Round vs Square Drills: Are You Sure You've Made the Right Choice?

Why We Chose “Round” and What It Has to Do with Your Nerves

Andres Paršin, Product Manager

When choosing a diamond painting kit as a gift or for a relaxing evening, square drills can seem like the “serious” option because they cover the canvas completely. But in reality, squares are a true test for anyone with ironclad patience and 20 spare hours.

At Varvikas, we make a deliberate choice to include round drills in our kits. Here’s why.

You Don’t Have to Be a Jeweler

You can’t just stick a square stone down :). It has to be aligned along both axes using the stylus. The moment one row goes even slightly off - ten centimetres later the whole picture turns into a lopsided fence.

Round rhinestones can be placed any way you like. They have no corners that need to line up. No matter how you set the stone, it sits perfectly. That’s what gives you speed and ease, you simply place drills and relax instead of fighting with row geometry.

The “Shimmer Effect”

Square diamonds looks like one flat, even surface. Round drills, by virtue of their shape and faceting, catch light from different angles. Under an ordinary home lamp, a painting like this “plays” and sparkles more actively. It looks three-dimensional and alive.

The Elephant in the Room: Why Are There Defective Crystals in the Tray?

Sometimes buyers are alarmed to find stones with chips, holes, or strange little “tails” among their drills. Let’s break down why this happens and why it will not ruin your result.

Diamond painting involves manufacturing millions of tiny plastic parts. It is technologically impossible to produce a billion rhinestones and have every single one be perfect. A defect rate of 1–2% is the global production standard found in any kit.

Here’s how we solved this problem at Varvikas:

We don’t make you ration your stones. The biggest fear is ending up with an empty spot on the canvas you can’t fill. To prevent that, we include 20% more of every colour than is needed.

“See It, Toss It” principle. You don’t need to try and glue down a defective stone. Spot a flawed drills just flick it off the tray and into the bin. You still have hundreds of perfect stones of that same colour in reserve.

Bottom Line: We chose round rhinestones and generous quantities so that your hobby stays a hobby instead of turning into a plastic-sorting job. You simply pick up a stone, place it, and watch the painting begin to shine.

Everything else is our concern.