** PLEASE READ THROUGH THE COMPLETE TUTORIAL BEFORE STARTING **

What you will need:

1. Swarovski flatback rhinestones NON-HOTFIX: size ss12 (3.2mm), ss16 (4mm) or ss9 (2.6mm) for this tutorial I have used ss12 as the main crystal size and ss16 and ss9 to fill odd sized gaps. View Swarovski flatbacks

2. Jewel setter: This is a plastic wand with a wax bud one side and pointed end the other, it makes picking up rhinestones very simple. View Jewel setter

3. e6000 adhesive: This is an industrial strength craft adhesive that’s very strong, flexible, waterproof and clear in colour. It should be used in a well ventilated area with a mask for protection from the harmful fumes. View e6000 glue

4. Piece of cotton cloth / hanky: Cotton is ideal because it doesn’t leave fibres behind when you wipe a surface.

5. Orange stick: Small wooden stick used for pushing back cuticles.

6. High heel shoes: To add the crystals to.

For this tutorial I have used Jet rhinestones but you can use clear crystal, AB or any other colour to suite the shoe. The main size crystal used is ss12 along with a few ss9 and ss16 to fill in odd sized gaps.

Preparation and advice:

1. First clean the heel by gently wiping with a cloth to remove any surface grease, alcohol wipes can be used to remove any grease but care needs to be taken to test on a small area of the heel first as alcohol can discolour the leather (If you do use alcohol use it sparingly blot the heel only and make sure it isn’t absorbed into the shoe leather).

2. Empty some rhinestones onto a clean, dry flat surface and turn the crystals so that they are all faceted side facing up.

3. The jewel setter we use in this tutorial is a plastic wand with a sticky wax bud tip, to pick up a rhinestone, gently touch the faceted face of the crystal and it will stick to the wax bud, then gently touch the rhinestone onto the adhesive and the bond with the glue should be strong enough to release the crystal from the wax bud. If you find you have press too hard the crystal will get embedded in the wax bud and need assistance to come loose, so just use the orange stick to gently release the crystal.  Please Note * The wax sometimes leaves small amounts of wax on the rhinestone crystal, leave until the adhesive is dry then it wipes off.

4. When it comes to applying adhesive use a small mount of e6000 and spread it out in a line with enough glue for a few crystals, if you use too much it will dry before the crystals are placed into position, also if the adhesive is too thick it will cover the face of the crystal.

5a. After a crystal has been placed onto the adhesive use the orange stick to make any final adjustments to its position and then gently press down on the crystal to ensure a firm bond.

5b. If you press down first and then adjust the position, it will result in a build up of adhesive on one side of the crystal, if this does happen just remove and clean the crystal, level the adhesive and start again.

5c. It now time to workout how the crystals fit as each row of crystals will start from the bottom of the heel and work up we need to see how the crystals sit when going around the heel base. To do this you can either measure the outside diameter of the heel base (just above the heel tip) or temporarily stick the rhinestones to the heel. You can do this by using sticky tape used the wrong way around, smooth side against the heel and sticky side facing out.

On the heel in the tutorial the ss12 rhinestones fit perfectly around the heel, if they don’t you can replace one of the crystals with a larger or smaller size crystal to see if it fits. If the gap is too small for one of the crystals you have but large enough to be noticed, then you have an option of either replacing more than one crystal until the gap is filled up or space the crystals out. Keep a note of your results as this stage is important to ensure a good fit later on as you will need to know how many rows will fit at the base and in what size order the crystals go. For this tutorial its all ss12 along the bottom row, but for your heel it could be i.e. 5 x ss12, 2 x ss16, 5 x ss12 etc.

Getting Started:

1. Using the back of a jewel setter take a small amount of e6000 adhesive and spread it out in the bottom corner of the heel, with enough adhesive for a few crystals.

2. Using the clean jewel setter pick up the crystal with the wax bud tip and again gently place onto the adhesive in the bottom corner of the heel (just above the heel tip).

3. Continue adding crystals in a line following the edge of the heel. (Be careful not to get any adhesive on the inside of the heel that isn’t being crystallized)

4. When you get to the top edge if an ss12 crystal (or the main size crystal you are using) doesn’t fit then choose a different size crystal.

5. Now you are ready to start the second row, this is where you need to refer to the measurement you made at the start to make sure you use the correct size crystal. Repeat step 1. Add some adhesive then the crystals etc. It’s possible to create a tighter crystal pattern by staggering the crystals as seen above but that will impact the space taken up by crystals, so you may need to measure again to ensure that the crystals fit nicely if you decide to use this technique.

6. Continue adding crystals row after row until you reach the middle point of the back of the heel where you have 50% of the heel base covered.

7. After reaching the middle point of the heel, start adding crystals from the other edge of the heel, complete the row and work inwards adding rows to close the gap. (This is why it was important to measure the heel at the start as we are working backwards and filling in the gap which could result in the crystal size you currently have not fitting the gap which is why it was important to measure first). If you have reached this stage without measuring and you are unable to fill the last row with the crystal size you have, you will need to get a smaller size crystal.

8. Continue completing the rows (referring to your earlier measurements for crystal size for each row and don’t forget you are working backwards).  By aligning the crystals in rows to the edge of the heel we have effectively created a V gap which will now need to be filled. To do this start from the bottom and work your way up again in rows, one row for the left then one for the right until the gap is closed. This is where the larger and smaller crystals come useful.

9. As you can see above the heel is covered with rows of crystals, an equal number of rows on the left to the right, to achieve this odd size crystals are used to fill any gaps.

10. One completed Swarovski crystal heel, time taken approximately 2-3 hours per heel.

Closeup image of the heel.

Author : Crystal and Glass Beads

Other useful posts: How to make Swarovski Crystal Converse

Unlike other gemstones diamonds are formed in the earths mantle a semi-molten layer between the earths outer core and crust that’s subject to extreme heat and pressure. At depths of over 100 miles below the earth’s surface the simple carbon containing minerals were transformed into diamonds by the heat and pressure of their surroundings. All of this happened between 1 billion to 3.3 billion years ago when the earth was much hotter than it is today. We can’t mine down far enough to reach the earth’s mantle but fortunately volcanic eruptions have done the job for us. The last of these magma volcanic eruptions occurred over 20 million years ago which brought up diamonds close enough to the surface so that they could be mined.

Real Diamonds
Diamonds are naturally occurring gems that are composed of carbon atoms arranged in a particular structure. They are extremely hard and until recently were regarded as the worlds hardest natural material with a rating of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. Although diamonds are extremely expensive their price is very much governed by what’s known as the four Cs, carat, cut, colour, and clarity. It’s very rare to find a diamond that doesn’t contain flaws which is why such diamonds demand a high price the same can be said for colour. Most diamonds along with having small amounts of defects or impurities will have a tinge of yellow or brown which is why truly colourless diamonds are so rare.
Diamonds have a high refractive index of 2.417 and a dispersion of 0.044 which means that when light passes from air to a diamond which has a different density to air the speed of light slows down and bends the light due to the angle of refraction. The different colours that make up a white light slow at different speeds and are split up or separate once they enter the diamond. This separation of the colour spectrum is called dispersion and as light leaves the diamond material and enters the air the angle of refraction again bends and the dispersion, which is the separation of white light into different colours (which the light already contains) increases and gives us a colour spectrum. A Diamond is also an excellent thermal conductor which means it doesn’t conduct heat so if you touch a diamond to your lips it will always feel cold. Diamonds have a specific gravity of between 3.5 – 3.53 which is the density of the material in comparison to the same amount of water and is useful for gem identification by gem buyers and gemologists.

Cultured Diamond
Cultured diamonds or synthetic diamonds as they are sometimes called have been in production since the mid 1950’s although the technology could only produce small diamonds. Over the past few years the technology has rapidly advanced and now two companies are able to produce diamonds that are identical in hardness, dispersion, gravity, refraction and chemical composition to the highest quality mined diamonds available. Where as a one-carat top quality diamond would cost thousands of pounds to buy, the same quality man made diamond could be made for less than £5. This will obviously have a huge impact on the diamond industry over the next few years as when comparing a cultured and mined diamond side by side they are virtually undistinguishable, however they can be differentiated by spectroscopy, infrared, ultraviolet, or X-ray wavelengths. Cultured diamonds can be grown from a single crystal by using a technique called chemical vapor deposition. The technique works by placing cultured crystal seeds in a chamber where hydrogen and methane gases are passed through. The chamber is subject to high heat and pressure which causes hydrogen and methane deposits to collect on the diamond crystals steadily growing them in the process.

Cubic Zirconia
Cubic Zirconia is currently the most popular substitute to a diamond because to the untrained eye they look identical. Cubic Zirconia or CZ as it is referred to is made from zirconium dioxide a different material than diamonds, which although a different chemical composition comes closer than any other gem to matching the characteristics of a diamond. Natural CZ was first discovered in 1899 but it wasn’t until the late 70’s that man made CZ first came into production for use in jewellery. CZ on first impression looks just like a diamond but under close inspection there are differences, it has a gravity of between 5.6 and 6.0 which means it’s 1.6 times the weight of a diamond. It has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, a refraction index of 2.176 and a dispersive power of 0.060, which means that it’s not as hard as a diamond, it’s slightly less sparkly but displays more prismatic fire which means more colour sparkles within the gem. Another point to note is that natural diamonds display impurities which CZ doesn’t its also clear in colour which most diamonds aren’t, but they can be coloured by adding metal oxides in the production process. Unlike diamonds CZ are good thermal insulators which mean they become warm but can’t withstand the same kind of heat a diamond can, which is one test that is used to distinguish diamonds from CZ. Caring for CZ is important because they are more brittle than diamonds and susceptible to wear and tear such as chipping and scratches over time.

Moissanite
Moissanite is another diamond substitute which is a rare mineral that can be found naturally in small quantities although jewellery Moissanite is artificially made. It’s made from Silicon Carbide which means it’s able to withstand high temperatures and is very hard with a Mohs scale reading of 9.25. There is currently only one manufacturer of Moissanite gemstones, Charles & Colvard who have a patent that will expire in 2015. Once the patent expires it will likely become more readily available at a cheaper price when competitors can also manufacture the gemstone. Moissanite is slightly lighter than a diamond with a gravity of 3.21 which isn’t that noticeable but it has a refraction index of 2.65-2.69 and a dispersion of 0.104. This means that Moissanite is noticeably much sparklier and displays more prismatic fire than a diamond which is noticeable even to an untrained observer. Moissanite does have inclusions like a diamond and it may also have a greenish tinge to its colour.

Swarovski Crystal
Swarovski Crystal isn’t a gemstone or even a crystal it’s a form of glass that’s made at high temperatures by melting silicon oxide powders with lead to form what is known as lead crystal. The exact process is one that’s patented by Swarovski but it has approximately 32% lead content to increase the crystals refraction index to resemble that of a diamond. To produce a diamond like effect the crystal glass is precision cut and then polished again by a Swarovski patented process that gives the crystal a high quality finish. The crystals are often further enhanced by coating the glass with an Aurora Borealis or AB coating that gives the surface a rainbow like appearance to simulate dispersion from a diamond. Swarovski crystal has a Mohs hardness of between 6-7 so its susceptible to scratches and chipping from wear and tear but at the same time it’s harder than standard glass. The lead content in the crystal increases the refraction index of the glass from 1.5 to 1.7 to give the faceted faced a more sparkly appearance.

Whichever gem or crystal you decide to use for your jewellery designs you can be sure that any of the above will provide the beautiful sparkle they are all intended for. For most the choice will come down to cost Swarovski is undoubtedly the most cost effective diamond alternative. It’s a brand that’s synonymous with quality and elegance which is why it’s used by so many of the top fashion houses around the world both in their designs and in conjunction with promoting their own brand. Cubic Zirconia on the other hand doesn’t have the brand name of Swarovski, costs slightly more but can offer a more hard-wearing solution for adding a diamond substitute to your jewellery designs. It’s worth noting that Swarovski make a CZ range which is worth looking into as you get the brand coupled with a high quality gemstone without the stigma of a CZ fake diamond. As we see more cultured Diamonds enter the market and become more readily available it’s likely that we will see a price drop in the genuine article. Or maybe people will become perfectly happy to accept a man made version in its place because after all it’s appearance that’s important when you are looking for an engagement ring not the rings history.

Author: Crystal and Glass Beads

Flat back Swarovski crystals are perfect for adding to a wide range of materials to adding some sparkle. They are made from lead glass and have a multi faceted face with a flat back on the reverse of the crystal that is available as foiled or un-foiled. The most popular style is the 2058 Swarovski Xilion Rose Enhanced which has 14 facets to provide the ultimate in dazzle. Rhinestones can be added to almost any surface, providing the correct adhesive is used to provide a suitable bond between the crystal and material. For some projects it may be necessary or appropriate to use more than one kind of adhesive if there are a variety of materials involved.

Preparation

i. If a materials surface is smooth such as rubber or plastic, lightly rubbing the surface with a fine emery cloth or sand paper will provide a better bonding surface.

ii. Pre wash any new fabric prior to adding adhesive to remove any sizing.

iii. A materials surface should be dry, clean and free of any dust, grease or oil before any adhesive is applied.

How to pickup Swarovski Crystals

i. Orange stick – For very small crystals ss5 – ss7 (used for nail art) an orange stick is the easiest tool to use, just wet the tip and the crystals will stick to it.

ii. Jewel Setter – A jewel setter is a plastic wand with a sticky wax bud on the end, gently touch the crystal and it will stick to the bud, the crystal can then be dabbed with glue and placed into position, or just placed onto a glue surface. The bud may leave wax residue on the crystals, which can be easily wiped off once the adhesive is dry.

iii. Precision tip tweezers – Larger crystal can be picked up with fine tipped tweezers.

Choosing the right adhesive for Swarovski Crystals

Swarovski recommend a range of adhesives for applying crystals to most materials as can be seen below.

The Most Popular adhesives for Swarovski crystal rhinestones

There are a range of adhesives that are widely used by the craft and jewellery making communities that are outlined below. Some of these adhesives give off very strong fumes so care needs to be taken whilst using them.

Gem Tac Glue
Gem Tac Glue is manufactured by Beacon Adhesives it’s a permanent non-toxic water based glue, that is washable after 24 hours. It’s an extremely popular adhesive for adding crystals to fabric (dance costumes, t-shirts, jeans etc…) because it’s both strong easy to use and most importantly non-toxic so it’s safe to use in a confined space. Gemtac is clear and flexible when dry so provides a good bond for many surfaces as the glue wont crack if subjected to stress.
Gemtac can be used to embellish: Mobile phones, greetings cards, clothing, shoes, leather goods, wood, suede and glass.

E6000
E6000 adhesive is an industrial strength adhesive that is very popular with many craft enthusiasts because it sticks to just about anything and is very strong when dry. It takes about 24 hours to fully cure and is workable for 5 to 15 minutes when using (depending on air temperature), it dries to form a clear flexible rubber that like Gemtac can act as a shock absorber for the crystal if dropped. The downside of this adhesive is the fumes are very strong and contain a carcinogenic substance, so a mask needs to be worn when using. E6000 is 1 part epoxy glue so is ready to use straight out of the tube and doesn’t require any mixing.
E6000 can be used to embellish: Mobile phones, flip flops and other footwear, it’s perfect for attaching crystals to any surface made from fabric, wood, glass or metal.

GS Hypo Cement
GS Hypo Cement comes in a tube with a very fine applicator nozzle like a needle for very fine precision application. It’s widely used for jewellery repairs and watch making because it allows parts to be positioned before drying. It generally becomes tacky in 10-15 seconds but takes 10-15 minutes to dry and is fully cured in an hour. The adhesive dries water clear and is recommended for non porous surfaces it’s also a medium strength cement that won’t bond fingers.
GS Hypo Cement can be used to embellish: Jewelry, plastic, glass, metal, ceramics, painted or sealed woods and other non-porous surfaces.

(There is also a GS Hypo Fabric Cement available that bonds crystals to fabric, textiles, leather, plastic, paper, arts and crafts, glass, metal, yarn and suede.)

Beacon 527
Beacon 527 is a fast drying super strong crystal clear adhesive that’s flexible and waterproof once dry. It’s an industrial strength glue like e6000 with very strong fumes so will need to be used in a well ventilated area. Beacon 527 takes approximately 2 hours to dry and 24 hours to fully cure. The tube has a fine tip and the adhesive consistency is less viscous than e6000 which can make precision application easier.
Beacon 527 can be used to embellish: Metal, Glass, Wood, Leather, Cardboard, Paper, Cork, Ceramics, China, Tile and shells.

Author: Crystal and Glass Beads

Other posts that may be of interest

Realated Posts:
How to make Swarovski Converse – A guide on how to apply crystals

How to crystallize heels – A guide on how to apply crystals to shoe heels

What are Swarovski Hot Fix Crystals

Swarovski hotfix crystals or hot fix rhinestones as they are sometimes called are loose crystal components with a multi faceted face one side and a flat surface coated with a heat sensitive glue on the other. The faceted face is made from lead crystal glass that has been machine cut and the polished to produce a high quality finish. Hotfix glue will take approximately 20 seconds to heat and bond with a surface, but to fully harden will take 24 hours. Once the adhesive is set it is machine washable but not recommended for dry cleaning as some of the chemicals used can denature the glue, which may cause it to discolour and become brittle or dissolve.

Swarovski Hotfix Crystal Structure

1. Crystal: Lead Glass Crystal

2. M-Foiling: Specially developed reflective coating to enhance the crystals brilliance and provide a strong bond with the primer.

3. Primer: The coloured primes strengthens the bond between the foil and the hot-fix glue.

4. Hotfix glue: A transparent glue especially developed by Swarovski to provide a strong bond with various materials.

What Materials Can You Apply Hotfix Crystals To

To provide a successful strong bond a material needs to be able to absorb the adhesive when it’s melted. Materials such as Paper, Card, Wool-Trevira, Cotton, Linen, Wool, Viscose, Tulle, Denim, Lycra, Cotton Jersey, Silk, Synthetics (polyester etc), Technical Fabrics and Artificial Fur are all suitable to apply hot fix crystals to. Less absorbent materials such as glass, plastic, smooth leather and fabrics with a waxy surface wouldn’t be suitable for absorbing the hotfix glue.

A simple test to find out if a material is absorbent would be the water drop test; if the water runs of the surface and isn’t absorbed into the material  it will be unsuitable for use with hot fix crystals. If the material in question contains a large quantity of softening agent it may need to be washed before applying any crystals.

How to apply hotfix crystals with an applicator

Preparation

i. You will need a firm surface to work on such as a table top or work surface; ironing boards aren’t suitable as they don’t provide enough support.

ii. If adding crystals to fabric make sure that the materials surface is flat, iron if necessary.

iii. When adding crystals to sheer fabric its best to place a piece of card or a Teflon sheet between the layers to prevent the glue from seeping through and bonding any fabric layers together.

iv. You will also need a pair of fine tipped tweezers.

v. If it’s your first time using a hotfix applicator its a good idea to first test on a piece of card or scrap material.

1. Choose the correct size applicator tip for the rhinestone size you will be working with, the sizes are etched into the side of a tip. If you are unsure as to the size required place the tip over the rhinestone, the correct size tip will pick up the rhinestone.

2. The applicator tip fits on the end of the hotfix applicator, gently screw the correct size applicator tip into place.

SAFETY: Make sure the hotfix applicator is unplugged and if you are removing a tip it has already had plenty of time to cool down.

3. Turn on the hotfix applicator,  Kandi Professional hotfix applicator has an on/off switch at the rear. Other applicator wands will only need plugging in as there is no on/off switch. (Kandi’s hotfix applicator will take approximately 2-3 minutes to reach working temperature) Lay the applicator on the work surface with the tip pointing away from your working area so that you do not burn your hand as it heats.

4. Place your hotfix crystals onto a clean flat, solid surface. (placing them onto a piece of white card can be helpful if you are working on a dark surface)

5. Turn all the crystals so that they are facing faceted side up.

Applying the crystals

6. Once the tip has heated your ready to start creating the design, gently place the tip over a rhinestone to pick it up, but don’t press hard or the crystal may stick to the surface.

7. Once selected the hotfix crystal will sit perfectly within the tip.

8. Watch the crystal it will start to look wet and shiny and may bubble when the glue melts, this is important to ensure that the adhesive is given the correct timing. Small crystals will take less time for the glue to melt than larger ones, an ss12 will only take around 8 seconds where as an ss16, 4mm crystal will take approximately 10 – 12 seconds. Allowing the adhesive to melt before placing the crystal onto the fabric will also help to prevent burning from prolonged heat of the tip coming into contact with the fabric.

9. Once the glue melts the crystal is ready to apply to the fabric. Lightly press the crystal onto the fabric holding the wand at 90° to the surface to ensure that the crystal bonds correctly. It’s a good idea to support the fabric so that it doesn’t lift when you pull the hotfix applicator away, if the crystal gets stuck in the tip use the tip of a pair of tweezers and push downwards through the slit in the tip to free the crystal.

10. When the crystal comes out of the tip the adhesive is very hot, so give the crystal a few seconds to cool then gently pull on the crystal to see if the glue has bonded to the surface correctly. If the crystal is still loose place the tip over the crystal for a few seconds to melt the glue and then test again once the adhesive has cooled to ensure that the crystal is firmly bonded to the fabric..

11. Complete the process of adding crystals and testing until your design is complete. It will take 24 hours before the adhesive is fully set the crystallized fabric should not be washed within this time.

Author: Crystal and Glass Beads

What you will need:

1. Swarovski flatback rhinestones NON-HOTFIX: size ss12 (3.2mm), ss16 (4mm) or ss20 (5mm) for this tutorial I have used ss16 rhinestones on a size 12 child’s converse trainer. View Swarovski rhinestones

2. Jewel setter: This is a plastic wand with a wax bud one side and pointed end the other, it makes picking up rhinestones very simple. View Jewel setter

3. Sand Paper / Emery board: You will either require a small piece of fine sandpaper or an emery board.

4. e6000 adhesive: This is an industrial strength craft adhesive that’s very strong, flexible, waterproof and clear in colour. It should be used in a well ventilated area with a mask for protection from the harmful fumes. View e6000 glue

5. Piece of cotton cloth / hanky: Cotton is ideal because it doesn’t leave fibres behind when you wipe a surface.

6. Orange stick: Small wooden stick used for pushing back cuticles.

7. Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol): Used for degreasing a surface by removing any traces of oil and grease and dries very quickly.

8. Converse boots / trainers / shoes: To add the crystals to.

Preparation:

1. Place the Swarovski crystals on a surface faceted (shiny) face up. For the sake of this tutorial size 12 kids converse takes 100 crystals per foot (200 crystals in total)

2. Give the rubber toe surface a good rub with the sand paper / emery board to roughen it up. Once the surface has been prepared it will provide a much better platform for the adhesive to bond with.

3. i. Wipe the rubbery powder from the toe.
ii. With a Clean dust free part of the cotton cloth clean the surface of the toe with some alcohol to remove any grease, oil or dust. Because the fluid is alcohol it will dry very quickly and leave no residue.

Adding the crystals

1. Using the opposite end of the jewel setter apply enough adhesive to add half a row of rhinestones from the fabric to the tip of the toe. If you add too much adhesive it will dry before the crystals are added, so it’s better to add the adhesive in stages, especially if it’s your first time crystallizing footwear.

2. Gently touch the top of a rhinestone with the wax bud of the jewel setter to pick up a crystal (don’t press too hard or the crystal will get embedded in the wax). With the crystal selected place it in the corner point of the prepared / glued surface (again don’t press too hard)

3. With the orange stick press the crystal firmly into the adhesive and position the crystal to continue a row of crystals around the outer edge of the toe.

4. Continue this process add crystals to the adhesive with the jewel setter and then pressing them into the adhesive with the orange stick. (Add two or three crystals at a time, then position).

5. Once the crystals reach the top of the toe, add adhesive to the other half of the toe edge to complete the first row of crystals.

6. Its then a good idea to complete the crystals around the outer edge of the toe to give a clean edge to the design.

7. Continue adding rows of crystals until the surface is completely covered. NOTE: Having a few crystals of a smaller size is very useful to fill in any gaps where a larger crystal won’t fit. For this tutorial the gaps have been filled with ss12 rhinestones of which 4 in total were required.

8. Once the surface is completely covered, the crystals will likely look dull in appearance, this is because the jewel setter leaves traces of wax on the surface of the rhinestones, but don’t worry about this yet.

9. Repeat the process with the other Converse boot / shoe and once they are both complete leave them to dry for 15 – 30 minutes.

10. With the cotton cloth buff the crystals to remove any wax residue from the surface of the rhinestones, continue the process until the crystals are gleaming. This is also a good stage to ensure that the crystals are glued firmly in place, if any crystals do come loose, just use a small dab of adhesive and add a new rhinestone to fill the gap.

11. You should now have one completed pair of Swarovski Converse footwear, which will need to be left for 24 – 72 hours for the e6000 to fully cure before worn.

Author: Crystal and Glass Beads

Other useful posts: How to crystallize shoe heels

History of the rhinestone

Rhinestones which are also known as diamantes or paste date back as far as the thirteenth century where they were first made from Czechoslovakian or Bohemian hand blown glass. The term rhinestone came along later, when rock crystals were discovered in and around the shores of the river Rhine in Austria. These rock crystals could be cut and moulded to produce beautiful imitation diamonds and are what today’s rhinestone shape and look are based on. Unlike today’s rhinestones, rock crystals do not require any kind of backing to produce the sparkle they are so desired for. The crystals themselves have tiny imperfections within which bounce around the light to create their dazzling effect. Because of the popularity of these natural crystals resources soon became scarce so jewellers sought techniques to create artificial gemstones that duplicate the look of rhinestones.

In the later half of the 18th century French Jeweller Georg Friedrich Strass discovered that by coating the back of glass crystals with metal they would produce an effect much like rock crystals or diamonds. The first crystals had a metal foil glued to the backs of them, which was later substituted with a metal coating which gave a mirror like effect. The mirror backing forced a reflection back through the crystal and gave a dazzling sparkle like a diamond when in contact with light. These imitation gemstones became extremely popular which is why even today many people throughout Europe still refer to rhinestones as Strass.

The next step in the evolution of rhinestones came in the 19th century when Daniel Swarovski developed and patented a technique for precision glass cutting and polishing. With this new technology Swarovski were able to mass produce extremely high quality crystal glass rhinestones that have a much higher lead content than other rhinestones. This addition of lead increases the crystals refraction index which in turn enhances the crystals sparkle much more than conventional glass rhinestones. Swarovski also patented their Xilion Rose 2028 Cut in 2004 which comprises of a 14 facet design that was later revised in the beginning of 2011. Swarovski modified the 2028 in favour of the new 2058 which has a smaller table and higher profile which once again improved the sparkle of their product. Today Swarovski rhinestones are regarded as the finest in the world and as such are used by many of the world’s top fashion designers for accessorising their clothing lines.

Types of rhinestone

Swarovski produce three types of rhinestone:

1. Flat back rhinestones: These are available as foiled or un-foiled, the un-foiled are often used for setting into jewellery pieces where it’s desirable for the light to be able to pass through the crystal. The foil backed crystals are the most popular kind and can be applied to just about anything with a little adhesive and some imagination.

2. Hotfix rhinestones: Are just like the foil backed rhinestones with a ready applied adhesive backing, they can be applied with heat either from a hotfix applicator or an iron with the steam turned off.

3. Sew on rhinestones: These look much the same as flat back rhinestones but with a hole each side of the crystal. They can be stitched into footwear or clothing and are easier to remove than rhinestones which have been glued into place.

How are rhinestones measured?

Rhinestones are measured and sold by their ss size, below is a guide of the most popular sizes in both ss size and mm.

Click here for: Printable PDF to show exact rhinestone sizes

Rhinestone effects

The two most popular rhinestones colours are the clear crystal and crystal AB which Swarovski, Preciosa and other rhinestone manufacturers offer along with a wide range of colours and special effects. The crystal AB or Aurora Borealis coating gives the rhinestone a rainbow effect which is available in both clear crystal and a selection of colours. Where the AB colour is applied to a colour crystal the results can differ greatly, to achieve this effect a special metallic chemical coating is applied to the exterior of the crystals. AB crystals are often seen on dance costumes or costumes worn by professional skaters in competitions and can also work perfectly alongside clear crystal rhinestones on wedding dresses.

Sample of colours from Swarovski rhinestone colour chart

How to apply rhinestones

1. Flat back rhinestones: Depending on the surface there are a number of adhesives that can be used; for paper, fabrics, leather or vinyl Gemtac glue is perfect, its non toxic and dries very quickly to form a flexible surface that’s washable once dry. For something a little stronger you can try e6000 which is an industrial strength glue that’s perfect for flip flops, shoes, mobile phones and many other surfaces. It sticks to just about anything and also dries to form a flexible clear surface, but you have to be careful when using it as the fumes are toxic, so use in a well ventilated area and be careful not to inhale any.

Once you have decided on your adhesive it’s a good idea to prep the surface of any shiny material before adding the glue. You can do this by giving the surface a light rub down with emery paper which will lightly scratch the surface to provide a better bond for the glue. Give the surface a good clean with an alcohol wipe to remove any dust or grease and lay out the rhinestones faceted side up so that they are easy to pick up. Apply the adhesive to a small area and with a jewel setter or tweezers pick up the rhinestones and apply them into position. Useful step by step guide to applying crystals

2. Hotfix rhinestones: Need heat to melt the glue on the back of the crystals, so in the case of a t-shirt which is laid out flat they can all be placed into position with a jewel setter and then melt the glue by using an iron (turn off the steam, place a cloth/tea-towel or something similar over the crystals and press the iron on the crystals for approximately 10-15 seconds, test the crystals to see if the glue has melted, if not keep repeating the process). The alternative is to use a hotfix applicator wand which looks much like a soldering iron that has interchangeable tips to accommodate the varying rhinestone shapes and sizes. To use this method again you need to lay out the rhinestones faceted side up, put the correct size tip on the applicator and then turn on. The hotfix gun will take a minute or two to warm up then the rhinestones can be picked up with the tip and simply pressed onto the desired surface, repeating the process until the design is complete.  Guide to using a hotfix applicator

3. Sew on rhinestones: As the name suggests sew on rhinestones are just stitched into the design or in the case of jewellery making they can be linked together with jump rings or wire.

What size crystal do I need?

Although many people will use different sizes below is a general guide to the most popular size crystals used.

1. Finger nail art – ss5 Clear Crystal
2. Toenail art – ss7 Clear Crystal
3. Mobile phones – ss9 Clear Crystal
4. Havaiana flip flops – ss20 Clear Crystal
5. Converse – ss16 (ss12 and ss20 are also used)
6. Dance costumes – ss12 – ss48 (most popular ss16 & ss20)
7. T-shirts – ss16

Where to buy Swarovski rhinestones

At Crystal and Glass beads we have a range of Swarovski crystal rhinestones, beads and pearls that can be purchased by visiting our main site: Buy Swarovski crystals

Author: Crystal and Glass Beads

Different Types Of Pearls

The hunt for natural pearls dates back thousands of years to places like China and the Persian Gulf where divers would swim down to the ocean floor or river bottom to hunt for pearls. Diving for natural pearls was the only means of findings pearls until the late 19th and early 20th centuries where Japanese researchers Mise and Nishikawa developed a technique for creating cultured pearls. Both natural and cultured pearls come from Bivalves which are a family of living shelled molluscs of which there are about 20 pearl producing varieties. Of these only a few are used to produce the varying colour pearls we use today:

1. Pinctada Margaritifera – Black-Lipped mollusks produce black Tahitian pearls (South Pacific).
2. Pinctada Maxima – Gold-Lipped or Silver lip mollusks produce champagne or cream pearls (South Sea Pearls).
3. Pinctada Maxima – White-Lipped mollusks produce silver-white, prink or cream tinged pearls (South Sea Pearls).
4. Pinctada Fucata – Akoya pearls produce light pink, white or creamy pearls.
5. Strombus gigas Linnaeus – Pearls from the Queen Conch are very rare and come in shades of cream, gold, grey, brown, orange, red, pink and white pearls.

These molluscs aside from the Conch are made up of two shell halves that open and close for feeding and depending on the variety can be found in salt water or fresh water. Most people think that oysters are the only shellfish that produce pearls, this isn’t the case as both mussels and clams also have the same capability although it much rarer for it to happen.

How Natural Pearls Are Formed

Oysters have a hard protective exterior shell wall but soft delicate bodies on the inside that need protecting. They live in sandy environments and when they get dirt and bits of sand inside their shell they just spit them out. So when you hear that pearls come from a grain of sand this isn’t strictly true. Parasites will sometimes burrow through the oysters outer shell wall and get trapped or die, other times small bits of shell, fish scales or other foreign bodies get caught on the inside shell wall and are unable to be dislodged. To protect its soft body the oyster forms a blister around the irritant that completely encapsulates the foreign body to form a sac. The pearl sack or epithelial cells as it’s also called secretes nacre and conchiolin which coats the irritant to form a pearl. Nacre is made up of crystallized calcium carbonate that is mother of pearl. This smooth thin coating is attached to the irritant by the conchiolin, which is a dark coloured natural organic protein which acts like an adhesive and is only produced to bond the first layer of nacre to the irritant. Throughout the pearls life the sac continuously expands to form concentric micro-layers of nacre around the irritant which gradually increases the size of the pearl in a process that takes years.

How Cultured Pearls Are Formed

Cultured pearls grow in pearl farms some of which are salt water and others freshwater. Unlike natural pearls where the process of an oyster creating a pearl occurs accidentally cultured pearl development is controlled. A nucleus is inserted into the soft tissue of the mollusc, in the case of freshwater pearls a piece of mantle tissue is used and for salt water pearls a mother-of-pearl nucleus is used. The nucleus is usually round in shape as pearls tend to develop into the same shape as the inserted nucleus which acts as a mould. The artificially inserted nucleus which is basically a round bead is nearly as large as a natural pearl; this is because cultured pearls only have a thin layer of nacre, while natural pearls are mostly made of nacre. Once the nucleus is inserted into the oyster the pearl growing process is the same as that of a natural pearl.

Natural vs Cultured Pearls

The process of culturing pearls revolutionised the pearl industry and meant that pearl farmers could control the cultivation of large numbers of consistently high quality pearls. This allows farmers to produce millions of pearls at a time there bye reducing their market value to a level that is affordable to everyone. Natural pearls have become extremely rare because of the huge volumes that were hunted for in the 1800s, which left the world’s natural supply critically low. Add to that the fact that only one in approximately every 10,000 oysters will produce a pearl and of these only a small amount will be of sufficiently high quality. It can take an oyster 5 years to form a tiny 3mm pearl in the wild where as a 7mm cultured pearl can be created from a 6.5mm nucleus in just 3-5 years.

Consistency is another big benefit of cultured pearls, where it’s extremely rare and difficult to find a string of natural pearls that are the exact same shape, colour and size. If one did exist it would be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds where as the same string of cultured pearls would cost just a few hundred pounds. The most desirable shape for pearls is perfectly round which is easily achievable in cultured pearls but finding one is pot luck in natural pearls.

How Can You Tell The Difference Between Natural And Cultured Pearls?

It’s pretty much impossible to tell the difference between a natural and cultured pearl by just looking at its outer appearance. The only way to make absolute certain whether a pearl is natural or not is to perform an x-ray of the internal structure of the pearl. A natural pearl may show growth lines where concentric layers of nacre have been added. Cultured pearls on the other hand will appear to have a perfectly rounded nucleus that’s surrounded by a halo of conchiolin and finally a thin outer layer. Almost all pearls sold today for jewellery making are cultured pearls and just like natural pearls they come in varying colours, shapes and grades of quality. So when it comes to purchasing pearls you can be sure that they will be of the cultured variety which means that they are real pearls made by oysters and are not artificial as many people think.

Author: Crystal and Glass Beads

What is intellectual property?

There are a great many clever and imaginative people in this world who express themselves through their paintings, jewellery, photography, sculptures, poems, plays, music and architecture etc. Each of these expressions is a result of human creativity where an idea has been used to create something new and original. It’s these physical expressions of our ideas or creations of the mind which are referred to as Intellectual property (IP) and are protected under UK law. This means that any new original design of jewellery or sculpture you create is protected in the UK but it doesn’t mean that the ideas or concepts behind the design are also protected, just the finished physical product.

What does this mean for your business?

It means that all your creative outputs that distinguish your business from others such as your distinctive logo, unique packaging and jewellery designs can all be protected.

Intellectual Property ownership

1. IF you are a jewellery designer employed by a company, any designs you create for them are owned by the employer and not the designer. Depending on the contract that you have with your employer it may also mean that any designs created outside of office hours are also the IP of your employer.
2. It stands to reason that if you are self employed then you the IP for any of your creations belongs to you.
3. If you are a freelance designer then you own the IP and not the client or commissioner unless you have a contract with them that gives them IP ownership.

Intellectual Property protection 10px

There are different ways in which IP is protected:

1. Patents – Protect inventions of a scientific nature.
2. Copyright – Protects original artistic, dramatic, literary and music works.
3. Design Rights – Protects 2d and 3d designs.

Facts about Design Rights (unregistered design right)

1. Design rights are automatic as soon as you design a new piece of jewellery, a sculpture or something else your design is automatically protected by design rights.
2. Design rights only apply in the UK; they are not a worldwide protection and can last a maximum of 15 years.
3. Design rights only apply to designs that are original and not commonplace.
4. Design rights enable you to protect the internal and external shape or configuration of a design, but do not cover such things as patterns.

How to protect your design rights

Although any of your designs that conform to the above guidelines are automatically covered in the UK by Design Rights this wont always deter others from copying your work. If you do believe someone has infringed your rights and wish to seek legal action then you need to have proof that someone has actually copied your design and not just produced something that looks like your work. For this reason it’s advisable to: Keep a record and evidence of when a design was first recorded in material form and when it was first made available for sale. Also keep any sketches or plans used throughout the development that helped you get to the final design. Its worth noting on each page of your website that your designs are all protected by design right and copyright law and that legal action will be taken against any form of copying (or something to that effect).

Is there any higher protection available?

If you want to further protect your designs to cover the appearance of a product, resulting particularly from its lines, contours, colours, shape, texture and materials or its ornamentation you can register your designs. You will have to pay to register the designs, but they can then be protected for a maximum of 25 years and should you need to take legal action you won’t have to prove that the designs belong to you.

What happens if someone copies my design?

If you believe someone is infringing your designs then the first thing to do is to send them a carefully worded warning letter. It’s possible that they were unaware of the infringement and even if they were, a warning may be enough to make them stop. A solicitor will be able to help you word the letter if you are unsure and also advise you as to the best course of action. Member of the British jewellery Association or DACS are able to get free advice directly from them regarding IP and protecting your designs.

Further advise about design rights and IP

• Intellectual Property Office – A wealth of information about intellectual property, design rights and how to apply for a design including the forms to download.
• Business Link – A full overview of design rights, and how they can help your business.
• The UK Copyright Service – How to register designs.
• Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) – A not-for-profit visual arts rights management organisation.
• Own IT – Intellectual Property advice for creative businesses.
• Legal advice centre – Free legal advice is available from the Department of Law, Queen Mary, University of London.

Author: Crystal and Glass Beads

1. Bowl of warm water with soap free hand wash (Can use normal hand wash if you don’t have soap free)
2. Moisturiser
3. Colour Nail varnish (or Clear if you prefer)
4. Clear nail varnish
5. Base coat nail varnish (optional)
6. 1 x Orangewood stick
7. Swarovski rhinestones ss5 (1.8mm perfect for nails) Spread the rhinestones out and make sure that they are all facing faceted side up.
8. Water (Small amount to wet the stick)
9. Clean Dry Towel

Prepare all your equipment in advance so that when it comes to doing your nails you wont be looking around for the items and will have plenty of time for completing each step.

To use a stone for jewellery making it will either need to be top drilled to create a pendant or a hole needs to be drilled through the centre for stringing the stone. To achieve this you will need some equipment: a small electric drill, 3 diamond drill bits, one the desired hole size, one slightly larger and the other slightly smaller. You will also need a container, some water, a cutting board, some silly putty, 2 small elastic bands, a pencil and goggles for safety. If you require a 1mm hole through the stone you can use a .75mm bit, a 1mm bit and a 1.25mm drill bit (You can use a diamond ball burr instead of the larger drill bit).

Place the first elastic band over the pebble so that it runs vertically through the centre of the pebble and the second so that it runs again vertically but from the opposite side of the pebble to form a cross. The purpose of using the elastics is to work out the centre points for both the top and bottom of the stone. Mark the centre of the cross with the pen on both ends of the pebble, which will give you your positions for drilling.

Add a mound of putty to the centre of the cutting board and press the stone into the putty so that it’s held securely. Into the container you will need to place the cutting board and then add the water so that it covers the stone, which is there to reduce the heat friction build up from drilling and prevent the stone from cracking. If you are fortunate enough to have a vice you can use this instead of the putty and just make sure that you have a jet of water running over the stone throughout the drilling process. Also if it’s a clamp with metal jaws place a thin piece of wood or corrugated cardboard between the jaws and the stone to prevent the surface from being damaged.

Put on your protective goggles and insert the larger bit (or diamond ball burr) into the drill to create a small indent at both marked ends of the bead. The reason for using a larger drill bit to create a small hole is to provide a guide for the smaller drill bit that prevents it from slipping when we start to drill. Using the smaller drill bit set at a medium speed slowly start to drill through the stone about 3mm at a time and then withdrawing the drill from the stone to allow the water to flow into the hole and remove any debris and drill dust and cools the stone. Depending on the size of the stone in comparison to the drill bit, you may need to turn over the stone once you reach the half way point and drill from the opposite side. Once the stone has been drilled through completely start the process again with the middle sized drill bit to give the bead a nice clean hole.

When you buy pendants or gemstones from a bead or gemstone suppliers they will likely have been polished to give them that smooth desirable surface. This is something that can also be done to your beach pebbles and is relatively inexpensive. To give a polished smooth surface to your new pendant/bead you can use a piece of equipment called a tumble-polisher. These polishing machines can cost as little as £60 for a small tumbling machine that can hold up to 1.5kg of pebbles. They work by a motor continuously turning two small rods that are attached to two rubber barrels that continuously turn. Into the machine the pebbles, water and a coarse grinding grit is added, the machine then continuously tumbles the pebbles for about a week over which time their surface becomes polished to produce beautiful semi precious beads or pendants.

Author: Crystal and Glass Beads