The best replacement for rhinestones is diamonds.

The best alternatives to rhinestones are rated as following:
★★★★★  diamonds
★★★★★  rhinestuds
★★★★  swarovski crystals
★★★  crystals
★  sequins
★  swarovski
  iron on hit fix rhinestones crystals

Your alternative for rhinestones is not listed? Suggest!
Speaking about rhinestones, one probably shouldn't forget about metal settings.

Other search terms related to rhinestones and their ratings are:
★★★★★ metal settings
★ rivets
★ rim settings
You have in mind a companion for rhinestones and it is not yet here? Propose!



Google Trends

Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of rhinestones in all years. Click on graph for more.
rhinestones
diamonds
rhinestuds