Page 1

 

Permission will be given to use the information in jewelry clubs, newsletters, etc. however, please make a written request before doing so, and include the following information on any sections used:

Courtesy of SPARKLES Website
Vintage Costume Jewelry and Fine Estate Jewelry
Website: http://www.Sparklz.com
sparklz2@Sparklz.com
Janet Gaynor, Owner
P. O. Box 35038 Tucson, AZ 85740-5297
Telephone 520-907-2839

---

STARTING AN INVENTORY OF RHINESTONES FOR REPAIR

Mixed bags of miscellaneous rhinestones are  LOTS OF FUN to buy and sort through.   After you have one or two of these, you will see that while the occasional match will be found, that in general the stones won't be the size, color or quality you need.  That is because there can be 60 colors in a size, many sizes in a color, additional variations of shapes & facet cuts.  It IS like looking for a needle in a haystack, when in fact the needle may not be there at all.   Mixed bags ARE great for making your own jewelry!

When you want to do a good repair you will want to locate the right size, shape, color & cut with a minimum of fuss and you will want to control your stock so that you know when you will need more of a particular size and color.  The most commonly used rhinestones are round,  pointed back, foil rhinestones in clear crystal color.  Here is a list of what you'll need.  I buy them from Matthew Ribarich 

---

CLEAR CRYSTAL, ROUND, FOILED, POINTED BACK

 

First Group - Absolute necessary to get you started! Matthew Ribarich says you can order this group for $35 plus S&H.  Ask for "Sparkles Group #1".
 
1.0 mm rhinestones, 1 gross rhinestones  = 144, #S110003PP
1.5 mm, 1 gross rhinestones,  #S110009PP
2.0 mm, 1 gross rhinestones, #S11014P
2.5 mm,  24 rhinestones, #S110018PP
3.0 mm, 24 rhinestones,  #S110024PP
3.5 mm, 24 rhinestones, #S110028PP
4.0 mm, 12  rhinestones, #S110032PP

Second Group-Fill in sizes



 As you work and become more discerning, you will see that sometimes a 1.0 mm is too small and a 1.5 mm is too large or a 2.5 is too small and a 3.0 mm is too large.  "Making-do", using a slightly off size may be OK for some costume jewelry, but the high end pieces will only look their best when you have exactly the RIGHT size.  There are sizes between the half millimeter increments.  Fill in your stock with some of  these sizes.  My suggestion for rounding out your supplies;  Matthew says you can order this group for $32.75 + S/H. Ask for "Sparkles Group 2". 
1.25 mm, 1 gross = 144 rhinestones
1.75 mm, 1 gross rhinestones
2.25 mm, 24 rhinestones
2.75 mm, 24 rhinestones
3.25 mm, 24 rhinestones
4.5 mm, 12 rhinestones
5.0 mm 12 rhinestones
6.25 mm, 6 rhinestones

---

C O L O R S,  ROUND, FOILED, POINTED BACK RHINESTONES

Matthew Ribarich offers several ways to stock the variety that you will need without buying an extraordinary amount. In colors, you will most use the same smaller sizes that are listed in Group #1 above, but the numbers will be different for colors.

 Several suggestions:

(1) You can order  a gross or the minimum quantity for the size of the most common colors in each size and then fill in additional colors as you need them.

 (2) Or you can buy one of the two KITs available.  A Kit is an  assortment of colors and sizes plus other stuff.  This is a good way to get started.  The Kit is a very economical option and you can add quantities as you need them.

(3) Color PALETTES are an excellent way of having a FEW of ALL the colors in any specific size.  Handy in any size rhinestones, Palettes are  especially nice for the LARGER sizes, which are usually needed less often.  Order a Palette of ALL the sizes, either as you can afford them, or as you need them.  Be SURE to keep records of the colors, as the Palettes  will become your personal "color chart" for ordering stones of any size, a reference for describing color if you write descriptions, and your source for replacement.  I would start with these three sizes in Color Palettes:   3 mm,  3.5 mm and 4 mm.

 
OTHER RHINESTONES, MARCASITES, PEARLS, ETC.

Possibly your next most useful purchase will be in the baguette shapes, but there will be other things you will need.  By now you will see that your needs will dictate the direction of acquisition.

THINGS TO KNOW

You may think that having  rhinestone stock is "tying" up money that could be used elsewhere, but let me assure you that if you are thoughtful in stocking your supplies you will quickly make back your investment.  One or two nice pieces sold at a good price after repair  can quickly pay for a lot of rhinestones.

Be careful to inquire of the condition of  mixed bags before buying, as the foil on rhinestones does become "paper worn", so called because they are traditionally stored in a folded "parcel paper" and after time the foil backing  becomes worn from jostling against each other and the paper.

Accurate measuring of stones can be very difficult.  A half-millimeter is a very tiny measurement.  After all these years, I still occasionally order the wrong size stone.  Put your mistake in stock, chalk it up to experience, and try again!  Buy a brass millimeter gauge!

Take time with your rhinestone orders to be sure that they are correct and, most overlooked, COMPLETE, COMPLETE, COMPLETE.  The supplier needs to know SIZE, CUT, COLOR, QUANTITY, and if unusual, perhaps the facet cut.  While you are bringing that wonderful piece of costume jewelry back to life, either for your own pleasure or to achieve a profit, your supplier is simply selling a stone or two and not making a great deal of profit either.  He will be appreciative of clean, clear orders that don't require endless follow-up.  Please remember that your orders should reflect the "industry-specific" sizes, names, and colors as found in the catalog.  "Blue" doesn't mean much to a supplier who has 9 shades of  blue.

If you don't want to do rhinestone replacement  yourself, send it to an EXPERT. It is not expensive for the time and effort it takes, as you will know after you have made your own repairs a few times; and it is a time saver. Over time, experience will make you a much cannier buyer, always weighing the possibility/cost of repair against the investment in the piece; and you will pass up pieces that are not worth the price of repair.   I do most of my own replacement, but still send the really difficult matches to Matthew once or twice a year; and usually he can complete the project.

Using "used" rhinestones scrounged from old, broken jewelry?   Well, I'd rather not because they usually aren't  in the condition you need, or they may not be the right quality.  Those taken out of glue settings are almost always damaged on the foil. Many of the prong set ones are often deteriorated on the foil backing as well.  For scrounging I do keep a box of  old, broken, prong set jewelry that has unusual color or stones. I don't keep old, broken, glue-set jewelry.   While I don't remove the rhinestones from the broken jewelry (remember that once removed they become even  more subject to wear from jostling with each other), I do sort it by general color.  In actual experience I don't use much of this stuff.  It is sort of like the "mixed bags" mentioned above; a lot of quantity there but getting exactly the right color, size, shape & cut is almost a miracle; and frankly, I'd rather spend my time shopping for new treasures.

Matthew Ribarich's website contains a catalog of the most commonly sought rhinestones, an Index, Shapes of Rhinestones Chart,  Millimeter to PP (Pearl Plate) Size Comparison Chart, Color Chart and more . He has three million rhinestones and has many colors, sizes and shapes that haven't been manufacturer for years.  He may be able to perform a feat of "matching" for you, but needs to SEE to do it.  Here is how to send him things "Send for Repair". If you want  to start with one of the "Sparkles Groups" above, go to Matthew's Order Form. Or browse his online Catalog.

If you need help with Cleaning and Repair, including the "how-to" part of setting/unsetting rhinestones,  what glue to use and more stuff, go to AZillion SPARKLES Cleaning and Repair.

Continue scrolling this page for more informational guides.

SPARKLES website features a large catalog of over 600 pieces of jewelry, including Victorian, Deco, Nouveau, rhinestones, Signature pieces, Plastics, Silver & Copper, Cufflinks, Christmas and much more as linked in the index below.  You are welcome to shop, search for price comparisons,  browse for pleasure, or visit additional information pages, seen directly below.
 
 
 
CLEANING & REPAIR TIPS- Please Don't Wash The Rhinestones!
Cleaning rhinestones, removing rhinestones, setting rhinestones, glues, expert repairs, polishing cloths & compounds, rhinestone sources, about loupes.

ABOUT BUILDING A RHINESTONE INVENTORY
How to start building an inventory of loose rhinestones for doing replacement.

ABOUT GOLD/GOLD VALUES
Thoughts and facts about gold, buying/selling, antique values. Including spot gold formulas
 

ABOUT GOLD CARE
Watch out for the hot tub & the swimming pool!.  Avoiding damage & loss to your fine gold & diamond jewelry.

ABOUT  IVORY
Kinds of ivory, including elephant, mammoth and more.  Examples & links.   Ivory substitutes.  Some guides to separation from other materials.

ABOUT  CAMEOS
Definition of Cameo, Intaglio, Reverse Intaglio.  Common & unusual materials used in cameos and how to identify them.  Factors which affect pricing of cameos.

ABOUT RE-PLATING, REPAIR VS CAMOUFLAGE
Definition of Repair, Camouflage, Normal Wear, Marriages, Collage, and a Guide to a Rating system for Costume Jewelry.

RESOURCES & MISC.
Costume Jewelry Newsletters, Cufflink Newsletter.  Costume Jewelry Book Reviews.  Patent Numbers.  Storage Tips.

---

 

GO TO:  SPARKLES HOME PAGE

GO TO:    || Creatures - Figurals, Faces, Butterflies, etc. || Newest Additions   Section ||

||  Plastics - Bakelite, Celluloid  & More ||

|| Silver & Copper Section || Signature -Designer Section ||

|| Unsigned/Signed Section - Biggest Section of  Treasures || Victorian , Art Deco, Nouveau Section ||

|| Fine Estate Jewelry - Gold & Precious Stones ||

|| Beads - Glass, Turquoise & More  ||  Buckles & Sweater Guards ||

|| Christmas Jewelry || Cufflinks , Tie Clips ||

||  Ivory & Bone ||Watch Fobs, Chatelettes, Fraternal Organizations || Patriotic - Sweetheart, Military, Flags, Eagles ||

|| Earrings Section -- Find a complement to your favorite jewels ||

||  Backlot Bargain Bazaar - Reduced jewelry, strange jewelry, slightly worn jewelry, & more ||


 

---

Janet W. Gaynor,  P. O. Box 35038, Tucson, AZ 85740-5297

Website est. February 1997

---