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Help! Where do I start?
Welcome to the wonderful world of embellishments that Rhinestones & Beads have available for brides to be!
Whether you want to glue diamantes onto your gown, your shoes, your wedding invitations/place-cards, ring pillow, toasting glasses, cake board, table decorations...
Whether you want to make your own jewellery or table centre-pieces...
Or whether you have been searching for a stockist who has all the bling and crystal to show to your florist, hairdresser, gown designer or cake decorator...We can help you!
Where do I find out what I want?
Right here! So grab a coffee, tea or soup, settle in and start reading :-)
If on the other hand you already know what you need, just scroll down to start shopping.
When people call and ask for advice about beads, crystals and rhinestones for weddings, we always ask...
"Are you thinking you want to glue the rhinestones on, sew them on, or do you want to hotfix?" Invariably the reply is "what is the difference?" Well, if this sounds like you, you have come to right place. Have a read here to get you started with confidence.
If you think you want to 'glue-on'...
You'll need a suitable glue (we recommend 'Gem-Tac' or 'G-S Hypo Cement' depending on what you're gluing them onto - see Adhesives), and you'll need rhinestones that don't have a glue already on the back.
Gluing on rhinestones requires a small amount of practise, mainly to get the knack of applying the right amount of glue for the size of the stone. With Gem-Tac, it's easy to practise on any washable surface as Gem-Tac remains water soluable until dry, so you can just wash the glue off the rhinestones you've practiced with and re-use them.
Gluing on is suitable for most fabrics, ceramics, plastics, glass, paper, shoes, handbags, mobile phones (ipods, etc), leather. What you need to make sure is that you have the right glue for gluing on a non-porous item (the rhinestone) onto a porous surface (such as fabric) or a non-porous surface (such as glass). (By the way, we don't recommend gluing rhinetones onto skin, teeth or mucous membrane).
The range of colours and choice of grades in glue on rhinestones is excellent. We stock flatbacks for gluing on in the Preciosa brand in their lead crystal Article 2000 grade (which has 8 facets cut on the surface), in their new lead crystal Viva12 grade (which is their new cut - simply brilliant - read more), and the Swarovski brand in their Article 2028 grade (14 facets cut on the surface).
Once a rhinestone is glued on and the glue has set, the rhinestone should not come off, unless the glue or the technique was wrong. Therefore, you are looking at a very permanent embellishment that can't be re-used once it is on.
Remember, you can always call us for more assistance or advice. We'll be happy to talk about your choices and confirm you've made the right decision. Our contact details are here.
If you think you want to 'hotfix on'...
You'll be talking about rhinestones that already have their glue on the backing. This glue is a heat-sensitive glue, which melts under heat, either from a hotfix applicator tool, domestic iron or industrial heat press. Once melted it is ready to adhere to the chosen surface.
Hotfix stones can be used on most surfaces, and many consider hotfixing to be a more practical way of affixing as you don't have to worry too much about getting the right glue as well as learning about technique, especially if you are starting out.
Now, a hotfix applicator tool is a tool with changeable tips, that picks up individual rhinestones, heats them, the glue melts and the rhinestone is ready to place on your article. This is great for individual placement of each rhinestone, for designs requiring precision placement.
That sounds easy doesn't it? Well, yes and no. Because the applicator tool tip reaches quite a high temperature, you've got to be careful it doesn't come in contact with anything that will scorch or melt - card, lycra, satin or veiling for example. So a bit of practice is needed to get your technique perfect before you start on the real thing but instructions and helpful advice are included with every tool.
Interestingly, hotfix is the method used by most commercial manufacturers who use rhinestones, so it certainly has it's place.
You can use the same kind of hotfix rhinestones with a domestic iron, and this is a great and quick method for applying lots of stones all at once. Just scatter on the surface you want them to stock to, turn any that are upside down right side up, place a protective sheet like a layer of cotton fabric on top of the rhinestones, and iron until they are stuck on! Absolutely brilliant for fast embellishing if a total scattered look is what you are after.
The range of colours is also good in hotfix, and we stock two grades: Swarovski Article 2028 and Preciosa Art 2000. We also have some really neat Craft Solution Mixes if you are wanting a few more than one colour but still want a fairly small quantity.
Also consider the wonderful and easy choice of readymade Swarovski Iron-On Rhinestone Transfers, which come in a lovely assortment of designs and styles, all able to be applied really easily with a domestic iron as above. Couldn't be easier!
If you think you want to 'sew on'...
Of course, when you sew something on you can always take it off again if you don't like it, or want to use it on another item at a later stage. That is the beauty of sew-on rhinestones.
But there is another advantage, and this is one that lots of people make use of, even if they have used glue-on or hotfix stones somewhere else. Lots of larger stones only come in the sew on type, due to the relative weight of each stone. So, the range of more interesting shapes and sizes in sew on stones is something quite unique and well worth considering.
We have got sew on stones that are large Sew On Jewels, Lochrosen (flatback rhinestones with a small hole in the middle - sometimes called rhinestone sequins), Flatback Montees (flatback diamantes set in a metal backing which has sewing/threading holes through the setting), Pointback Montees (pointback diamantes set in a metal backing which has sewing/threading holes through the setting), Buttons (functional or decorative) and Banding (strips of rhinestones joined together into a long length).
If it's jewellery you're wanting to make...
...you'll be looking mainly for items that have a hole through the centre or a top hole. You'll need beads with holes in them for the purpose of threading, stringing, or wiring through. Most jewellery findings require beads to be pre-drilled with holes already in them. These are the kind you will find we stock for making jewellery with.
Now that you've had a good read and feel more confident, click on any of the categories below and start choosing colours and sizes!
I want to embellish fabric, paper, decorations, etc with a range of diamantes I can glue on
I want to embellish fabric, paper, decorations, etc with a range of diamantes I can hotfix on
I want to embellish fabric, paper, decorations, etc with a range of crystals, diamantes & pearls I can sew on
I want to use pearls, crystals, rondelles, pendants & findings to make beautiful jewellery with
International clients!
Your 10% tax discount has not been deducted from these website prices but will be subtracted directly from your invoice by us after checkout.
Rhinestonz & Beads | Tel : +64 6 753 9496