Nail polish was once the only way to get beautiful nails. But in recent years, the yearnings of women have grown beyond regular color and art. Hence, nail rhinestones entered the market as an answer to their wishes.
Now, rhinestones are growing in popularity as more people crave exquisite fingertips. Despite sounding like an easy investment (just buy and sell gems), consumers consider many things when choosing their preferred rhinestones—human preference is tricky.
However, this article will dive into consumer minds, exploring what they look for before purchasing nail rhinestones—and it’ll give sellers a good picture of what to stock up on in 2024.
Table of Contents
Why do consumers love rhinestones?
Nail rhinestones: Factors to consider when choosing them
Wrapping up
Why do consumers love rhinestones?
Some ladies love going full glam and would dazzle any visible part of their body, including their nails. As a result, nail rhinestones have become a popular niche market for consumers looking for extra bling.
Nal rhinestones are tiny, decorative crystals or stones that ladies apply to their nails to make them sparkle and look glamorous. Here are other reasons why some consumers can’t get rhinestones out of their heads:
- Aesthetics: Besides making manicures feel luxurious, rhinestones have enough variety to create any design consumers want. From simple accents to elaborate ones, ladies can use any aesthetic to express their personal style and creativity.
- Versatility: Nail rhinestones are not just for artificial nails—they’re also a great fit for natural nails, too. As a result, they look amazing in various nail shapes and sizes. That’s not all. Rhinestones can work great with other nail art, like polish, glitter, and stamps, granting women unique and eye-catching looks.
- Durability: Manufacturers typically make nail rhinestones from high-quality materials. So, they’re most resistant to fading, chipping, and tarnishing, meaning they can handle everyday wear and tear.
- Affordability: Nail rhinestones offer a way to enjoy a touch of glamor without breaking the bank. Cost-effective and beautiful—what’s not to love?
Nail rhinestones: Factors to consider when choosing them
Embellishment type
One of the strong points of nail rhinestones is their incredible variety. There’s no fixed reason why consumers choose one embellishment over the other—it all boils down to preference.
Regardless, consumers choose what they want from the following types:
Regular rhinestones
These are the most common and popular embellishments. Ladies also call them “glue on” because of how easy they are to apply.
Regular rhinestones are faceted glass cut into crystals. Manufacturers make them in various sizes and colors, making them perfect for people new to the world of sparkling nails.
Some manufacturers also offer cheaper gems made from plastic or acrylic. Although they look cheerful, they don’t have the same sparkle and durability as glass variants. Regardless, they’re an easy way for consumers to try the “rhinestone look.”
Crystal shapes
Another highly favored embellishment, crystal shapes introduce a bit of artistry to rhinestones. They also have flatbacks like regular rhinestones, so consumers can apply them the same way and use them with other nail art.
Ladies with a thing for pretty shapes love these rhinestones. They won’t have to create their preferred shape manually, either—another big plus for such consumers.
These embellishments range from intricate shapes, like flowers, hearts, flames, butterflies, and leaves, to more simple styles, like rhombuses, diamonds, squares, octagons, and triangles.
Pearls
Remember that everyone is not the same, so not all ladies will love the sparkle and bling. But what if they still want the rhinestone effect? That’s where flatback pearls come in.
In addition, pearl rhinestones are the go-to choice for vintage-style designs and bridal nails. Some women even prefer combining pearls and crystals for a subtle yet glam aesthetic.
Pointed-back crystals
These rhinestones follow the recent nail art trend for 3D effects on nails. Naturally, they appeal to ladies who love making bold statements with their nails.
They’re basically chunky rhinestones that create a 3D effect by lifting up the design. However, they require thicker nail gel glues to provide a strong hold. Otherwise, they’d fall off easily.
Cabochons
These rhinestones are pretty, unfaceted stones featuring smooth domed tops. They offer something different than regular rhinestones, buffing any look with luxurious sparkles without excessive bling.
For this reason, cabochons are the go-to for consumers looking for moderate-glam nails. Although clear is the most popular color for these embellishments (because of its bubble effect), consumers may also want them in other shapes and colors.
Note: Bubble-style rhinestones dominated 2023 with many catwalk appearances.
Rhinestone size
After consumers decide on their preferred embellishment, the next thing they’ll consider is size. Thankfully, nail rhinestones come in various sizes, with the best ones depending on the kind of look consumers want.
Here’s a table with more details on the different nail rhinestone sizes and the looks they can create.
| Rhinestone size (mm) | Ideal application |
| 1.4 mm to 2 mm (SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, and SS6) | These are the smallest rhinestone sizes. Consumers mostly use them to create very intricate art and fill gaps. However, they can also create design outlines or depict images on nails. |
| 2.4 mm to 3 mm (SS7, SS9, and SS10) | Medium-sized rhinestones are the go-to for scattering over the nails to create sparkle flashes. Consumers also pick them to create different patterns with smaller crystals. |
| 3.2 mm to 5 mm (SS12, SS16, and SS20) | These are the largest rhinestones consumers can use on their nails. Some consumers use the bigger, chunkier stone as the main attraction, surrounding it with smaller crystals or caviar beads. |
Mixed sizes are also gaining incredible popularity in the nail art space. They’re appealing to ladies looking to add lots of sparkles to their nails, creating a “rockery effect.” For this style, women mix different rhinestone sizes to fully bling their nails, allowing the crystal light to bounce off each other for more sparkle.
Rhinestone color
There’s no shortage of colors for rhinestones. In truth, the options are so vast that they can become overwhelming. Contrast or compliment? Bright and bold? Mix and match? Or neutral and chic? Consumers can create any aesthetic.
Here are some of the most popular rhinestone color groups that are getting the most attention.
| Rhinestone color | Description |
| Clear crystal | Incredibly popular and luxurious, clear crystal is colorless but creates a diamond effect. Because of this colorless nature, clear crystals can match any other rhinestone color. |
| AB crystal (Aurora Borealis) | These crystals mimic the Northern Lights night sky effect. Manufacturers coat these crystals to give them a rainbow effect, like soap bubbles. AB crystals are even more popular than clear variants due to their fascinating light reflection and gorgeous looks. However, the coatings manufacturers use for these crystals reflect the colors around them. So, they’re ideal for consumers who like pink, purple, pale blue, and gold nail polishes. |
| Standard color | These color groups offer the most variety. They’re the go-to for consumers looking for simple colors in various shades. Standard-color rhinestones are also great for adding a splash of color to nail art. Consumers can choose from bright, bold shades, neutral tones, or pastel vintage shades—the choices are endless. |
| Neon | These are the brightest and boldest rhinestones. Some even offer glow-in-the-dark effects. Neon rhinestones are perfect for ladies searching for eye-catching designs. They’re also a timeless trend for the summer and festival seasons. |
Special effects
Some consumers may want special effects on their rhinestones. Manufacturers create these “effects” by layering coatings over the crystals. These special-effect rhinestones are amazing for their extra sparkle under the lights.
Consumers can choose between two types of coating for their desired special effect: metallic and two-tone.
Metallic rhinestones
Rhinestones with solid metallic finishes have a unique effect. Instead of twinkling, they shine with bright light flashes. They’re irresistible to consumers into steampunk, edgy, or rocky designs.
Two-tone rhinestones
These rhinestones can reflect up to four different colors. They seem magical because they change colors depending on the angle. So every movement consumers make showcases different colors.
Wrapping up
Rhinestones offer a beautiful way for women to express themselves with nail art. There’s a huge selection of colors to choose from, meaning consumers can achieve any style that comes to their mind.
The crystals themselves also vary, allowing consumers to choose from affordable sparkles to stones that scream luxury. Since rhinestones are mostly inexpensive, sellers can invest in multiple types to have something for everyone.
Regardless, retailers must consider these things consumers think about when choosing nail rhinestones to make more sales in 2024.
