Thread: colored AB crystals?

i have a couple costume projects in mind, and one of them is namely pimping up a simple bra/belt set. rhinestones i know exist in many different colors, but what about AB crystals? i know there are normal crystals in many colors but i like the shine in the AB ones. anyone know if there are AB crystals out there in the tones of black, dark blue, dark purple, dark red... you get the gist. and where can i find them?
also, this may be a stupid question, but... from up close there's a big visual difference between an AB and a normal crystal, but is the difference also obvious from further away (like on stage or whatnot)? cos if not then i might as well go for the plain crystals....

thanks! :)

very hard to find. M.C and swarovski are the only makers I know of.

AB is actually a coating applied to a crystal. So the coating can be applied to any crystal but when most people say AB they mean a color called 'crystal AB' which looks like this: Swarovski 3232 pear rhinestone sew on | Dreamtime Creations | Dreamtime Creations
It is easy to find small bicones that are colored and have AB or AB2x coating (2x just means it was applied twice- it gives a really beautiful effect), however I haven't ever come across the larger sew on colored crystals with an AB coating applied. The colored ones without the coating are really gorgeous though and do have their own depth and shine. Here is the site where I buy large colored sew on crystals: Rhinestones - Sew On | Dreamtime Creations
And here is where you can find the small colored stones with AB coatings: Swarovski® Crystal Beads & Components: Shop by Color - Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
Did that help? You could try ordering a few and see if you like the colors with your costume before buying a bunch.
What color is the costume you are fixing up?

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo thank you for all that!
i though 'AB' was an internal effect, a slight difference in the composition of the crystal or whatnot, that maybe only worked with the clear colored crystals. so if your crystal is scratched the color sparkle effect is tarnished?
the costume i had in mind for this is turquoise. but i haven't bought it yet so the color may change ^^ was thinking of adding either clear or AB, to complement, or going into the purples to contrast. will see :) will see if i get around to doing it cos i always have so many projects that so few end up actually done lol ^^
thanks for all the info! :)

Preciosa has alot of colored AB stones