Rhinestone Buttons

What Is a Rhinestone Button?

A rhinestone button is a button made with crystals. The name comes from the river Rhine, where originally the rock crystals were gathered. Today the name is applied to rhinestones made of crystal glass or polymers.

Rhinestone buttons usually have a setting, made of metal alloy. Though, Swarovski produces glass buttons without a shank. Depending on the design, rhinestones can be paired with pearl beads, enamel details and even gemstones.

How to Measure Button Sizes?

When it comes to sewing, it is often a challenge what kind of buttons to choose. First of all, you need to decide what garment you are going to create and choose a fabric. After that, you can think over the size of the button.

All buttons can be nominally divided into five groups:

1. Tiny – up to 9 mm;
2. Small – from 10 to 15 mm;
3. Medium – from 16 to 25 mm;
4. Large – from 26 to 40 mm;
5. Extra large – from 41 mm.

What are the typical sizes of buttons? Let’s see sizes and their common uses:

Rhinestone buttons are typically shanked and it is necessary to measure the outer largest diameter to find out the size. Where it comes to sizes of rhinestones, the round crystals are usually marked ‘ss’ which means stone size. However, manufacturers of crystals create many fancy shapes for the most sophisticated fashion designs.

Diamante vs Crystal vs Rhinestone vs Gemstone

Most people use words ‘diamante’, ’crystal’ and ‘rhinestone’ as synonyms. Usually, they are made of glass or polymers.

Diamante is a name of stones used in jewelry. It is applied to medium quality jewelry.

In the US, the word ‘rhinestone’ is normally used for all sparkling stones. Historically, to produce rhinestones, jewelers made a paste with lead to fake gemstones. In the 18th century, French jeweler Georg Friedrich Strass invented a way to imitate diamonds. The bottom of a rhinestone made of crystal glass was covered with a metal powder. The name of the creator became a synonym of crystal glass rhinestones – strasses.

The term ‘crystal’ comes from Swarovski and other Czech manufacturers and is applied to high-quality sparkling stones made of glass.

Gemstones are made of natural mineral crystals and are more expensive in price. Manufacturers of sewing accessories often use semi-precious stones for buttons, pairing them with high-quality rhinestones.

Swarovski Rhinestone Buttons

Swarovski rhinestone buttons are buttons made with Swarovski crystals. Production technology is patented. Swarovski crystals are made by melting silicon oxide powders with lead at high temperatures. To make artificial diamonds, about 32% of lead is added to the composition. The hardness of a Swarovski crystal on the Mohs's scale (scratch resistance) is between Opal and Quartz.

In 2012 Swarovski invented a new way of lead-free crystal production, in accordance with the Advanced Crystal standard patented by the company. The goal of Swarovski was to achieve a new chemical formula that excluded lead oxide but retained the consumer qualities of the crystals. And since that time, Swarovski crystals are environmentally friendly.

The main shapes of Swarovski crystals are:

• Flower
• Round
• Oval
• Square
• Rectangle
• Heart
• Clover

The color range is quite large, from clear crystals to all main colors and their hues. For example, one of the most popular colors for rhinestone buttons is Black Diamond which resembles grey tourmaline. Among other favorites are red Siam, blue Sapphire, blue Montana, and amber-like Topaz.

The color of the 2018th year is ultraviolet, and Swarovski has the whole spectrum of it, from tender Crystal Lilac and elegant Tanzanite to the saturated Crystal Lilac Shadow hues.

Rhinestone Buttons and Fashion Uses

Rhinestone buttons are the must-haves of any evening or haute couture wear. Let’s see how else we can use these statement buttons:

• A jacket button. Choose a round or flower button for a fancy lame or leather jacket.
• Cool buttons for summer coats. Rhinestone flower buttons will look perfect with a solid summer coat.
• Shirt button. Add chic to your look and choose buttons with crystals for your plain white shirt instead of regular ones.
• Use it as a brooch. Put it on a neckline of your top or dress.
• Finishing the hems. Fashion buttons look luxurious on the sleeves of a trench coat or waist of skirt/trousers.
• Decorating accessories. A bag sewn all over with rhinestone buttons looks gorgeous.
• Clasp for a fancy bracelet. Stitch it as a regular button from one side of a bracelet and make a loop from the other.

Tissura Collection

Rhinestone buttons at Tissura shop come from the renowned European manufacturers:

1. Secondo Stefano Pavese – Italian producer of high fashion buttons with more than 50-year history, one of the favorites of fashion designers.
2. Modapierre – French company, producing haute couture sewing accessories with exclusive designs.
3. Baldini – Italian manufacturer of exclusive buttons, including the ones with Swarovski crystals.
4. Gritti – famous Italian company, a well-known producer of exquisite mother of pearl and nacre sewing accessories. It also makes luxurious rhinestone buttons perfect for evening looks and fashion outfits.

Choose luxury suit buttons, sparkly buttons for an evening dress, or fancy buttons for your jacket to stand out from the crowd.

In fashion, general people will look to the piece itself. [Some designers] concentrate on, 'How can I make this seam look special?' or 'What am I going to do with that button so it looks interesting?' I am not interested in that. At the moment, I am more interested in the shape and the form. I have a big desire to make clothes without defining them.

Raf Simons

Rhinestone button, 23 € (28 US$) per one button;

Rhinestone button, 58 € (71 US$) per one button;

Rhinestone button, 6.60 € (8.10 US$) per one button.