All That Glitters – Rhinestone Jewelry – Part V
Finally, we come to the rest of the major rhinestone categories. These rhinestones are most commonly used in low end rhinestone jewelry and heat tranfers (that’s how they put elaborate rhinestone designs on shirts, purses, etc). These are the rhinestones most commonly seen on children’s costumes and rhinestone jewelry.
Korean Rhinestones are considered by most to be far inferior to anything produced in Europe at this time. Korean rhinestones are single-cut, which means the backs must be cut, and they are cast, not molded. Korean rhinestones have poor light reflection qualities and are used in low-end heat-transfer work. You can really tell the difference with this rhinestone both up close and from a distance. For the most part, Korean rhinestones simply look like colored glass and do not have the color quality and brilliance of either the Swarovski or Czech rhinestones and the color selection is quite limited.
Acrylic or plastic rhinestones are not rhinestones at all but are merely pieces of plastic shaped to look like rhinestones. These faux rhinestones do not sparkle like real rhinestones because acrylic does not transmit light as does glass or lead crystal. They are best used for children’s wear and stage costumes.