An Ultimate Guide to Selecting Preciosa Rhinestones

In a world full of beautiful rhinestones, Preciosa stands out because of its clarity and brilliance. These precious crystals are generally categorised into Preciosa hotfix rhinestones and non-hotfix rhinestones, wherein the former features an adhesive at the back and can be applied using external sources of heating. On the contrary, the Preciosa non-hotfix rhinestones require you to use external adhesive for the application.

Be it for jewellery, fabric, decor, and DIY application, these rhinestones, also known as Czech or Bohemian crystals, are among customers’ first choices. Apart from the glamour these rhinestones accompany, several benefits like affordability, uniqueness, post-application outcome, versatility, and multiple design options contribute to their popularity.

However, people are often confused about factors to consider while selecting or purchasing the Preciosa rhinestones. Thus, this article is to help all of you rhinestone lovers make an informed decision.

How to Choose Preciosa Rhinestones?

The Rhinestone’s Brilliance

The brilliance of Preciosa rhinestones primarily depends upon two factors i.e. material purity or quality and the stone’s cut. Certain crystal rhinestones have special coating for the effect and shine it displays. Additionally, they should be bubble, spot, or streak free as all of it together influences the rhinestone’s clarity, quality, and durability.

When it comes to rhinestone cuts, look for facets (small cuts on the stone’s surface that reflect light). These facets bounce the light entering the stone, ultimately creating a sparkly effect. The sharper or clearer the cut of the surface, the better the reflection. Similarly, the higher the number of facets, the more the rhinestones sparkle. So, analysing the Preciosa rhinestones before purchasing them is a wise decision.

The Rhinestone’s Size

Preciosa is available in several sizes, shapes, and designs in the market. However, be careful with choosing one that best suits your projects. Rhinestones, in general, have SS (Stone Size), MM (Millimeter Size), and PP (Pearl Plate), which represent varying sizes of the stones.

SS units are commonly used for round rhinestones, especially crystal flatbacks, Rivoli and glass chaton. SS units are known to be small as compared to MM units, which is why they are known to be more accurate.

MM is a known measurement unit for sew-on, flatback, and pointed-back rhinestones. As a unit, it is generally preferred for big rhinestones, especially resin and acrylic.

PP units deal with small-sized rhinestones. The measurements of pearl plate units are based on the size of pearls, and it can even measure rhinestones of size 0.1mm.

The Rhinestone’s Application

The application method varies for hotfix and non-fix Preciosa rhinestones. However, four methods, namely hot fixing, gluing, mounting, and sewing, are generally used based on the project’s and stone requirements.

Gluing refers to using an adhesive to apply rhinestones to the application area one at a time.

Hot fixing or heat fixing is used for Preciosa hotfix rhinestones with pre-applied adhesive. Here, an external source of heat, like iron, is used to melt the glue so that the rhinestone sticks to the application area.

Mounting includes using mechanical mounts for the rhinestone application. While fixing the stones, you can either use mounting tools or your hands.

Sewing refers to the process of attaching rhinestones to the application area with the help of a needle thread or sewing machine with relevant attachments.

Remember to consider your project requirement before finalising the rhinestone type and its application method.

Wrapping Up

Choosing one of Preciosa crystal flatbacks, chantons, hotfix, and non-hotfix rhinestones is not rocket science. However, for best results, you need to consider some factors that can influence the overall quality and outcome of the project.

The product information mentioned in this article is both accurate and up-to-date, some information may be subject to change.