Posts Tagged ‘rhinestone top’
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.
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.
All That Glitters – Rhinestone Jewelry
It is said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. But quality rhinestone jewelry is far more affordable. But what do you know about rhinestones? The name rhinestone originated from pieces of crystal or glass found in Austria’s Rhine River. However, actual rhinestones, like those found in rhinestone jewelry, have been around for centuries and were originally cut and finished by hand.
In the 1700’s, a French jeweler developed a technique for applying lead to the back of glass. This process greatly enhanced the brilliance and sparkle of the glass. In the 1800’s, Swarovski created a glass cutting machine which cut faceted glass that had dazzle and brilliance far superior to hand cut crystal. This became known as “Swarovski Rhinestones”. Swarovski’s invention allowed for a speedy mass production while still producing a magnificent finished stone. Today this process is still being used worldwide, not only by Swarovski but by companies other quality rhinestone manufacturers. While there may be some quality differences, many companies have successfully mimicked the Swarovski technique.