Everything You Wanted to Know about Rhinestones
What is a Rhinestone?
The word [rhinestone] means "stone of the rhine", because the crystal stones are associated with the rhine region where they were originally created. [Rhinestones] are a term used for lead crystal which has been precision-cut to resemble a jewel. Today, [rhinestones] are used extensively in fashion to make jewelry, apparel and accessories.
The story of rhinestones began in Austria in the 1890's when Daniel Swarovski invented a machine for cutting crystal with a precision and speed that far surpassed the hand-cutting of local artisans like his father. It took 9 years to invent the machine, but when he filed the patent, it began a new era in crystals.
What is Swarovski?
Swarovski is the name of the company founded by Daniel Swarovski that still produces the highest quality rhinestone products in the world. The [rhinestones] produced by the company have a higher lead content and more precise cutting to produce a stone that reflects light at precise angles to produce the greatest reflection. Swarovski crystals are often referred to as Austrian crystals.
Swarovski continues to innovate new processes for improving the brilliance of its rhinestones. In 2004 the company introduced the Xilion cut rhinestone, with 14 alternating facets of different sizes that produce perfect refraction and intense light distribution throughout the crystal. Only Swarovski rhinestones have this patented cut, the difference in brilliance is clearly visible to the naked eye.
What Other types of [Rhinestones] are there?
Czech, Korean and Acrylic crystals are the most common alternatives. Czech Machine Cut stones are not much less expensive than Swarovski and are not yet available in a 14 facet cut, so why would you bother with them? The Korean and Acrylic stones are much less expensive than Swarovski, but you get what you pay for. Lesser quality stones are inconsistent in their cut, so they vary greatly in terms of the brilliance of the shine. Some of these stones are made from cut glass, not crystal lead, so they offer very low light transmission.
Please visit broke2.com for examples of how these stones are used.
By Broke2.com
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