Georg Friedrich Strass
Encyclopedia
Georg Friedrich Strass was an Alsatian
jeweler and inventor of imitation gemstones
. He is best known as the inventor of the rhinestone
, called strass in many European languages, from a particular type of glass
he found in the river Rhine.
He used mixtures of bismuth
and thallium
to improve the refractive quality of his imitations, and altered their colors with metal
salts. The imitations were, in his view, so similar to real gems that he invented the concept of the "simulated gemstone" to describe them. He considerably improved his gems' brilliance by gluing metal foil behind them. This foil was later replaced with a vapor-deposited mirror coating.
Strass opened his own business in 1730, and devoted himself wholly to the development of imitation diamonds
. Due to his great achievements, he was awarded the title "King's Jeweler" in 1734.
He was a partner in the jewellery business of Madame Prévot. He continued improving his artificial gemstones during this time. His work was in great demand at the court of King Louis XV of France
, and he controlled a large market for artificial gems.
Wealthy through his businesses, he was able to retire comfortably at age 52.
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
jeweler and inventor of imitation gemstones
Gemstones
Gemstones is the third solo album by Adam Green, released in 2005. The album is characterised by the heavy presence of Wurlitzer piano, whereas its predecessor relied on a string section in its instrumentation.-Track listing:#Gemstones – 2:24...
. He is best known as the inventor of the rhinestone
Rhinestone
A rhinestone or paste or diamante is a diamond simulant made from rock crystal, glass or acrylic.Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from the river Rhine. The availability was greatly increased around 1775 when the Alsatian jeweller Georg Friedrich Strass had the idea to imitate...
, called strass in many European languages, from a particular type of glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
he found in the river Rhine.
He used mixtures of bismuth
Bismuth
Bismuth is a chemical element with symbol Bi and atomic number 83. Bismuth, a trivalent poor metal, chemically resembles arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth may occur naturally uncombined, although its sulfide and oxide form important commercial ores. The free element is 86% as dense as lead...
and thallium
Thallium
Thallium is a chemical element with the symbol Tl and atomic number 81. This soft gray poor metal resembles tin but discolors when exposed to air. The two chemists William Crookes and Claude-Auguste Lamy discovered thallium independently in 1861 by the newly developed method of flame spectroscopy...
to improve the refractive quality of his imitations, and altered their colors with metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
salts. The imitations were, in his view, so similar to real gems that he invented the concept of the "simulated gemstone" to describe them. He considerably improved his gems' brilliance by gluing metal foil behind them. This foil was later replaced with a vapor-deposited mirror coating.
Strass opened his own business in 1730, and devoted himself wholly to the development of imitation diamonds
Diamond simulant
The high price of gem-grade diamonds, as well as significant ethical concerns of the diamond trade, have created a large demand for materials with similar gemological characteristics, known as diamond simulants or imitations. Simulants are distinct from synthetic diamond, which unlike simulants is...
. Due to his great achievements, he was awarded the title "King's Jeweler" in 1734.
He was a partner in the jewellery business of Madame Prévot. He continued improving his artificial gemstones during this time. His work was in great demand at the court of King Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
, and he controlled a large market for artificial gems.
Wealthy through his businesses, he was able to retire comfortably at age 52.