** PLEASE READ THROUGH THE COMPLETE TUTORIAL BEFORE STARTING ** What you will need: 1. Swarovski flatback rhinestones NON-HOTFIX: size ss12 (3.2mm), ss16 (4mm) or ss9 (2.6mm) for this tutorial I have used ss12 as the main crystal size and ss16 and ss9 to fill odd sized gaps. View Swarovski flatbacks 2. Jewel setter: This is a plastic wand with …
Read More »What’s the difference between Swarovski Crystal, Diamonds and Cubic Zirconia?
‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,’ a phrase and song made famous by the 1949 movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in which Marilyn Monroe first performed the song. Today the saying is very much true, but traditionally gold bands were used for the symbol of a wedding union until 1938 when DeBeers launched their advertising campaign “A Diamond is Forever”. The …
Read More »What is the best glue to use when gluing Swarovski Crystals?
Flat back Swarovski crystals are perfect for adding to a wide range of materials to adding some sparkle. They are made from lead glass and have a multi faceted face with a flat back on the reverse of the crystal that is available as foiled or un-foiled. The most popular style is the 2058 Swarovski Xilion Rose Enhanced which has …
Read More »How to Apply Hotfix Crystals
What are Swarovski Hot Fix Crystals Swarovski hotfix crystals or hot fix rhinestones as they are sometimes called are loose crystal components with a multi faceted face one side and a flat surface coated with a heat sensitive glue on the other. The faceted face is made from lead crystal glass that has been machine cut and the polished to …
Read More »How to Make Swarovski Crystal Converse
A Guide to creating your own Swarovski crystal converse boots. Add some sparkle to Converse footwear this Christmas with Swarovski flatback rhinestones by following this simple how to, step by step guide.
Read More »What Are Rhinestones?
History of the rhinestone Rhinestones which are also known as diamantes or paste date back as far as the thirteenth century where they were first made from Czechoslovakian or Bohemian hand blown glass. The term rhinestone came along later, when rock crystals were discovered in and around the shores of the river Rhine in Austria. These rock crystals could be …
Read More »What are the Differences Between Natural and Cultured Pearls
Different Types Of Pearls The hunt for natural pearls dates back thousands of years to places like China and the Persian Gulf where divers would swim down to the ocean floor or river bottom to hunt for pearls. Diving for natural pearls was the only means of findings pearls until the late 19th and early 20th centuries where Japanese researchers …
Read More »How To Protect Your Jewellery Or Craft Designs
Having your own creative business can be extremely rewarding, whether its making handmade jewellery or other crafts you get to do the thing you enjoy on a daily basis. Coming up with new designs and experimenting with different ideas to create jewellery that’s representative of your own unique style. It’s this style or uniqueness that attracts customers to buy your …
Read More »Nail art – How to create Swarovski crystal nails
Equipment needed: Bowl of warm water with soap free hand wash (Can use normal hand wash if you don’t have soap free) Moisturiser Colour Nail varnish (or Clear if you prefer) Clear nail varnish Base coat nail varnish (optional) 1 x Orangewood stick Swarovski rhinestones ss5 (1.8mm perfect for nails) Spread the rhinestones out and make sure that they are …
Read More »Create semi precious beads and pendants from pebbles
If you ever visit the beach you will be amazed at the number of pebbles that you come across that have beautiful patterns and colours. If you make handmade jewellery it’s a great inexpensive way to come up with new materials for your designs. To use a stone for jewellery making it will either need to be top drilled to …
Read More »A guide to choosing the right beading wire
A useful guide to choosing the right beading wire for anyone new to jewellery making.
Read More »Choosing Jewellery Pliers
One of the most important tools you can get for jewellery making is pliers. There are so many different kinds that when you are starting out it can be quite confusing choosing the right type. Using the right tool for the right job can really improve your jewellery making whilst cutting down on the time it takes to create your …
Read More »Why does silver tarnish
Silver tarnishing occurs when the natural gases in the Earth’s atmosphere (Hydrogen Sulphide) react with the surface of the silver. Hydrogen Sulphide can be found in material such as wool, paints, latex, hairspray and certain foods such as onions, eggs and oil. The speed at which your silver would tarnish really depends on how it was stored and the climate, …
Read More »New website look
Hi and Welcome to crystal and Glass Beads Blog, we have just updated the look of the site, including new software that allows user accounts. After having done a small trial it would appear that not many people liked being forced into having to setup an account, so we have updated the original site to look like the new one. …
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