Aurora Borealis Rhinestone Bouquet Brooch Bouquet of Aurora Borealis and Amber Glass Rhinestone flowers on a goldtone metal spray. Would look equally wonderful on a lapel, scarf, or on a hat. The brooch measures 1" wide and 1 5/8" deep Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from the river Rhine. The availability was greatly increased when around 1775 the Alsatian jeweller Georg Friedrich Strass had the idea to imitate diamonds by coating the lower side of glass with metal powder. Hence, rhinestones are called Strass in many European languages.