A Brief History of Rhinestone Buttons

From the Rhine River to Cellphones and Flip-flops

More than three centuries ago, Rock Crystals were gathered from the bottom of the Rhine River. Their brilliant colors and diamond-like details made rock crystals popular among clothing makers and anyone else who wanted to add flair to their wrists, hair or wares. Rock crystals were called rhinestones, aptly named after their Rhine River origin.

By 1775, Alsatian jewelry-maker Georg Friedrich Strass found a way to increase availability of the highly sought-after rhinestone. Buttons and other adornments could now easily imitate the look of semiprecious stones, diamonds and crystals. Strass's innovative method coated one side of glass with metal powder.
Rhinestone buttons, other jewelry products and sewing project accessories quickly gained popularity. As a result, many European languages incorporated the jeweler's name to mean rhinestone.

Buttons are bland without iridescence.

Almost two hundred years later, a thin, vacuum-fed metallic layer produced enough iridescence to turn prom queens, disco dancers and even Glen Campbell, singer of the 1975's Rhinestone Cowboy, into glowing fashionistas. With this aurora borealis or aqua aura effect applied, rhinestone buttons could reflect any surrounding color. And the popularity of rhinestone buttons took on a whole new light.

Today, rhinestone-inlaid items are very trendy. Cellphones. Flip-flops. You name it, and there's likely room for rhinestones.