How to Care For and Clean Rhinestone Jewelry
Rhinestone jewelry is costume jewelry made of base metal, a simple alloy. Most costume jewelry does not contain nickel. Better quality rhinestone costume jewelry uses brass as a base metal. The coatings used vary, but seldom contain real silver or gold. Unlike real silver and gold jewelry, with rhinestone costume jewelry, the silver-tone or gold-tone finish will oxidize and wear off over time. Before we discuss actual cleaning, let’s talk a little about how a piece of rhinestone jewelry is put together. Rhinestones can be set into jewelry in two ways – castings or prong settings:
With castings, a mold is made of base metal and rhinestones are glued into place. This is the least expensive method of producing rhinestone jewelry, and usually uses the lowest quality products.
With prong settings, rhinestones are set in individual cups. point side down, and secured with 4 prongs, one in each corner. Each cup is connected to the next by a double “T” connector forming a chain. The quality of this product is dependant upon the quality of the metal used. The “softer” the metal, the weaker the setting and the more likely the stone will fall out. This chain is formed into the desired design and soldered into place. The smoothness of the soldering is also an indication of the quality of the product.