Rhinestones are nearly a girl’s best friend. They actually imitate the look and feel of real diamonds, except that they can be made from acrylic, rock crystal, or glass. Yes, they were originally gathered from Europe’s River Rhine, but they became commercially produced when, in 1775, jeweler George Strass discovered that coating the lower side of a glass actually with a metal finish actually makes it imitate a diamond’s properties.
It was in 1955 that rhinestones were coated with “Aurora Borealis” so they reproduce a diamond’s iridescence. Rhinestones these days are produced in Austria, primarily by Swarovski, and the Czech Republic, primarily by Preciosa. Acrylic rhinestones, on the other hand, are produced in many other countries.
Swarovski actually makes a lot of things besides crystal rhinestones and beads. The company was founded in 1892 by Daniel Swarovski. At the time, he had invented an automatic rhinestone cutting machine and opened up a factory in Austria. Swarovski’s rhinestones are considered the best in the world. According to some observers, Swarovski rhinestones have an unmatchable brilliance and “dazzle quality”. Many players in the fashion industry consider it to be the best of it’s the kind in rhinestone parlance.
It is a known fact that Swarovski manufactures its own unique set of glass, which other manufacturers cannot duplicate. Swarovski does this by using a special compound made of natural materials, which gives their stones an incredible brilliance. Information from Wikipedia indicates that Swarovski crystals contain around 32% lead to maximize refraction.”
Since they are machine-cut, Swarovski rhinestones are perfectly uniform and their glass is free from any bubbles. If you magnify Swarovski crystal beads, you will notice that their facet junctions are pointing up. This is the clear distinguishing mark between a hand-cut crystal and a machine-cut crystal. In machine-cut crystals, facet junctures always meet at precise points. Hand-cut crystals, on the other hand, have facet junctures that vary greatly. Swarovski produces many kinds of rhinestones and beads in many colors, with styles and colors that go in and out of production. Swarovski rhinestones are, in general, more expensive.
Rhinestones gained much popularity during the Art Nouveau Movement (1890-1910). This art movement was relatively flamboyant – it was free from all the somberness of the Victorian era. It was during this time that jewelry was created to reflect life.
In 1940s, Nudie Cohn made the first Nudie suit, which was studded in rhinestones. It was, by all accounts, the Americanized version of the matador’s popular suit. The most popular reference to the rhinestone was the 1975 hit Rhinestone Cowboy by Glen Campbell. Rhinestones have also been associated with Elvis Presley and Liberace. These days, Custom-made rhinestone jewelry and other items by Swarovski are still in high demand. Celebrities and other fashion-conscious women love them. You can find rhinestones on being used to add glitter to high end mobile phones, mp3 players and even on glam iPods. It shows that due to their price and beauty, they are being used primarily to add glitter to fashion jewelry, clothes, and costumes. GP
