| Rhinestone |
Articles about Rhinestone |
Information AboutRhinestone |
|
A rhinestone or '''paste''' is a Diamond Simulant made from Rock Crystal , Glass or Acrylic . Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from the river Rhine , but their availability was greatly increased when the Alsatian Jeweller George Frederic Strass had the idea to coat the lower side of glass with metal powder around 1775 , imitating diamonds. Hence, rhinestones are called ''Strass'' in the German Language . In 1955 , the "Aurora Borealis" or "Aqua Aura", a a thin, vacuum-sputtered metallic coating applied to crystal stones to produce an Iridescent effect, was introduced. Today, crystal rhinestones are primarily used on Costumes , apparel and Jewelry . They are produced mainly in Austria and the Czech Republic , while acrylic rhinestones are manufactured in several countries. Heavy use of rhinestones is often associated with Country Music Singer s, as well as with Elvis Presley and Liberace . The rhinestone-studded Nudie Suit was invented by Nudie Cohn in the 1940s, an Americanization of the Matador 's "suit of lights". See Rhinestone Cowboy . EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|