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#1 Rhinestone & Component Supplier
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Frequently Asked Questions

View our Frequently Asked Questions Below, contact us if you have questions.

What credit cards to you accept?
We accept credit or debit cards that are issued by Master Card, Discover, Visa and now accepting American Express. Your billing address and zip code must match or your order cannot be shipped. All charges are processed in United States Dollars. If you are requesting your order be shipped to an alternate address other than your billing address, please understand additional measures are in place to verify card holder identity which could cause a small delay in your order processing time.

For our international customers, your issuing bank will covert the charge to your local currency at that days current exchange rate. Please check with your bank for current rates and any other fees they may assess. We are not responsible for currency exchange rates and have no control over this.

SPECIAL NOTICE TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS: Some international customers will be required to verify the security of your payment before we can ship your order. You will receive an email with instructions from us if you are required to verify additional information. We hope you understand this policy is in place to protect you, your bank and our company from credit card fraud when we cannot obtain card holder name, address and security verification from international banks.


How do I order from you?
You can order online via our online store or by simply calling us (260) 484-2711.
What does AB or Special Effect mean?
AB - AB stands for Aurora Borealis (which means "northern lights"). Aurora Borealis rhinestones have a special iridescent finish that shines with many colors. The iridescent surface is a result of a very thin layer of metallic atoms that have been deposited on the lower surface of the stone. This process was invented in 1955 by the Swarovski company together with Christian Dior.

Special Effect - Special effect rhinestones change color when moved. Multiple colors on one stone are achieved with shiny metallic coating.
What is your return policy?
Rhinestone or piece count items may be returned or exchanged within 15 days of original invoice date,with prior approval, for store credit and are subject to a 15% re-stocking fee. Only full (unopened - factory sealed) packages of any rhinestone and/or component will be accepted for return without a 15% re-stocking fee. Original and return shipping are non refundable. Any SALE item is a final sale.

ALL SWAROVSKI ITEMS ARE A FINAL SALE

Product must be returned in padded envelope or sturdy box with no damage. Items received with improper packaging will be refused or returned without credit. Customer pays shipping on new items being exchanged. Please email or call us for a return authorization number.

All Preciosa NON Viva (retired) rhinestones are NON REFUNDABLE and NON RETURNABLE.

Generally speaking our products, dresses and clothing are sold as-is. We do allow an exchange for a different size or in store credit. However, we strive for great customer service and will make any special accommodations if possible. Please contact us to initiate this process. Item must be returned with all tags still attached and in clean, non worn condition. Email: sales@rhinestonesupply.comA

All returns must be packed in a heavily padded envelope or sturdy box with copy of original invoice, contact phone number and list of items to exchange for. Email Sales@RhinestoneSupply.com for authorization and address to send to. 

What is your shipping policy?

****ATTENTION - IMPORTANT****

RETURNED ITEMS DUE TO INCORRECT ADDRESSES (such as missing apartment or unit numbers) WILL RESULT IN ADDITIONAL SHIPPING CHARGES

US Domestic Shipping: All overnight (1 day, 2 day, etc.) air orders (which includes USPS Express Mail and Fed Ex) need to be received by 5:00am eastern time in order to be processed the same day. If you have an urgent order after that time, please call 260-484-2711 to check if it is possible to get it out that day. Rhinestone Supply will do our best to accommodate you if at all possible. In the event of any action out of our control (weather, natural disaster, etc.) that would cause your order to be delayed - we will contact you right away.

NOTICE - Due to COVID related issues ALL SHIPPING CARRIERS are experiencing delays. This is out of our control so please be patient. Priority Mail is NOT GUARANTEED for delivery in 2-3 days and in some regions delivery time can take 3-5 business days.

Priority Mail and first class mail orders go out in the order they are received, usually within 24-48 hours.

Priority mail orders include delivery confirmation but do not require a signature unless your mail carrier feels you do not have a safe location to leave your package. This is at their discretion and you will need to pick your package up or be at the delivery location for re-attempt. We cannot force the carrier to leave your package. Priority Mail packages include $ 100.00 of insurance. If you would like additional insurance we will be happy to provide the cost to you, just click the insurance box during check out to add insurance. 

First Class Mail orders are shipped with Delivery Confirmation only, NO INSURANCE. In the event your package is lost or delayed you need to contact your local post office and provide the tracking number we emailed to you.  IF YOUR PACKAGE IS LOST OR MISHANDLED BY THE USPS WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE AND YOUR ORDER WILL NOT BE REPLACED UNLESS YOU RE-ORDER.  We do not recommend using 1st class mail for this reason. It is however, a lot cheaper shipping method if you want to take the risk.  

USPS - FAQ's for LOST, DELAYED, or NO DELIVERY OF MAIL

Sometimes our shipping calculator over estimates your shipping cost, we will reduce your shipping fees before charging your credit card if this happens.

You will be contacted if any errors arise with your shipping. Please provide a valid contact phone number as this is usually the fastest way for us to contact you.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: We do ship to International destinations. Purchaser is responsible for any and all customs, duties or international taxes/fees assessed by your country. Refusal to pay any and all fees will result in the abandonment of your package and no refund will be issued. The easiest way to determine the price is the place the items you would like to order in your shopping cart and proceed to the check out. Once you enter your Country and Postal Code you should see prices and options. Sometimes our shipping calculator over estimates your shipping cost, we will reduce your shipping fees before charging your credit card if this happens.

THERE IS NO MAIL SERVICE ON THE FOLLOWING DATES:

2022 holidays

FRIDAY
December 31*
New Year’s Day
MONDAY
January 17
Martin Luther King Jr. birthday
MONDAY
February 21
Presidents’ Day
MONDAY
May 30
Memorial Day
MONDAY
June 20**
Juneteenth National Independence Day
MONDAY
July 4
Independence Day
MONDAY
September 5
Labor Day
MONDAY
October 10
Columbus Day
FRIDAY
November 11
Veterans Day
THURSDAY
November 24
Thanksgiving Day
MONDAY
December 26*
Christmas Day




Where can I learn about the Preciosa VIVA12 Rhinestones?
Click here to view PDF
Can I download a printable Preciosa (Czech) Color Chart?
Preciosa is leading producer of cut crystal! Here's a printable color chart for the non-Viva rhinestones and the new Viva Rhinestones! More of these stunning Viva flat back rhinestones will be added to our store soon - or can be special ordered!

Purchase a Preciosa Rhinestone Color Chart HERE

Can I print a size chart for flat back rhinestones?
Printable Size Chart for Flat Back Rhinestones - This PDF will print with black dots very close to size of actual rhinestones, do not enlarge or print to fit page otherwise sizes will be wrong.  Also this PDF is pretty large it may take a minute to download.
Do you take paypal?
We prefer to not accept paypal due to the excessive fees they charge. If you have no other way to pay, please contact us and request a paypal invoice. Please note a small administrative fee may be assessed. We do accept Discover, Mastercard, Visa and American Express. You can also mail a personal check, money order or business check, please allow for additional processing time.
How do I care for my garments with rhinestones attached?
For most garments (including lycra dresses, leotards) it is best to hand wash with a gentle cleanser such as Woolite? in warm water in the sink. Turn inside out before washing and swish in soapy water, scrubbing areas prone to more sweat. Rinse well and lay flat on light colored towel. Roll towel tightly from one short end to the other. Flip over and repeat, then do it again with a dry towel. Allow item to lay flat until mostly dry and then hang to dry. Do not hang when fully wet as this will cause the item to stretch out! DO NOT WASH or SOAK any item until GLUE HAS CURED for AT LEAST 14 DAYS.

We suggest hanging heavy items over a clean white towel on a hanger with a thick bar across the bottom, such as a wooden hanger.

For items with Swarovski Crystal Hot Fix rhinestones, turn inside out and hand wash or wash on gentle cycle in machine. Turn inside out before drying. Dry at a warm temperature with reduced thermal load. To ensure that the flat backs will not be damaged during the drying process, cover them with a soft washing bag. Iron at a warm temperature using the setting wool/silk/polyester/viscose. Use a protective cloth. Please note that the glue is reactivated when ironing.

Do not use chlorine bleach. Do not dry clean. No type of application (glue or hot fix) is guaranteed to be permanent. Rhinestones are crystal and will scratch and crack if washed with abrasive items. Hand washing is always the best option and extends the life of your garment!
How do I glue on rhinestones?

Here's a great YouTube video to watch!

We only sell glues we will use on our own items or customers items. Please see the catalog for glues we offer and if you have questions, feel free to ask. Never use Super Glue or Hot Glue to set rhinestones, it will change the color of the foil backing, make the stone appear cloudy and ruin your rhinestones.

Practice on scrap fabric until you can consistently judge the size of glue spots required for the size of rhinestone you are using. Smaller dots for smaller stones, larger dots for larger stones.

Place glue spots onto fabric in whatever patterns you want. The glue spots must be smaller than the rhinestone you are using, the glue should just come around the rhinestone edge. You want to glue the rhinestone glass edge to the fabric, not just the back of the rhinestone. The bond of the foil backing to the glass of the rhinestone is not enough to hold the stone to the fabric over time and lots of use. Ultimately, if abused, you will have nice, bright shiny metallic spot of foil with no glass if you don't glue properly.

Do not apply any more spots of glue than you can set stones into within 60 seconds. If it is a dry day, do fewer at one time you do not want the glue to skim dry on the surface BEFORE the stone is set. Most Glue is white when it comes out of the tube, and is water-soluble. It becomes clear when it dries, and is no longer water-soluble. 

We offer a large variety of GLUE options

Use an applicator stick, such as the Embellie Gellie, Crystal Katana or Jewel Setter, to make your life much easier. Apply the glue spots to the fabric, lightly touch the top side of the stone with the waxy end of the applicator stick, the stone will stick to the applicator stick, but you do not want it 'glued' to the stone. Push the stone into the glue with the applicator stick; lightly twirl the stick as you pull back. The rhinestone will stay in the glue and you can move on to the next stone very quickly. Do not even think about tweezers. Glue gets on the tips and the stones stick to the tweezers.

Allow rhinestone glue to begin to clear before moving to another part of the fabric and handle lightly, being careful not to undo stones that are drying.

Usually, 24 hours is a good drying time before wearing your garment. Wait one week to hand wash. Wash in cold to warm water.

Do Not Dry Clean Clothes With Glued Stones. The glue will discolor (yellow) and eventually become brittle. Be sure to check the glue you decide to use for complete and update instructions.

If you lose a stone, reapply glue to same spot and replace stone as above.

IF you drip glue on fabric, use damp, clean cloth to remove. Wipe and repeat a few times. Do Not Remove Glue From Satin With A Damp Cloth. You Will Water Spot The Satin. The best way to avoid spots, etc., when gluing is to be careful.

SWAROVSKI recommends the following application(s):
  1. The work surface & your hands must be clean and dust free. Use the isopropyl alcohol or Acetone and then wipe clean. Trace a motif on your substrate by using a pencil.
  2. Take up a bit of adhesive with the help of a syringe or any other appropriate dosing tool.
  3. Place a small drop of adhesive on the substrate where you want to put the first crystal.
  4. Pick up the crystal using a wax stick/ tweezers or any other appropriate Tool.
  5. Gently place the crystal on the drop of adhesive and let the glue to dry according to manufacturers recommendations. Continue placing drops of glue and applying the crystal components according to the outlined motif.
  6. After finishing the application of crystal components on the motif, dip a Q-Tip in Acetone and lightly go over the top of the crystal to remove any excess glue.
How to apply rhinestones
How do I know how many stones I need?

HOW MANY RHINESTONES DO I NEED? 

We have a new printable diagram showing how many stones per inch, per size and per square inch. 

Rhinestone Diagram PDF.pdf


How many rhinestones do I need in a straight line?

These numbers are approximate to cover 1 inch of area in a straight line. 

Stones placed side by side ...  

  • 6ss - 12 rhinestones
  • 8ss - 11 rhinestones
  • 10ss - 9 rhinestones
  • 12ss - 8 rhinestones
  • 16ss - 6.25 rhinestones
  • 20ss - 5 rhinestones
  • 30ss - 4 rhinestones
  • 34ss - 3.5 rhinestones
  • 40ss - 3 rhinestones
*1 Square Inch = 645.16 Square Millimeters

How To Calculate the Area of a Circle 

  1. Divide the diameter by 2 to find the radius.
  2. Square the radius, that is, multiply it by itself. For example, the radius is 4 mm, then the square of that would be 4 x 4 which is 16mm.
  3. Multiply the answer from step 2 (radius squared) by pi (3.1416). This is the area.
How do I know what size dress to buy?
How many pieces are in a gross and what does "gr" stand for?
GR stands for GROSS not GRAMS.

There are 144 pieces in a gross.

  • 1 gross equals 144 pieces
  • 5 gross equals 720 pieces, etc.
Our pieces are weighed, not hand counted, and are normally very accurate but the numbers are approximate. Packages can be off by a couple of pieces either plus or minus.
Holiday Hours - Closed Dates

We will be CLOSED on the following dates 2022:

October 20 - 25, 2022

November 24 - 27, 2022

December 23 - December 27, 2022

December 31- January 2, 2023

Dates are subject to change


Do you ship to International Destinations?

 INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: We do ship to International destinations. Purchaser is responsible for any and all customs, duties or international taxes/fees assessed by your country. Refusal to pay any and all fees will result in the abandonment of your package and no refund will be issued. The easiest way to determine the price is the place the items you would like to order in your shopping cart and proceed to the check out. Once you enter your Country and Postal Code you should see prices and options. Sometimes our shipping calculator over estimates your shipping cost, we will reduce your shipping fees before charging your credit card if this happens.

International delivery times are not guaranteed. Delays can be caused by your countries processing of inbound packages at Customs. We have no control over this and cannot track the package at Customs. 

We highly reccommend that you purchase insurance on your package.

Are you an Authorized Reseller?

This program has been discontinued. 

Recently Swarovski decided to remove their crystals from the general public and DIY market. What remaining inventory we have will continue to be for sale but cannot guarantee how long it will last. We encourage you to order enough or extra for your project as we cannot re-order.

While our relationship with Swarovski has ended, we are still here to offer you great alternative products! We are adding more Preciosa MAXIMA stones weekly and are happy to bring in a certain size or color for you. Just email or call us!

In addition, our Silver Lining Rhinestones are being phased out and will be replaced with the Preciosa Viva12 stones. If we do not have enough of the SL stones we will send you the Viva12 stones without notice. If the color isn’t exactly the same, we will contact you before shipping. Most colors are the same but some are slightly different.


ALL SWAROVSKI ITEMS ARE A FINAL SALE

Do you have a retail location?

We do not have a retail location that is open to the public. We are an online store only. If you are a local customer or close by, please contact us to set up an appointment. We will be happy to meet you but only if time permits and we are contacted in advance. Phone: 260-484-2711 Email: Sales@RhinestoneSupply.com

Where Can I Print Stopwatch Instructions

STOPWATCH INSTRUCTIONS


How can I learn about the Preciosa MAXIMA Rhinestones?

Here's a great comparison chart to show the difference between the Preciosa Viva12 and MAXIMA Rhinestones!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PDF or click here to view the MAXIMA brochure.