Thread: Rhinestone replacement

Sorry if this is a repeat thread, but I searched and didn't find any threads to answer my question.

I have a costume where some of the rhinestones have fallen out of their backs/posts. Where do I buy replacement rhinestones? And are they a specific type? On line vendors reference flatback, sew-on, applique, and I don't know what to look for.

Please help!

You could start by replacing the stones with whatever was there before. When you say that the "rhinestones have fallen out of their backs/posts," I am picturing flatback rhinestones (not HotFix) that are either in pronged settings (prongs poke through the fabric and wrap onto the top of the stone to hold it in place) or bezel settings (a ring of metal holds the stone on and the prongs poke down into the wrong side of the fabric). The alternatives would be HotFix flat rhinestones that have glue on the back and are attached directly to the fabric, OR rhinestones that have facets instead of a flat surface on the back and sit in a higher setting, OR rhinestones that have holes drilled in them so that they can be sewn to the garment. Does that clear up the confusion?

BTW, I don't think the search function is back online yet.

Prongs, that's the word I was looking for. The missing stones are from prongs, like a ring. It seems like the faceted rhinestones are what I need to look for. Is that correct? Can I find these at places like Hobby Lobby?



Edna

I'd look on Dreamtime Creations web site. That's usually where I go to buy missing stones. Some of the sizes can be hard to find, but it's a start.

www.dreamtimecreations.com

If you want a rhinestone that comes to a point in the back like the diamond in the pronged setting of an engagement ring, I don't think you'll find it at Hobby Lobby or Michael's--you'll have to order them through a specialty vendor. If you want the small, flatback type that sits in a lower-profile pronged setting, you should be able to get them at the local craft store. (Just make sure you get the loose-in-package, non-HotFix kind without the glue on the back. The glue-back ones will probably still fit the settings, but there's no sense paying for glue you're not using.) If they don't have the diameter/color/finish you need, you can order this kind online from Dreamtime, RhinestoneDepot, or one of the other vendors who stock a bigger inventory.

I'm glad I found this, as I've got a similar problem with a costume with quite a few small rhinestones missing from rhinestone chain on it. Actually, I feel a bit stupid about the whole thing as it is my first costume which I bought recently for rather more that I'd intended to pay, and didn't even notice the missing stones until I was making alterations to it Anyway, the missing stones are like what SirenoftheSun described, faceted on the back in pronged settings - I'm worried that if I just replace them and try to bend the prongs back into place they will just fall out again though, as the prongs don't seem particularly secure.

Has anyone tried gluing stones into rhinestone chain (with some kind of strong glue that comes in a little tube) as well as the prongs to keep them in place, or is there any obvious reason that this would be a bad idea?

Glueing them into the prong setting should be fine as long as you use a glue designed for jewellery like E-6000 or Gem-Tac. IIRC superglue is a no-no as it can discolour the stone backings.

Originally Posted by Maral

Glueing them into the prong setting should be fine as long as you use a glue designed for jewellery like E-6000 or Gem-Tac. IIRC superglue is a no-no as it can discolour the stone backings.

I'm glad I read this! I didn't know there were special glues for jewelry!

Edna