Patent Application
20070209391
The present invention relates to jewelry, and particularly to pendants which are primarily designed to be hung form necklaces and bracelets, but which could also be used as earrings, pins and broaches.
Most pieces of jewelry are configured as integral, unitary components. While many are beautiful and often expensive, they are usually designed to be worn only in a single configuration and, as a result, their versatility is limited to that singular appearance. It is rare for a piece of jewelry, especially expensive jewelry, to be modifiable to allow that single piece to be worn in a plurality of display positions.
The limited, relevant prior art reflects jewelry which can be worn in several different configurations. Examples of these are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,573, an ornament which consists of two changeable chain-like elements, U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,486, a reversible earring, U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,395, a pendant necklace which is convertible to three different geometric configurations, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,364, a bracelet with exchangeable decorative loop members. However, such prior jewelry pieces and those similar in the prior art fail to provide for the modification and resulting versatility of the present invention, which presents a myriad of options to the creator and especially to the wearer of expensive jewelry.
It is thus the object of the present invention to overcome the limitations and disadvantages of existing modifiable jewelry.
It is the object of the present invention to provide jewelry whose appearance is easily, reliably, and quickly modified to a plurality of display positions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide jewelry which is modifiable to allow the wearer at least eight and, depending on the configuration of the jewelry, additional display positions.)
It is a further object of the present invention to provide jewelry which can easily, reliably, and quickly be modified to present a plurality of different esthetic appearances in a single piece of jewelry.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide jewelry which permits the jewelry's designer and creator to offer the wearer an infinite number of options, using a variety of different jeweled, gemstone, precious metal, or other ornamental display surfaces.
These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention, a modifiable jewelry piece which has at least two ornamental display components. The first display component has opposite front and back sides which are finished as jeweled, gemstone, precious metal exterior or other finished ornamental display surface. The display surfaces are different and, in most cases, contrasting in ornamentation, color, jewelry setting, gemstone design, or precious metal exterior surface. A second ornamental display component also has opposite front and back sides with jeweled, gemstone, precious metal exterior or other finished ornamental display surfaces. The second ornamental component fits snugly within a cut-out of the first ornamental component. Internal surfaces of the first component and external surfaces of the second component form tight surfaces-to-surfaces connections, in order to maintain the components one within another. The different finished ornamental display surfaces of each component permits the single piece of jewelry to be worn in a variety of different display positions.
The novel:.features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. However, both as to their design, construction, and use, together with additional features and advantages thereof, they are best understood upon review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Jewelry piece 1 comprises first ornamental display component 2 and second ornamental display component 12. First component 2 has opposite front and back sides 4 and 6. Side 4, as shown in
Display surfaces 8 and 10 are different and, in most cases, contrasting in ornamentation, color, jewelry setting, gemstones, precious metal exterior, etc. For instance, one display surface can comprise clear diamonds and the opposite display surface can comprise different sized or colored gemstones. In another example, one display surface can comprise colored gemstones or a gemstone design and the second display surface can be white gold or yellow gold. Although depicted in one manner in the drawings, the invention is not to be considered restricted to the type of finished display surface which overlays sides 4 and 6 of component 2. Any desired gemstone, precious metal, or other ornamental design or jeweled configuration can be used as the finished display surfaces on sides 4 and 6 of component 2. While display surfaces 8 and 10 can be the same, for optimal versatility of this invention, the surfaces should be different and, most advantageously, contrasting.
Similarly second ornamental display component 12 has opposite front and back sides 14 and 16. Side 14, as shown in
As with display surfaces 8 and 10 of component 2, display surfaces 18 and 20 of component 12 are different and, in most cases, contrasting in ornamentation, color, jewelry setting, gemstones, precious metal exterior, etc. It is contemplated that the infinite ornamental possibilities, as described previously with regard to finished display surfaces 8 and 10 of component 2, are available for finished display surfaces 18 and 20 of component 12. And, once again, the invention is not to be considered restricted to the type of finished display surface which overlays sides 14 and 16 of component 12, also as discussed previously.
As seen in
Component 2 further comprises chain openings 30 and 32 and component 12 comprises chain opening 34, through which a chain or similar wearable necklace or bracelet component 40 can be fed, thus permitting components 2 and 12 to hang from a necklace or bracelet. When component 12 is located within cut-out opening 22 of component 2, chain opening 34 is congruent with chain openings 30 and 32 and chain component 40 extends through openings 30, 32, and 34.
Thus, jewelry piece 1, as described herein, can be modified for wear in eight different display positions.
By simply removing component 12 from component 2, while it is in cut-out 22, and then rotating component 12 and reinserting it snugly into cut-out 22, the user creates two new display positions as shown in
When component 12 is removed and separated from component 2, each component can be worn separately and, since each component has two finished display surfaces, four additional display positions, shown in
While jewelry pieces 1 and 100 shown in
Thus, presented herein is unique jewelry which begins as a single piece, but, when fabricated with two or more ornamental components, has the versatility to be displayed in a plurality of separate display positions at the preference of the user.
Certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details as disclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
