The claimed subject matter relates generally to the field of ornamental jewelry and, more particularly, to earrings that are convertible from a first design to a second design.
The use of earrings to adorn the body has long been known. Numerous styles of earrings exist to suit one's taste, budget, and sense of fashion. Earrings vary greatly in their individual appearance and range from a simple single stud design to elaborate designs. Conventional earrings typically comprise a single fixed design. This results in wearers needing to own a number of earrings for various occasions.
It would be advantageous therefore to provide an earring that is convertible from one design type to another and therefore usable for multiple types of occasions. An earring that converted from a relatively simple design suitable for daytime wear, into a more elaborate design, more suitable for evening wear, would be of substantial benefit, as such an earring would serve to increase the variety of a wearer's jewelry wardrobe.
An embodiment meets a long-felt need in the art by providing a pendant for, e.g., an earring design necklace where the pendant is convertible from a first, stowed position featuring a relatively simple design having principally a single ornamental element, to a second, deployed, position featuring a more elaborate design and having multiple ornamental elements. In the embodiment, the pendant is convertible without the need to remove or replace any components of the pendant. In the embodiment, the pendant may be permanently attached to a link, such as a chain, ring, hoop, or device such as hooks, posts with a backing, clamps (magnetic or otherwise), and clip-on device for attaching an earring such as a stud. In an embodiment, the pendant may be removably attached to the link, thereby allowing the link, e.g., a chain, ring, or hoop, to be worn independently, if desired.
In an embodiment, the convertible earring designs may be in the form of a geometric shape, such as a ball, wherein the shape, e.g., a ball, comprises two halves that are magnetically coupled and may contain additional features within a cavity formed by the two halves. The earrings may be worn with the ball either closed or open. When the shape is opened, the additional ornamental features dangle from the interior of the shape. These additional features convert the earrings from a relatively simple shape to a more complex arrangement featuring multiple ornamental elements. The two halves may then be re-coupled to re-form the initial shape.
In an embodiment, the shape is hinged and when opened, at least one ornamental element is released to dangle below the shape. The at least one ornamental element may be one or more of gemstones, pearls, ornamental pieces of metal work, or like ornamental items. In the embodiment, the at least one ornamental element may be another metallic ball of smaller size.
In an embodiment, the shape comprises magnetically coupled upper and lower halves which may be separated by being pulled apart. The upper and lower halves may be interconnected, e.g., by links of chain, wire, or cord, which attach to at least one ornamental element that is suspended between the upper and lower halves of the shape. When the bottom half of the shape is separated (or pulled) from the upper half, the lower half dangles from the upper half with the at least one ornamental element suspended therebetween. The at least one ornamental element may be one or a combination of gemstones, pearls, ornamental pieces of metal work, or like ornamental items.
In an embodiment, the link may include a ring with a hinge that allows portions of the ring to pivot between open and closed positions. The ring portions may be magnetically coupled in the closed position. The ring of the link may also include ornamental features such as metal work, gemstones and the like. In an embodiment, the link may be either permanently or removably attached to the remainder of the convertible earring.
In embodiments, the convertible earrings increase the variety of a wearer's jewelry investment by providing earrings which are suitable for multiple occasions. The earrings offer a user enhanced utility as they are suitable in their closed or stowed configurations, for example, for business wear, and are suitable in their open or deployed configurations, for example, as evening wear.
In embodiments, the earring may be attached to a part of the wearer other than an ear, e.g., the nose, or lip.
The above and other advantages of the convertible earring design will be described in more detail below.
The embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements, and in which:
The embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments are shown. The convertible earring however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
In embodiments, the earring may be attached to a part of the wearer other than an ear, e.g., the nose, or lip. Thus, though “earring” is generally used to describe the embodiments, it should be understood that the embodiments described as “earrings” are not limited to being worn on the ear and that, as a result, the same embodiments should also be considered “rings” that the wearer may position as desired (as pendants on a necklace, or on a bracelet, etc.).
In
In the exemplary embodiment of the convertible earring 10 in
Referring now to
In an embodiment, two or more ornamental elements 30 may be disposed within a cavity of pendant 14, each connected to pendant 14 by a connector 32.
In an embodiment, more than one connector 32 may be connected to each ornamental element 30.
In an embodiment, halves 26 and 28 may be configured to remain both open or closed with ornamental element 30 deployed, which results in halves 26 and 28 having different ornamental effects when in the open position compared to the closed position.
In an embodiment, a convertible pendant includes; a first ornament including a first part, a second part, and a cavity defined by the first and second parts; a connector; and a second ornament connected by the connector to the first ornament. In this embodiment, the first and second parts are separable providing access to the cavity; the cavity is dimensioned to accept the second ornament and at least part of the connector; and the pendant has a first configuration in which the second ornament is within the cavity and a second configuration in which the first part and second part are coupled and the second ornament is external to the cavity. In an embodiment, in the first configuration the connector is within the cavity. In an embodiment, a first surface of the first part or a first surface of the second part are incomplete such that the second ornament is partly visible in the first configuration. In an embodiment, the first ornament is one of: a sphere, a cube, a cylinder, a cone, or another solid geometric shape (not always going to be a solid geometric shape. Sometimes textured, pierced, or an organic shape . . . ); and the second ornament includes one of: a gemstone, a pearl, an ornamental pieces of metal work, or a solid geometric shape. In an embodiment, the pendant further includes a link releasably connected to the first ornament, where the link is configured to connect to a user such that the pendant has a third configuration in which the first ornament is disconnected from the link and the link may be connected to the user. In an embodiment, the connector is dimensioned such that in the second configuration the second ornament is adjacent to the first ornament. In an embodiment, the connector is one of: a chain, a cord, or a hinge. In an embodiment, the first part and the second part magnetically couple, the magnetic coupling being releasable. In an embodiment, a hinge connects the first part and the second part. And in an embodiment, a link configured to connect to a user is connected to the first part of the first ornament, and the connector is connected to the first part of the first ornament.
With reference to
The at least one ornamental element 56 is suspended between the upper and lower halves 54 and 52, by at least one upper connecting element 58 and by at least one lower connecting element 59. The at least one upper connecting element connects to an upper portion of the at least one ornamental element 56 and to the interior of the upper half 54. The at least one lower connecting element 59 connects to a lower portion of the at least one ornamental element 56 and to the interior of the lower half 52.
In an embodiment, upper and lower connecting elements 58 and 59 may be chain or wire. In an embodiment, upper and lower connecting elements 58 and 59 may be other flexible materials.
Referring now to
In an embodiment in which halves 54 and 52 are coupled by magnetic force, a wearer may easily separate the two halves with her fingers without the need to take off the earrings.
In an embodiment, two or more ornamental elements 56 may be disposed within a cavity of pendant 44, each connected to pendant 44 by at least one upper connector 58 to upper half 54 and by at least one lower connector 59 to lower half 52.
In an embodiment, more than one upper connector 58 or lower connector 59 may be connected to each ornamental element 30.
In
In
In the embodiments of
In the embodiments, spherical balls 14, 44 may be replaced by other ornament shapes, e.g., cubes, textured and/or organic shapes, and ornaments 30, 56 and connectors 32, 58, 59 may be contained within cavities within the substituted shape.
In an embodiment, a convertible pendant may include: a first ornament including a first part, a second part, and a cavity defined by the first and second parts; a first connector; a second connector; and a second ornament connected by the first connector to the first part and connected by the second connector to the second part. In this embodiment: the first and second parts are separable providing access to the cavity; the cavity is dimensioned to accept the second ornament and at least part of the first connector and at least part of the second connector; and the pendant has a first configuration in which the second ornament is within the cavity and a second configuration in which the first part and second part are separated and at least part of the first connector, the second ornament, and at least part of the second connector are revealed. In an embodiment, in the first configuration the first connector, the second connector are within the cavity. In an embodiment, a first surface of the first part or a first surface of the second part are incomplete such that the second ornament is partly visible in the first configuration. In an embodiment, the first ornament is one of: a sphere, a cube, a cylinder, a cone, or another solid geometric shape or non-solid, organic shape; and the second ornament includes one of: a gemstone, a pearl, an ornamental pieces of metal work; or a solid geometric shape or a textured and/or organic shape. In an embodiment, the pendant further includes a link releasably connected to the first ornament, wherein: the link is configured to connect to a user such that the pendant has a third configuration in which the first ornament is disconnected from the link and the link may be connected to the user. In an embodiment, the first connector is dimensioned such that in the second configuration the first connector does not extend beyond the first part, or the second connector is dimensioned such that in the second configuration the second connector does not extend beyond the second part. In an embodiment, the connector is one of: a chain, a cord, or a hinge. In an embodiment, the first part and the second part magnetically couple, the magnetic coupling being releasable. In an embodiment, a hinge connects the first part and the second part. And in an embodiment, the link is connected to the first part of the first ornament, and the connector is connected to the first part of the first ornament.
While the embodiments have been described with regards to particular embodiments, it is recognized that additional variations may be devised without departing from the inventive concept.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed subject matter. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will further be understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of states features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the present or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong. It will further be understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
In describing the embodiments, it will be understood that a number of elements, techniques, and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed elements, or techniques. The specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the embodiments and the claimed subject matter.
In the description above and throughout, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of an embodiment of this disclosure. It will be evident, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art, that an embodiment may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to facilitate explanation. The description of the preferred embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. Further, in the methods disclosed herein, various steps are disclosed illustrating some of the functions of an embodiment. These steps are merely examples and are not meant to be limiting in any way. Other steps and functions may be contemplated without departing from this disclosure or the scope of an embodiment.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/789,803, entitled “CONVERTIBLE EARRINGS,” filed Jan. 8, 2019, which is incorporated in its entirety.
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