Quick answer: Rhinestone buttons are decorative buttons set with small cut glass stones, usually in a gold-tone or silver-tone metal frame. Ours come in three styles: a square coat button with a stone-set border and a marbled face, a 10mm cut-out ball strung with stones that hangs from a loop, and a no-sew cover that snaps over the buttons already on a shirt. Sizes run from 10mm to 25mm.
There is a point in most sewing projects where the garment is finished and still looks unfinished. Usually it is the buttons. A stone-set button is the fastest way out of that, and it is also the easiest one to get wrong, because the difference between jewelry and costume junk comes down to how the stones are held, not how many there are. What follows is what these buttons are actually made of, which of the three styles suits which garment, how to pick a size, and what the finish will and will not survive. If you are weighing up materials more broadly, our guide to the types of buttons sets the options side by side.
At a Glance
- Design: Square frame with a stone-set border, cut-out ball with a stone band, and six-petal flower covers
- Material: Gold-tone or silver-tone alloy set with glass rhinestones; marbled resin face on the square style
- Back: Shank loop on the sewn styles; snap-on clip on the covers
- Color: Gold-tone and silver-tone frames; white, pink, beige and coffee faces; clear or mixed stones
- Size: 10mm balls, 20, 23 and 25mm squares, roughly 25mm covers
- Pack: 5 per pack for squares, 6, 10 or 25 for balls, 2 per pair for covers
- Good for: Coats, blazers, jackets, cardigans, dresses, cheongsam fronts, shirt cuffs, bags and craft projects
What Are Rhinestone Buttons?
Rhinestone buttons are buttons set with small faceted glass stones, held in a metal frame or setting so the stones catch light from several angles at once. The stones are glass, not gemstones, and that is true across the whole category, ours included. What varies between makers is whether the stones sit down inside a proper setting or are glued onto a flat surface, and you can usually tell by running a fingertip across the face: a set stone has metal around it, a stuck-on stone sits proud of everything else.
They belong to the same family as the rest of our decorative buttons, but they do a different job. A plain button closes a garment. A stone-set one is read as trim, which is why four or five of them down a placket changes the whole piece rather than just the front of it.
What Are Rhinestone Buttons Made Of?
Ours are glass rhinestones in a gold-tone or silver-tone alloy frame, and they sit alongside the rest of our metal buttons. The square style adds a third material: a marbled resin face in the middle of the frame, finished to read like enamel, which is what keeps a 25mm button from looking heavy on a coat. The gold-tone and silver-tone finishes are surface finishes over alloy, not solid precious metal.
The stones are glued into their settings, which is worth saying plainly because it explains the care instructions further down. Day to day that holds up fine. A hard knock against a doorframe or a hot wash cycle is what works one loose. The marbled face also varies from button to button, since the pattern is mixed into the resin rather than printed on, so a pack of five will be close but not identical.
Why Are Rhinestone Buttons Worth It?
Because the cost sits in the wrong place for once. Replacing five buttons on a plain wool coat costs a fraction of the coat and changes how the coat reads from across a room, which is not true of almost any other alteration at that price. It is also reversible: unpick the thread and the coat is back to where it started.
The second reason is that sparkle is seasonal in a useful way. A stone-set button carries an evening look, a wedding outfit or a cheongsam front without you having to buy a different garment for each. Keep a pack of 25mm squares and a pack of 10mm balls in the tin and most occasions are covered.
How Do You Choose the Right Rhinestone Buttons?
Style and Shape
Three styles, three different jobs. The square rhinestone buttons are the tailoring option: a stone-set border around a marbled face, in a square silhouette that suits coats, blazers and structured dresses. The rhinestone ball buttons are the opposite, a 10mm cut-out sphere with stones set in a band around the middle, hung from a loop at one end so it moves with the fabric rather than sitting flat on it, which is why they work down a cheongsam front or a fitted cuff. The rhinestone button covers are not sewn at all: a six-petal openwork flower with a faux pearl center that clips over the buttons on a shirt you already own, then comes off again before the wash.
Frame Color
Match the frame to the hardware already on the garment, not to the fabric. Gold-tone sits warm against camel, cream, navy and black, and it is the safer choice on anything vintage in feel. Silver-tone reads cooler and more modern, and it is the one to use on grey, pastel and anything with silver zips or buckles, where a gold frame would look like an accident.
The faces give you a second decision on the square style: white and beige stay quiet and let the stones do the work, pink is the softest of the four, and coffee is the one that reads as vintage rather than evening wear. If you are matching an existing coat, order one pack before committing to the whole front.
Size
Sizes run 10mm for the balls, 20, 23 and 25mm for the squares, and roughly 25mm for the covers. Ten millimeters is smaller than photographs suggest, a shade under 3/8 inch, so lay a ruler on the desk before ordering. On a placket it reads as a detail noticed on second look; it will not hold a coat front closed, and it is not meant to. For the squares, 20mm suits blouses, cardigans and light jackets, while 23 and 25mm are coat and blazer sizes. Measure the buttonhole rather than the old button, and remember a stone-set border adds a little width that a plain button of the same nominal size does not have. Our button size guide covers how to measure properly.
Back and Attachment
The square and ball styles are shank buttons: a loop on the back takes the thread, so nothing crosses the stones on the face. On the ball the loop sits at one end rather than centered underneath, with a small matching bead at the opposite end, so it hangs off its loop instead of standing to attention. That tilt is part of the look, but it does mean the ball turns freely, so set the thickest run of stones outward before you knot off. The covers use a snap-on clip and need no stitching at all. If you are unsure which back suits your project, read shank vs sew-through before ordering.
Quantity
Squares come 5 to a pack, which covers a coat front or a blazer with nothing spare. Balls come in 6, 10 and 25: six does one cheongsam front or a pair of cuffs, ten covers a full placket with one in reserve, and 25 is for people making rather than mending. Covers are sold as a pair, sized for the two buttons on a shirt cuff. Order a spare either way, since stone color and frame tone shift slightly between production batches and matching a single button six months later never comes out exact. A needle and thread are included with the ball packs.
How Do You Style Rhinestone Buttons?
- Swap all five buttons on a plain wool coat for 25mm squares and match the thread to the fabric, so the stone border is the only thing the eye lands on
- Run 10mm balls down a cheongsam or mandarin collar front, where past four or five in a line they stop reading as fastenings and start reading as trim
- Keep the frame tone consistent with the zips, buckles and jewelry already in the outfit, rather than mixing gold and silver down one placket
- Use a single 25mm square on a bag flap or a wrap skirt closure, where one stone-set button does more than a row of small ones
- Not ready to sew? Clip a pair of covers onto a shirt cuff for an evening, then take them off before the wash, the same trick as the rest of our button covers
- Sew spare balls onto hair combs, earring drops and bag charms, which is where button craft projects and the 25-pack earn their keep
Buying for a shop or brand? These rhinestone buttons are also available for wholesale and bulk orders, with trade pricing for boutiques, makers and studios. Get in touch for a wholesale quote.
How Do You Sew On a Shank Button?
- Mark the button position and thread a needle, doubling the thread and knotting the end.
- Bring the needle up from the back of the fabric to the front at the mark.
- Pass the needle through the shank loop, then back down through the fabric close to where it came up.
- Repeat through the loop four or five times, keeping a little slack so the button sits comfortably.
- Wrap the thread a few times under the button to form a neat thread shank, then knot on the back of the fabric.
Ordinary all-purpose thread is enough. On knitwear add a small stay button on the reverse: a 10mm ball weighs almost nothing, but a single end loop funnels all of that pull into one point, and loose yarn will open up around it eventually.
How Do You Care for Rhinestone Buttons?
Treat the stones as the weak point, because they are. Remove the buttons before machine washing where that is realistic, or turn the garment inside out and use a mesh laundry bag on a cool, gentle cycle with no spin. Keep bleach, solvents, perfume, hairspray and abrasive cleaners away from the face, since all of them cloud glass long before they touch the metal. A soft dry cloth is all the frame needs. Do not iron over the buttons, and press around them instead.
Two specifics worth knowing. Do not soak the ball style: it is hollow, water gets inside and then sits there, and standing water is what loosens the glue. And store spares in a box or pouch rather than loose in a tin, where a harder metal button will scratch a stone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are rhinestone buttons real diamonds? No. Rhinestones are cut glass stones, and ours are set in gold-tone or silver-tone alloy rather than precious metal.
Are they shank or sew-through? The square and ball styles are shank, with a loop on the back so no thread crosses the face. The covers clip on and are not sewn at all.
What sizes do they come in? 10mm for the balls, 20, 23 and 25mm for the squares, and roughly 25mm for the covers.
What colors are available? Gold-tone and silver-tone frames, with white, pink, beige and coffee faces on the square style, and clear or mixed stones on the balls.
Will the stones fall out? Not in normal wear. They are glued into their settings, so a hard knock or a hot wash can loosen one, which is why hand washing is the safer route.
Can I put them in the washing machine? Better not to. Remove them if you can, or use a mesh bag on a cool gentle cycle and keep bleach away.
Can I order them in bulk? Yes. These buttons are available for wholesale and bulk orders with trade pricing, alongside smaller packs for home sewing.
Rule of Thumb
Pick the square style when the button has to hold something closed, the ball style when it only has to look like trim, and the covers when you are not willing to put a needle through the shirt at all. Gold-tone for warm and vintage, silver-tone for cool and modern.
Where to Buy
Browse our rhinestone buttons in gold-tone and silver-tone frames, in white, pink, beige and coffee, in 20mm, 23mm and 25mm, and pick the combination that suits your project. Get in touch using the contact details at the bottom of this page and we will be happy to help.
Can You Buy Rhinestone Buttons Wholesale?
Yes. As a button manufacturer, we offer our rhinestone buttons for wholesale and bulk orders, with trade pricing for boutiques, fashion brands, tailors and craft studios. Whether you are stocking a shop, fitting out a production run or filling craft kits, we ship factory-direct internationally. Tell us the styles, frame tones, sizes and quantities you need, using the contact details below, and we will reply with a wholesale quote and bulk availability.
Get in Touch
Have a question about our rhinestone buttons, or want a wholesale quote? Contact our customer service team and we will be happy to help.
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: +86 158-8823-7906
- Address: No. 163, Hanbu Road, Qiaoxia Town, Yongjia County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, 325106
Recommended Reading
- The Complete Guide to Buttons: Types, Materials and How to Choose
- The Complete Buying Guide to Pearl Buttons
- Sew-Through vs. Shank Buttons: Which One Should You Use?