but add cost-effective sequins to "stretch" the sparkle in your costumes and projects. This guide provides combinations that are similar, coordinated matches. Sample cards are recommended for exact color matching.

 

Black Solid Metallic	Jet  Jet Hematite  Jetnut  Black Diamond
Silver Solid Metallic	Comet Argent Light  Crystal  Moonlight  Silver Shade  Black Diamond  Silver Night
Gold Solid Metallic	Aurum  Light Topaz  Sunflower  Tabac  Golden Shadow
Red Solid Metallic	Light Siam  Indian Siam  Siam  Red Magma  Fire Opal  Light Siam AB  Siam AB
Royal Blue Solid Metallic	Capri Blue  Sapphire  Cobalt Blue  Dark Indigo  Bermuda Blue
Green Solid Metallic	Emerald  Erinite  Sahara  Green Turmaline  Fern Green  Emerald AB
Gunmetal Solid Metallic	Black Diamond  Jet Hematite  Silver Shade  Silver Night  Comet Argent Light
Fuchsia Solid Metallic	Fuchsia  Ruby  Volcano  Vitrail Medium  Astral Pink (20ss)  Fuchsia AB
Chartreuse  Solid Metallic	Light Topaz  Citrine  Vitrail Medium  Citrine AB
Lime Green  Solid Metallic	Peridot  Erinite  Chrysolite  Sahara  Vitrail Medium
Aqua  Solid Metallic	Aquamarine  Blue Zircon  Pacific Opal   Blue Zircon AB  Aquamarine AB
Teal  Solid Metallic	Blue Zircon  Aquamarine  Bermuda Blue  Blue Zircon AB
Turquoise  Solid Metallic	Blue Zircon  Bermuda Blue  Blue Zircon AB
Forest Green  Solid Metallic	Green Turmaline  Emerald  Erinite  Vitrail Medium  Pacific Opal  Emerald AB  Olivine AB
Sky Blue  Solid Metallic	Light Sapphire  Aquamarine  Light Sapphire AB
Dior Blue  Solid Metallic	Light Sapphire  Montana  Aquamarine  Aquamarine AB  Light Sapphire AB
Navy  Solid Metallic	Montana  Metallic Blue  Cobalt Blue  Dark Indigo  Light Sapphire
Pink  Solid Metallic	Light Rose  Rose  Vitrail Light  Light Amethyst
Candy  Solid Metallic	Rose  Light Rose  Fuchsia  Fuchsia AB  Rose AB
Lilac  Solid Metallic	Vitrail Light  Light Amethyst  Amethyst  Light Amethyst AB
Purple  Solid Metallic	Purple Velvet  Volcano  Heliotrope  Fuchsia  Fuchsia AB  Vitrail Light
Wine  Solid Metallic	Amethyst  Fuchsia  Ruby  Red Magma  Amethyst AB
Plum  Solid Metallic	Purple Velvet  Amethyst   Heliotrope   Tanzanite  Volcano
Golden Orange  Solid Metallic	Sun  Hyacinth  Padparadascha  Fire Opal  Sun AB  Hyacinth AB  Copper
Copper  Solid Metallic	Copper  Topaz  Sun  Sunflower  Light Colorado Topaz  Golden Shadow
Bronze  Solid Metallic	Smoke Topaz  Mocca  Dorado  Golden Shadow
Silver  Zodiac	Crystal AB  Moonlight  Crystal  Comet Argent Light
Royal Blue  Zodiac NO LONGER AVAILABLE	Capri Blue AB  Cobalt Blue  Bermuda Blue  Capri Blue
Orange  Zodiac	Hyacinth AB  Hyacinth  Sun  Copper   Sun AB
Red  Zodiac	Light Siam AB  Light Siam  Siam  Red Magma  Fire Opal  Siam AB
Green  Zodiac NO LONGER AVAILABLE	Emerald AB  Emerald  Green Turmaline  Fern Green  Vitrail Medium  Erinite
Fucshia  Zodiac	Fuchsia AB  Fucshia  Ruby  Volcano
Light Rose  Zodiac	Light Rose AB  Light Rose  Rose  Vintage Rose
Gold  Zodiac	Light Colorado Topaz AB  Light Colorado Topaz  Sunflower  Metallic Light Gold  Aurum  Dorado  Golden Shadow
Chartreuse  Zodiac	Citrine AB  Light Topaz AB  Citrine  Light Topaz
Hot Pink  Zodiac	Rose AB  Rose  Hyacinth AB  Ruby
Galaxy  Zodiac	Jet Hematite  Black Diamond  Comet Argent Light  Silver Night  Jet
Peacock  Zodiac	Blue Zircon AB  Blue Zircon  Bermuda Blue
Violet  Zodiac	Heliotrope  Purple Velvet  Tanzanite  Vitrail Light  Volcano
Marigold  Zodiac	Light Topaz AB  Topaz  Citrine  Light Topaz  Topaz AB  Citrine  Sun AB  Citrine AB
Sea Green  Zodiac	Peridot AB  Peridot  Erinite  Sahara  Green Turmaline  Fern Green
Silver  Lazersheen	Silver Shade  Black Diamond  Comet Argent Light  Crystal  Crystal AB  Moonlight
Gold  Lazersheen	Golden Shadow  Light Topaz AB  Light Topaz  Dorado  Metallic Light Gold  Aurum  Jonquil AB

 

 

 

 

How to Determine Your Ring Size 

 

RING SIZE ADJUSTERS:

International Ring Size Convertor: Click on the following link link to directed to an Online International Ring Size Conversion calculator. The calculator is hosted on another website but we found this ring size converter to be very helpful. http://www.onlineconversion.com/ring_size.htm Don't forget to come back to our website after you have determined your U.S. ring size!!

 

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