The Stones that Make Your Tiara Sparkle
Not all sparkle in your Tiaras or Evening Fashion Jewelry is the same. There is a reason for this!
When you are shopping for your crowns, your bridal jewelry or quinceañera jewelry such as necklaces and earring sets, there’s a couple of things you should learn.
Not all stones used in these items have the same level of quality. It depends which stones are used in their manufacturing and this of course reflects in their price, and affects your budget.
Rhinestones, man made gemstones, are the least expensive ‘diamond imitation stones’ used to adorn everything in fashion accessories, they are generally made of machine made glass, or crystals, in which lead oxide is added to the glass, making them more shiny and reflective, but yet, for cost cutting purposes some rhinestones are made of acrylic, and also a plastic resin. Some stones have a pointed back, which reflects light better, and others have a flat back, which is even less expensive and used in many decorations and crafts today.
Note: Rhinestones are never to cleaned with water, only window cleaner.
The crystal rhinestones offer a higher degree of shine, while the plastic or resin ones offer more durability and impact resistance. The resin ones usually have a foil backing to help reflect shine. Pricing of headpieces or jewelry made with the above, will be lower, and their brilliance will fade faster.
When looking for better quality pieces, ones that may retain shine and color longer, you may want to look for products made of Cubic Zirconia, also a lab grown gemstone, but expect to pay a bit more money for items in this category.
Note, that there are different Zirconia terms as well… a Zircon is a natural gemstone made of zirconium silicate. It is harder to find and considered rare.
A cubic zirconia abbreviated CZ is a synthetic, man-made stone made mostly of zirconium dioxide with yttrium, magnesium, and calcium. This is the one used the most in the fashion jewelry industry. There are over 5 levels of cubic zirconia, noted with an A or several A’s, but the one used most is the AA and Triple AAA Zirconia.
Between these two gemstone styles above, the CZ stone is a harder stone than the Zircon, but as far as sparkle, both have a very good diamond like splendor. As far as lasting shine, recapping…rhinestones will cloud earlier than a cubic zirconia stone. Cubic Zirconia worn daily can last 2-3 years, but otherwise much longer. They are easy to clean by using simple window household cleaner as well.
As far as learning a little bit here today about using the terms Rhinestone, Zircon, and Zirconia, your overall event budget will be the deciding factor of your purchase. Rhinestone pieces will solve the looking beautiful dilemma on that day. Wether you want to splurge and obtain an item of better quality, all comes down to you balancing out your wants and your needs.
Happy Tiara and Jewelry Shopping!
The Event Lady