Rhinestone is a colorless artificial gem, often with facets that sparkle as in imitation of a diamond.

Rhinestones on a tiara - rhinestone or paste is a diamond simulant made from rock crystal, glass or acrylic. Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from the river Rhine, but their availability was greatly increased when the Alsatian jeweller Georg Friedrich Strass had the idea to coat the lower side of glass with metal powder around 1775, imitating diamonds. Hence, rhinestones are called Strass in many European languages.

Rhinestones make excellent imitations of diamonds, and good manufacturers even capture the glistening effect that real diamonds have in the sun.

In 1955, the "Aurora Borealis" or "Aqua aura", a thin, vacuum-sputtered metallic coating applied to crystal stones to produce an iridescent effect, was introduced. Aurora Borealis tends to reflect whatever color is worn near it, and it is named after the Aurora Borealis atmospheric phenomenon, also known as the Northern Lights.

Today, crystal rhinestones are primarily used on costumes, apparel and jewelry. They are produced mainly in Austria by Swarovski.

From Wikipedia encyclopedia

408 West Oakland Park Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311