DISC-SHAPED DIAMOND SETTING

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for setting a disc-shaped diamond or other precious stone that provides increased stability and resistance to breakage, thus protecting the precious stone and minimizing the possibility that the setting may break or fail. The setting is accomplished by holding the disc-shaped stone onto an article of jewelry via a cap located on a distal end of a rod that extends through the center of the disc-shaped stone and is welded at a proximal end to a face of the article of jewelry. The disc-shaped stone is thus secured between the cap and the article of jewelry such that it is in contact with each, thereby preventing axial movement along the rod. These settings as described may be disposed at as many positions about an article of jewelry as so desired.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to jewelry, and more specifically to a method of setting a disc-shaped precious stone, such as a diamond, to an article of jewelry, such as a ring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, jewelry settings are available in many different types and styles. Among the different sets or settings available are prong sets, bead sets, bezel sets, channel sets, pave settings, and invisible sets. These can be used alone or in combination with each other. There are certain disadvantages to each that the present invention addresses.

Prong setting involves securing a stone between two to six wires (prongs), that extend up from a base that is usually the shape of the stone, oriented on the same axis as the girdle plane of the stone. The prongs are notched to follow the same profile as the stone, so that when the prongs are closed onto the stone, the notched profile forms around the girdle of the stone. These notches weaken the prong, and make it more likely to break. Bezel settings, which are virtually the same as a prong setting except that the entire perimeter of the stone is covered with a thin ribbon of metal, have many of the same disadvantages.

Another type of setting that is currently used is a bead setting. This involves setting a stone into a piece of metal just below the surface by drilling a hole into the metal with a specialized burr that will allow the stone to sit on a seat so that the table of the stone can be positioned just below the surface. The stone is then secured to the metal by raising a small bead of metal with a steel graver or similar tool, immediately next to the stone until the bead contacts the stone, holding it in the seat. Pave setting uses the same process, except that the stones are set in a broader area, as opposed to traditional bead settings which usually follow a straight line or involve just a single stone. However, both bead and pave settings are difficult to form and hide substantial portions of the stone. Further, the beads may still wear down and can sometimes snag clothing.

Yet another type of setting currently used is a channel setting. Channel setting involves setting a stone in a channel between opposing channel walls. A small seat is cut in each channel wall so that the corresponding size stone will sit between the walls, suspended above the base of the channel. The walls are then hammered onto the edge of the stone until the stone is secure. As with other types of settings, the metal will wear down over time and the stone may loosen.

Another type of setting currently used for stones is an invisible setting. An invisible setting is a technique used to set a number of stones together in rows or patterns, so that there is no perceptible means of support. The stones have a very small groove, just under the girdle, on the pavilion. The groove is small enough so as not to be visible from the top, but large enough to accept a thin piece of metal. The stones are grouped together into the particular pattern on top of a lattice form that will accommodate each stone. The metal is then pushed into the grooves of each stone from the back of the lattice, securing the stones to the lattice form. A variation of this technique requires the stones to be notched, much the same way as a tongue in groove arrangement. Pieces that are invisibly set are more fragile because there is not much metal used to hold the stones in place. In the case of tongue in groove set stones, when one stone falls out, or is broken, the rest of the stones in that grouping will come loose and fall out.

Thus, current setting techniques are susceptible to breakage or failure and thereby increasing the chances of losing a precious stone. What is needed is a jewelry setting, method and design that will adequately secure a precious stone and prevent snags on clothing for an extended lifetime of the jewelry piece.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a jewelry setting for a disc-shaped stone, preferably a diamond or other precious stone, that addresses the problem of the stone becoming loose, and thus lost, due to settings that are susceptible to breakage or that do not adequately hold the stone in place. In the present invention, a cap located on a distal end of a rod secures a disc-shaped stone to an article of jewelry. The cap contacts the disc-shaped stone and is sized large enough to prevent the disc-shaped stone from dislodging. The rod extends downward from the cap through an aperture that is centrally located in the stone and also through an aperture located on an article of jewelry, such as a ring. The proximal end of rod is welded to the article of jewelry, thereby retaining the stone between the cap and the article of jewelry. In this way the disc-shaped stone retains contact with the cap and the article of jewelry at an upper and lower face, respectively, making it highly unlikely that the stone will become loose from the setting.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent and understood with reference to the following description, the accompanying drawings the a appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description and drawings of illustrative embodiments of the invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a jewelry piece constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the elements of the setting prior to assembly;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the setting;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, the present invention is directed to a jewelry piece 1 that comprises an article of jewelry 3 having one or more settings 2. The article of jewelry 3 is preferably a ring, but may be any article of jewelry, including, but not limited to: a charm, a pendent, a necklace, a bracelet, a broach, a watch or an earring. The settings 2 may be of variable size and may be disposed on the article of jewelry in any number patterns as so desired by the jewelry maker.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a disc-shaped stone 4 is set onto a surface 14 of an article of jewelry 3 via a rod 6 that extends through a first aperture 5 located in the disc-shaped stone 4 and a second aperture 9 located in the article of jewelry 3. The rod 6 is affixed to the article of jewelry 3 at a distal end 10 preferably by a weld 11 on the lower face 12 of the article of jewelry 3. The distal end 10 may also be deformed after it is passed through aperture 9 to prevent it from being able to be pulled through the aperture 9, which secures the rod 6 in place.

The distal end 10 can be bent or deformed, much like a rivet. The surface 14 on which the disc-shaped stone 4 are set may also be raised as shown in FIG. 1. The raised portion of the article of jewelry 3 results in a recessed portion on the inside of the ring. Thus, the lower face 12 to which the rods 6 are attached is recessed, which prevents the distal end 10 of the rod 6 from contacting the wear's finger.

The disc-shaped stone 4 is held in place by a cap 8 located at a proximal end 7 of the rod 6. The length of the rod 6 from the point of contact between the disc-shaped stone 4 and the cap 8 to the upper face 13 of the article of jewelry 3 is approximately equal to the thickness of the disc-shaped stone 4. The disc-shaped stone 4 is thus secured and prevented from moving in an axial direction along the rod 6. In one embodiment, the disc-shaped stone 4 is substantially prevented from rotation by sizing the diameter of the rod 6 approximately equal to the diameter of the aperture 5, thus creating a relatively tight fit. However, the disc-shaped stone 4 may be free to rotate if so desired by decreasing the diameter of the rod 6 in relation to the diameter of the aperture 5. Whether allowed to rotate or not, the diameter of the rod 6 should be complementary and approximately equal to the diameters of apertures 5 and 9 to prevent lateral movement of the disc-shaped stone 4. The aperture 5 is preferably centrally located in the disc-shaped stone 4, while aperture 9 may be at any location on the article of jewelry 3.

The rod 6 may be made out of various materials, though it is preferably metal, including precious metals suitable for jewelry making such as gold, silver or platinum, to facilitate welding. It should be noted, however, that the proximal end 10 of the rod 6 need not be welded into aperture 9 of the article of jewelry 3, but may be affixed by gluing or by a press or tight-fit or the like either within the aperture 9 of the article of jewelry 3 or to the lower face 12 or the upper face 13 of the article of jewelry 3.

The cap 8 may similarly be composed of any material, though it is preferably metal, such as gold, silver or platinum, or another aesthetically pleasing material suitable for making jewelry. The cap 8 may be formed onto the rod as one piece or may be glued or threaded onto the rod or affixed to it in any other way generally known in the art. While the cap 8 is shown in one embodiment as a ball, it may take other shapes, such as that of a hemi-sphere, rectangular block, triangular block or a pyramid.

The disc-shaped stone 4 may be a precious or a non-precious stone and in one embodiment it is a diamond. For the purposes of this disclosure, ‘disc-shaped’ is defined as generally flattened, having an overall thickness that is less than either its overall diameter, width or length. Thus, the disc-shaped stone, though preferably round, may be squared, rectangular, oval or irregular so long as it is relatively flat.

In one mode of assembly, the rod 6 having the cap 8 attached thereto, is passed through the aperture 5 in the disc-shaped stone 4 and into the aperture 9 in an article of jewelry 3. The distal end 10 of the rod 6 is then welded to the article of jewelry 3 at 11. This process may be repeated as many times, and at as many locations on the article of jewelry 3 to create a desired pattern. Typically, for ease and efficiency, the apertures 9 will be formed in the article of jewelry 3 in the desired pattern before any stones are set thereon. Thus, the present design provides for fast, efficient and simple settings to create jewelry pieces with stones set in a variety of patterns and designs.

The disc-shaped stones 4 may also be attached to strips of material, such as precious metal, that have apertures 9 therein. This disc-shaped stones 4 may be attached to the strips of material with the rods 6 as described above. These strips of metal with the disc-shaped diamonds set thereon may then be attached to a piece of jewelry such as a ring. The strips of metal can be welded to the piece of jewelry to attach it thereto. Thus, another way to form an article of jewelry with a disc-shaped stone stetting is provided.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A jewelry setting comprising: a disc-shaped stone having a first aperture therein;an article of jewelry having a second aperture therein; anda rod extending through both of the apertures, the rod having a distal end with a cap disposed thereon and a proximal end affixed to the article of jewelry, wherein the stone is secured between and in contact with the cap and the article of jewelry.

2. The setting for a disc-shaped stone of claim 1, wherein the first aperture is concentrically located along a central axis of the stone.

3. The setting for a disc-shaped stone of claim 1, wherein the disc-shaped stone is a diamond.

4. The setting for a disc-shaped stone of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the rod is welded to the article of jewelry.

5. The setting for a disc-shaped stone of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a ball.

6. The setting for a disc-shaped stone of claim 1, wherein the article of jewelry is a ring.

7. A jewelry piece comprising: a rod having a proximal end and a distal end;a cap located on the distal end of the rod;an article of jewelry affixed to the proximal end of the rod; anda disc-shaped stone having a centrally located aperture therein, wherein the rod extends through the aperture and the stone is secured between and in contact with the article of jewelry and the cap

8. The jewelry piece of claim 7, wherein the proximal end of the rod is disposed in a second aperture located in the article of jewelry and welded thereto.

9. The jewelry piece of claim 7, wherein the disc-shaped stone is a diamond.

10. The jewelry piece of claim 7, wherein the cap comprises a ball.

11. The jewelry piece of claim 7, wherein the article of jewelry is a ring.

12. A method for setting a disc-shaped stone having a centrally located aperture on an article of jewelry comprising: extending a rod having a proximal end and a distal end, and a cap disposed on the distal end, through the aperture located in the disc-shaped stone;affixing the proximal end of the rod to a second aperture located within the article of jewelry such that the cap secures the stone against the article of jewelry.