A 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 George Frederic Strass had the idea to coat the lower side of glass with metal powder around 1775, imitating diamonds. Hence, rhinestones are called Strass in the German language. Due to its low cost and close visual likeness to diamond, cubic zirconia has remained the most gemologically and economically important diamond simulant since 1976. ... For other uses of this word, see Quartz (disambiguation). ... Glass can be made transparent and flat, or into other shapes and colours as shown in this ball from the Verrerie of Brehat in Brittany. ... Structure of methyl methacrylate, the monomer that makes up PMMA Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or poly(methyl 2-methylpropenoate) is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. ... Loreley At 1,320 kilometres (820 miles) and an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second, the Rhine (Dutch Rijn, French Rhin, German Rhein, Italian: Reno, Romansch: Rein, ) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. ... Capital Strasbourg Land area¹ 8,280 km² Regional President Adrien Zeller (UMP) (since 1996) Population  - Jan. ... Jewellery (spelled jewelry in American English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ...

In 1955, the "Aurora Borealis" or "Aqua aura", a a thin, vacuum-sputtered metallic coating applied to crystal stones to produce an iridescent effect, was introduced. Today, crystal rhinestones are primarily used on costumes, apparel and jewelry. They are produced mainly in Austria and the Czech Republic, while acrylic rhinestones are manufactured in several countries. 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... The iridescence of the Blue Morpho butterfly wings. ... The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. ... Jewelry (the American spelling; spelled jewellery in Commonwealth English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ...

Heavy use of rhinestones is often associated with country music singers, as well as with Elvis Presley and Liberace. The rhinestone-studded Nudie suit was invented by Nudie Cohn in the 1940s, an Americanization of the matador's "suit of lights". See Rhinestone Cowboy. country music, see Country music (disambiguation) In popular music, country music, also called country and western music or country-western, is an amalgam of popular musical forms developed in the Southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, blues, gospel music, and old-time music that began... LeAnn Rimes singing in concert A singer is a type of musician who uses his or her voice to produce music. ... Elvis redirects here. ... Liberace shows off his rings (circa 1980). ... Gram Parsons wearing a Nudie Suit Nudie Suit is a brand name of rhinestone- and spangle-decorated cowboy attire worn by many popular country music artists from the 1940s until Nudie Cohens death in 1984. ... Gram Parsons wearing a Nudie Suit Nudie Cohn (December 15, 1902 – May 9, 1984) was a Ukrainian-American tailor, known for designing rhinestone-covered outfits to be worn by celebrities. ... Matador Antonio Barrera in the capote de paseo (dress cape) before a bullfight during the 2003 Aste Nagusia festival in Bilbao, Spain A torero (roughly bull handler) is the main performer in bullfighting events in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. ... Rhinestone Cowboy refers to several things: The song by Glen Campbell, Rhinestone Cowboy Glen Campbells autobiography was also called Rhinestone Cowboy (book) Country music singer David Allan Coe used to be called The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy. ...

External links

• The History of Rhinestones
• A rhinestone FAQ