How Are Rhinestones Manufactured?
From glitzing up an evening dress to adding sparkle to a watch or purse to dressing up your cell phone cover, it's not hard to find a use for rhinestones, or crystals commonly used as a much cheaper alternative to diamonds. Rhinestones received their name from their primary origin: Austria's Rhine river. In modern days, rhinestones are made from various materials and manufactured various ways.
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The First Rhinestones
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In the 1700s, French jeweler George Frederic Stras began applying lead on Rhine river crystals in order to create more brilliance and sparkle in the stone, thus a better imitation of expensive diamonds. Stras became famous for his "rhinestones," and the making of lead crystal stones became highly popular.
Mass Production
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It was Daniel Swarovski, however, who created the surge in rhinestone-making, by creating a machine that could cut facets into the crystal that would create a dazzling sparkle. Swarovski's invention allowed rhinestones to be mass-produced, while still retaining the brilliance and sparkle for which he became famous.
Rhinestones Today
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Rhinestones can be made from genuine crystal or an acrylic imitation.
crystal brooch image by Antonio Oquias from Fotolia.com
Using Swarovski's breakthrough technology of machine-cutting Austrian glass, many other companies have since formed their own glass-cutting machines to quickly manufacture large quantities of rhinestones. However, due to Daniel Swarovski's role in mass-producing the stones, rhinestones are often referred to as "Swarovski crystals" to reflect the manufacturing method, regardless of whether the Swarovski brand actually created the stone.
Manufacturing Hot Spots
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True to its origin, genuine crystal rhinestones are most commonly produced in Austria, thus making "Austrian crystal" a household phrase. As rhinestones have gained popularity and usefulness, other countries have taken part in the production of rhinestones. The Czech Republic is the world's second-largest producer of rhinestones, with countries like China mass-producing imitation crystal.
Imitation Rhinestones
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As rhinestones have become popular adornments on dresses, costumes, and even electronics, the manufacturing of non-crystal rhinestones has become more common. Acrylic rhinestones can be easily fastened onto textiles and other surfaces. Acrylic rhinestones, in contrast with genuine crystal, are produced in molds, rather than machine-cut.
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References
- Photo Credit crystal image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com crystal brooch image by Antonio Oquias from Fotolia.com
