EP0613628A2 - Case for at least one precious stone - Google Patents

Abstract

A case (501) containing at least one and preferably several precious stones (511) comprises a casing (503) and a security plate (505). The latter comprises mutually laminated sheets. A computer device comprising an electronic chip is incorporated into the security plate (505) and connected by laminating and/or by an adhesive to the rest of the plate. The casing (3) and the security plate (505) are secured so that the or each precious stone (11) contained in the case (1) cannot be removed therefrom and so that the security plate (5) cannot be separated from the rest of the case (1) without detectable destruction thereof. The security plate (5) includes visible security characters. The electronic chip and the visible security characters make it virtually impossible to falsify (tamper with) the security plate (505). The case (501) containing at least one precious stone (511) is thus suitable for use as a negotiable financial item. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a container containing at least one precious stone and to a method for producing a container.

It is known to package precious stones such as diamonds and the like in containers and to accompany stones which are sold by information carriers such as documents and / or certificates which may include information about the organism. emitter of the stones and / or on the peculiarities of the stones and which normally consist of papers with texts and / or figures printed and / or written by hand and / or seals and / or microfilms. It is also known to provide the containers with an electronic computer device.

For example, publication BE-A-883 578 discloses containers for enclosing a diamond. One of the containers disclosed comprises two plates having different thicknesses. The plates consist of ceramic oxide and are joined by an adhesive. Each plate includes three holes aligned in pairs. The outer ends of the holes are closed by sapphire glass discs fused to the plates. A diamond is placed in a hollow formed by a pair of holes. The depressions formed by the other two pairs of aligned holes contain a proof seal which consists of a piece of metal and a microfilm with information. The thicker plate also has recesses containing two electronic memories arranged in places different and an integrated circuit connected through a hole with contacts coming out of a side edge of the container.

The publication EP-A-0 053 203 discloses containers containing at least one precious stone. The containers include a bottom board serving as a housing and a cover, the housing and the cover being connected by welding or gluing. The case has a hollow, the bottom of which contains at least one layer of velvet. The cover is transparent and also has a recess which is opposite to that of the housing and provided with ribs. The precious stones are arranged in the hollow of the case so that they penetrate into the hollow of the cover and are held in place by the ribs. A piece of paper and a microfilm with information are arranged in a free space between the case and the cover.

Known containers of the kinds mentioned can easily be opened and closed or replaced without anyone noticing. If information carriers - such as documents and / or certificates and / or seals and / or microfilms - and / or electronic computing devices are stored inside containers that can be opened and closed, it is obviously difficult to check whether the precious stones delivered in a container are actually the specified stones. Known containers containing at least one precious stone are therefore not well qualified to be placed in the circuit of financially negotiable securities.

The container known from the publication BE-A-883 578 and described above makes it possible for example that a fraudster can remove one of the discs containing the holes containing the diamond in one way or another, replace the diamond with a falsified "diamond", that is to say by a piece resembling to a diamond or by a diamond of lower value and to close the hole containing the diamond (falsified) with the disc removed previously or by a new disc without this exchange being detectable. In addition, a fraudster could open the container in any way, remove the proof seal, the microfilm, the electronic memory and the integrated circuit, and arrange these elements together with a forged diamond in a other container and keep the real diamond. The known container of the publication BE-A-883 578 has the further disadvantage that it is necessary to assemble and connect a large number of spare parts to install the electronic memories, the integrated circuits and the contacts, to assemble the container and to contain a diamond. The container also only allows to contain a single diamond.

The case and the lid of the containers known from the publication EP-A-0 053 203 also already cited can be copied without problems. A fraudster would therefore be able to open the real container, remove the real precious stones, the paper and the microfilm with the information, make a new case and a new cover, put falsified stones with the paper and the microfilm in the new container and close it without this being recognized by the container. In addition, one could probably falsify with little difficulty also papers and microfilm. The containers known from the publication EP-A-0 053 203 have the further disadvantage that the formation of the ribs of the cover and the number or thickness of the layers of velvet must be adapted to the dimensions and shape of the precious stones, which complicates the manufacture and assembly of containers if you want to put stones with different shapes and / or dimensions in containers.

The invention defined therefore aims to avoid the disadvantages of known containers. In particular, the object of the invention is to create a container containing at least one precious stone enabling this container containing at least one precious stone, such as a diamond or the like, to be placed in the circuit of financially negotiable securities so that the risk of fraud can be minimized and practically avoided and the container can be assembled from few spare parts with few working operations.

This object is achieved by the container according to claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the container follow from the dependent claims.

• la fig. 1 est une vue éclatée d'un produit avec un conteneur et des pierres précieuses, le boîtier transparent du conteneur étant dessiné pour des raisons de clarté comme s'il était opaque, la représentation graphique sur le côté supérieur de la carte ou plaquette de sécurité n'étant pas dessinée,
• la fig. 2 est une vue en plan, de dessus, du produit, le boîtier du conteneur étant dessiné comme s'il n'était transparent que dans la section du porte-pierre pour des raisons de clarté,
• la fig. 3 est une coupe du produit le long de la ligne III - III de la figure 2,
• la fig. 4 est une vue en plan schématisée de la surface voisine au boîtier de la carte ou plaquette de sécurité,
• la fig. 5 est une vue en plan schématisée de la surface opposée au boîtier de la carte ou plaquette de sécurité,
• la fig. 6 est une coupe transversale du porte-pierre seul,
• la fig. 7 est une coupe transversale d'un insert seul présentant un logement pour une pierre précieuse,
• la fig. 8 est une coupe transversale du boîtier seul,
• la fig. 9 est une vue latérale d'une pierre précieuse,
• la fig. 10 est une vue, de dessus, de la pierre précieuse représentée dans la figure 9,
• la fig. 11 est un schéma-bloc d'un dispositif de lecture pour lire au moins une information représentée par la puce électronique,
• la fig. 12 une vue éclatée d'un produit avec un conteneur dont l'enrobage est constitué par trois pièces primitivement séparées,
• la fig. 13 une coupe longitudinale d'une variante d'un porte-pierre,
• la fig. 14 est une coupe d'un autre produit correspondante à la coupe représentée dans la fig. 3,
• la fig. 15 est une partie de la fig. 14 en plus grande échelle et
• la fig. 16 est une coupe du porte-pierre seul du produit représenté dans des figures 14 et 15.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, embodiments of the subject of the invention. In the drawing,

• fig. 1 is an exploded view of a product with a container and precious stones, the transparent case of the container being drawn for reasons of clarity as if it were opaque, the graphic representation on the upper side of the card or security plate not being drawn,
• fig. 2 is a plan view, from above, of the product, the container case being drawn as if it were only transparent in the section of the stone holder for reasons of clarity,
• fig. 3 is a section of the product along line III - III of FIG. 2,
• fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the surface adjacent to the card housing or security plate,
• fig. 5 is a schematic plan view of the surface opposite the card housing or security plate,
• fig. 6 is a cross section of the stone holder alone,
• fig. 7 is a cross section of a single insert having a housing for a precious stone,
• fig. 8 is a cross section of the housing alone,
• fig. 9 is a side view of a precious stone,
• fig. 10 is a view, from above, of the precious stone shown in FIG. 9,
• fig. 11 is a block diagram of a reading device for reading at least one piece of information represented by the electronic chip,
• fig. 12 an exploded view of a product with a container, the coating of which consists of three originally separated parts,
• fig. 13 a longitudinal section of a variant of a stone holder,
• fig. 14 is a section through another product corresponding to the section shown in FIG. 3,
• fig. 15 is a part of FIG. 14 in larger scale and
• fig. 16 is a section through the stone holder alone of the product shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.

A product intended to serve as a negotiable financial object illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises a container 1 which cannot be opened without destruction. The container 1 generally has the outside shape of a parallelepiped or a flat plate with a rectangular outline. In the projection shown in Figure 2, that is to say in a view perpendicular to the plane defined by the container, the latter however has rounded corners. The container 1 has in the projection shown in Figure 2 preferably the same shape and the same dimensions as a credit card according to international standard and therefore has a length of 85.5 mm and a width of 54 mm. The thickness of the container is between 5 and 7 mm and for example 5.5 to 6 mm. The container or more precisely its coating consists of two originally separate parts, namely a housing 3 generally having the outline of a flat plate and a planar security card or plate 5. The housing 3 and the security card or plate 5 have in a view perpendicular to said plane the same outline and completely cover each other. The security card or plate is however thinner than the case and has a thickness similar or identical to that of standard credit cards. The security card or plate therefore has for example a thickness of 0.76 mm to 0.78 mm.

The housing 3 also drawn separately in FIG. 8 has an exterior surface 3a opposite to the card or security plate 5 and an interior surface 3b adjacent to the card or security plate. The housing is provided with a recess 3c forming the interior space of the container 1. The recess 3c is oblong, generally has - with the exception of the rounded corners in a view perpendicular to the plane defined by the housing - the shape of a parallelepiped and a longitudinal direction parallel to the two long edges of the housing. The hollow 3c is also close to one of the long edges of the housing 3. The length of the hollow 3c comprises at least three quarters of that of the housing 3 while the width of the hollow 3c is less than half and even a third the width of the housing. The hollow 3c has an opening opening into the surface 3b and is limited to the side opposite the card or security plate by a solid bottom formed by a section of the housing. The surface 3a of the housing 3 comprises a hollow 3d with a circular contour having only a small depth in comparison with the thickness of the housing and being arranged between the hollow 3c and the edge of the housing more distant from the hollow 3c in the part central unit. The surface 3b of the housing 3 has - when the housing is not yet connected to the card or security plate - ribs 3e, 3f, 3g projecting from the sections adjacent to the surface 3b and, moreover, drawn on an exaggerated scale in the section shown in Figure 8. The rib 3e is arranged near the periphery of the housing and extends without interruption along the entire periphery and therefore along the four edges of the housing. The rib 3e therefore surrounds most of the surface 3b and in particular the opening of the hollow 3c. The rib 3f has the shape of a circle and is in a projection perpendicular to the plane defined by the container 1 and its housing 3 under the hollow 3d. The rib 3g is parallel to the long edges of the housing and is located approximately in the middle between these long edges and the sections of the rib 3e following these two edges. The bottom of the hollow 3c is provided with a groove forming a line of weakness 3h. This follows one of the two long edges of the hollow, namely this edge which is closer to the center of the surfaces 3a and 3b.

The housing 3 consists of a single piece of a synthetic material and, more precisely, of a semi-hard or hard thermoplastic material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and / or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The housing is generally, that is to say with the exception of the areas where its surfaces are provided with a relief or printed at least diaphanous and preferably perfectly transparent and clear in daylight. The material of the housing however preferably comprises at least one additive - such as a pigment dye - which makes the housing temporarily colored is therefore causes a color change in artificial electromagnetic radiation, in particular in artificial ultraviolet light having at least partly a wavelength or a range of wavelengths set in an appropriate manner.

A stone holder 7 drawn separately in FIG. 6 is inserted into the recess 3c of the housing 3 and dimensioned so that its outline corresponds at least approximately to that of the recess 3c and that it can be properly placed in the latter. The two surfaces of the stone holder 7 adjacent to the bottom of the hollow 3c and to the card or security plate 5, respectively, are designated by 7a and 7b, respectively. The stone holder 7 is provided with at least one solid bottom hole 7c, preferably several, for example, ten solid bottom holes 7c which have a cylindrical shape and are arranged on a straight line extending parallel to the long ones edges of the stone holder 7 and therefore also of the housing 3. The openings of the solid-bottom holes 7c open into the surface 7a. The surface 7b is provided with two ribs 7d which extend parallel to the two long edges of the surface 7b at least along part of the length of the stone holder 7.

On the two sides of each rib 3e, 3f, 3g, 7d and immediately adjacent to it is a groove. The total area of a pair of grooves assigned to one of said ribs corresponds in a cross section at least approximately to the area of the portion of the rib rising above the planar portion of the surface 3b or 7b, respectively .

Each hole 7c contains an insert 9. In FIG. 1, only two inserts are drawn for reasons of clarity. Each insert 9 - one of which is drawn separately in FIG. 7 - has a cylindrical contour whose dimensions correspond, at least roughly, to those of the solid bottom hole 7c so that each insert 9 can be properly placed in a hole 7c. Each insert 9 has a housing 9a consisting of a hole with a solid bottom, the opening of which opens into the surface of the neighboring insert at the bottom of the hollow 3c of the housing 3. Each housing 9a comprises a bottom part 9b and a part d '' mouth 9c. The bottom part 9b is conical and the mouth part 9c is cylindrical and shorter than the bottom part 9b.

The stone holder 7 and the inserts 9 are for example made of a synthetic and thermoplastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride. The stone holder 7 and the inserts 9 are opaque and for example have a blue color.

The product comprises several, namely ten precious stones 11. Each precious stone 11 consists of a diamond cut in the shape of a brilliant as shown in Figures 9 and 10 and therefore includes a flag located in Figure 9 below and a crown with a table 11a constituted by a flat surface which is perpendicular to the axis of the precious stone 11. Each precious stone 11 is placed separately in one of the housings 9a. As will be further explained in more detail, products can be made available with containers containing precious stones 11 with different dimensions and weights. We can plan to put stones belonging to a number, for example about fifteen different orders of magnitude in the containers. We can then prepare and make available also a range of inserts so that there is for each of said orders of magnitude a class of insert whose dimensions of the housings 9a are adapted to the dimensions of the stones. precious 11. More precisely, the dimension of the bottom part 9b of each housing 9a corresponds at least approximately to that of the conical enveloping surface of the pavilion of the precious stone 11 placed in the housing concerned. The axial dimension of the mouth portion 9c of a housing 9a corresponds at least approximately to the axial dimension of the crown of the precious stone. The table 11a of each precious stone 11 placed in a housing 9a is then at least approximately flush with the surface 7a of the stone holder 7. If the container 1 is assembled and closed, the stone holder 7 and the inserts 9 contained in the container therefore constitute means presenting and limiting in cooperation with the section of the housing forming the bottom of the hollow 3c of the housings 9a which hold the precious stones 11 which are placed there with a small radial and axial play, or preferably, at least practically without play. Each precious stone 11 is in any case held in the housing 9a allocated so that the same side, namely the table 11a, of the precious stone always remains close to the bottom of the hollow 3c regardless of the momentary position of the container 1 and movements to which the container is subjected. Since the section of the case 3 constituting the bottom of the hollow 3c is - like the other parts of the case which are not provided with any relief or printed signs - transparent and clear, the precious stones 11 contained in the container 1 and in particular their crowns are clearly visible from the outside of the container 1 through said section of the housing on an opaque and blue background formed by the stone holder 7 and the inserts 9.

The surface of the card or security plate 5 which is adjacent to the housing 3 and is therefore directed towards the interior of the container is designated by 5a is visible - in plan view - in Figure 4. The other surface of the card or safety plate which is opposite the box 3 and is therefore on the outside of the container 1 is designated by 5b is visible - in plan view - in Figure 5. The main part of the card or security plate 5 consists of at least two mutually laminated sheets of a synthetic material and, more precisely, of a semi-hard or hard thermoplastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride. The security card or plate 5 also comprises, in addition to said main part, a computer device used for storing and processing digital data and comprising an electronic circuit constituted by an electronic chip 13. The electronic chip is connected by lamination and / or by a adhesive with the rest of the card or security plate 5 and comprises on the face opposite to the housing 3 electrical contacts 13a to form accessible connections from outside the container. The place of the electronic chip 13 and especially the place and / or the arrangement of the electrical contacts 13a of the electronic chip 13 in relation to the edges of the card to the security plate 5 is preferably different from the place and / or the arrangement specified in international standards ISO 7816 for electronic chips integrated in credit cards. This ensures that the electronic chip 13 can only be connected to a reading device particularly suitable for this purpose and not to the reading devices intended to read information from the electronic chips of said credit cards. The security card or plate 5 is unlike the housing 3 generally more or less opaque but has a diaphanous or translucent zone having a certain permeability for light without making it possible to clearly distinguish objects through, for a purpose which will be further explained more in detail.

The box 3 and the safety card or plate 5 are made mutually and directly integral, that is to say without any intermediate element, along the ribs 3, 3f and 3g of the box 3 and therefore in particular close to the edges of the box 3 and the security card or plate 5 along the entire peripheries of the housing and the security card or plate by ultrasonic welding. The stone holder 7 is also secured to the card or security plate by ultrasonic welding along the ribs 7d. The ribs 3e, 3f, 3g and 7d drawn in FIGS. 8 and 6 on an exaggerated scale are deformed during ultrasonic welding, the deformation being facilitated by the grooves on the two sides of each rib. The material of the ribs can additionally penetrate into the card or security plate and mix with the material of the latter. After welding, the housing 3 and the stone holder 7 are therefore in contact through their entire surfaces 3b and 7b, respectively, with the surface 5a adjacent to the card or safety plate 5. The weld bead resulting from the rib 3e closes the interior of the container 1 and in particular the space containing the precious stones 11 so at least substantially and preferably perfectly tight. The casing 3 and the security card or plate 5 constituting the coating of the container 1 together encloses the precious stones 11 after welding so that the security card or plate cannot be detached from the rest of the container and the precious stones 11 cannot be removed from the container 1 without damaging and / or destroying the housing 3 and / or the security card or plate 5 and without leaving visible traces on the container. The coating of the container 1 is moreover at least substantially - that is to say with the possible exception of a certain deformability and in particular elastic flexibility - rigid and above all unfoldable as was the case for some sachets previously used as containers for precious stones.

The product issuing body can prepare and put a number of products in the circuit of financially negotiable securities. These products can all include containers with the same shapes and dimensions. The qualities and sizes of the precious stones contained in the different containers can be the same or different. We can for example plan to prepare products with four qualities or, more precisely, four different quality zones for precious stones. These four qualities can be designated by the Greek letters ALPHA, BETA, GAMMA, DELTA. ALPHA is awarded to the best and DELTA to the lowest quality. The definitions of these qualities can be based for precious stones constituted by diamonds on the color graduation and on the clarity graduation according to the nomenclature of the "Gemological Institute of America". The color graduation according to the "Gemological Institute of America" contains the degrees D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U , V, W, X, Y, Z. The clarity graduation according to the "Gemological Institute of America" contains the degrees FL, IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2, I3. These series of degrees indicate progressively a decrease in the quality of the diamonds.

Each of the four qualities attributed to the products can be defined by a color zone extending over several - preferably at least two and at most five and for example three or four - color degrees close to the pair of the graduation sequence according to the "Gemological Institute of America" and by a clarity zone extending over several - preferably at least two and at most five and for example three or four - degrees of clarity neighboring to the pair of the graduation sequence according to " Gemological Institute of America ". We can for example define a first color zone extending over the three neighboring color degrees D, E, F and a second color zone joining without void the first zone and extending over the color degrees G, H, I, J. In addition, it is possible to define a first clarity zone extending over the neighboring degrees of clarity FL, IF, VVS1 and VVS2 and a second clarity zone join without vacuum to the first zone and extending on the neighboring degrees of clarity VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2. The four qualities can then be defined by the combinations of the zones of color degree and of clarity represented in table 1. Table 1 Definition of the qualities ALPHA, BETA, GAMMA, DELTA by areas of color and clarity Degree of color Clarity FL IF VVS1 VVS2 VS1 VS2 SI1 SI2 D ALPHA BETA E F G GAMMA DELTA H I J

The prepared products may include precious stones 11 with a number of different nominal total masses. The total nominal mass of the precious stones contained in a container may for example have one of the five values 0.2 g, 0.4 g, 0.6 g, 0.8 g, 1 g. The effective total mass of a set of precious stones contained in a container may differ within a certain tolerance of the nominal total mass allocated. The issuing body guarantees, however, that the total effective mass is at least equal to the nominal total mass allocated and preferably greater than this. The effective total masses are preferably at most 5% greater than the nominal total mass allocated and have, for example, values between 100.3% and 100.5% of the nominal total mass allocated.

Les zones de masses attribuées aux masses individuelles nominales voisines à la paire se joignent sans vide et s'entrelacent même. Les masses totales et individuelles des pierres précieuses sont naturellement reliées, c'est à dire proportionelles aux poids des pierres précieuses. Une masse totale nominale de 0,2 g correspond par exemple à un poids total nominal de 1,962 mN ou - indiqué avec l'unité "carat" normalement utilisée pour des pierres précieuses - de 1 carat. Les poids effectives dépendent cependant de l'altitude au-dessus de la mer et d'autres influences extérieures. Si les pierres précieuses 11 mises dans un conteneur 1 sont sélectionnées de manière que leur masse totale effective est un peu plus grande que la masse totale nominale on peut en plus assurer que le poids total effectif est aussi toujours au moins égal au poids total nominal correspondant à la masse totale nominale. Un produit constitué d'un conteneur et de dix pierres précieuses contenues dans le conteneur peut donc appartenir à une des quatre qualités possibles et avoir un des cinq poids totaux nominaux possibles. Par conséquent, les différents produits comportant chacun un conteneur et dix pierres précieuses peuvent appartenir à une de vingt catégories possibles. Il découle des définitions des zones de qualité et des zones de masses attribuées aux pierres précieuses individuelles que toutes les pierres précieuses, c'est à dire diamants avec la taille de brillant, qui ont un degré de couleur entre D et J, un degré de clarté entre FL et SI2 et une masse entre 16 mg et 112 mg peuvent être utilisées pour au moins une des vingt catégories de produits. Les pierres précieuses sont d'ailleurs distribuées avantageusement de telle manière sur les produits individuels que tous les produits avec la même qualité nominale ont environ le même degré de couleur moyen et environ le même degré de clarté moyen.The masses of the individual precious stones of a product are advantageously at least 50% and at most 170% and preferably between 70% and 150% of the average mass of the precious stones contained in the container of the product in question. Because the effective total masses differ only relatively little from the nominal total mass assigned, the average masses of the precious stones are very close to a nominal individual mass being identical to the nominal total mass divided by the number of precious stones of the product in question . The average masses of the products with ten precious stones and the five nominal total masses 0.2 g, 04, g, 0.8 g, 1 g are therefore approximately identical to the individual nominal masses of 20 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg and 100 mg, respectively. The effective individual masses of gemstones belonging to products with the five nominal total masses are for example

The zones of masses allotted to the nominal individual masses close to the pair join without vacuum and even intertwine. The total and individual masses of the precious stones are naturally linked, that is to say proportional to the weights of the precious stones. A nominal total mass of 0.2 g corresponds for example to a nominal total weight of 1.962 mN or - indicated with the "carat" unit normally used for precious stones - of 1 carat. The actual weights, however, depend on the altitude above the sea and other external influences. If the precious stones 11 placed in a container 1 are selected so that their effective total mass is a little greater than the nominal total mass, it can also be ensured that the effective total weight is also always at least equal to the corresponding nominal total weight. at nominal total mass. A product made up of a container and ten precious stones contained in the container can therefore belong to one of the four possible qualities and have one of the five possible nominal total weights. Consequently, the different products each comprising a container and ten precious stones can belong to one of twenty possible categories. It follows from the definitions of the quality zones and the mass zones assigned to the individual gemstones that all gemstones, i.e. diamonds with brilliant cut, which have a degree of color between D and J, a degree of clarity between FL and SI2 and a mass between 16 mg and 112 mg can be used for at least one of the twenty product categories. The precious stones are moreover distributed advantageously in such a way on the individual products that all the products with the same nominal quality have approximately the same average degree of color and approximately the same average degree of clarity.

The container 1, that is to say the housing 3 and above all the card or security plate 5 serve as an information medium for visual information visible to the human eye from the outside of the container. It is noted in this context that most of the interior surface 5a of the security card or plate is visible through the housing 3. This visible information can be constituted by polychrome graphic representations printed on a flat surface and / or by reliefs.

Several of this visible information serve mainly or inter alia to specify the origin and the issuing body of the product and / or possibly the manufacturers of the container 1, of the housing 3, of the security card or plate 5 of the electronic chip 13 and the origin of the precious stones 11 contained in the container. The information used for this purpose may be identical on the containers of all the products issued or at least on a certain number of these containers. This group of information includes among others the signs 21 and 23 on the housing 3, the signs 31, 37 and 41 on the surface 5a of the card or security plate 5 and the signs 33, 35, 39 and 43 on the surface 5b of the security card or plate. The sign 21 in the hollow 3d of the case consists of a relief and represents a symbol serving as an acronym for the issuing body and is formed by a stylized diamond cut in brilliant with a punctuated background. This sign 21 makes the section of the housing 3 which supports it, that is to say the bottom of the hollow 3d more or less opaque and avoids at least a clear view through said section of the housing so that the welding has been made along the rib 3f is not visible from the outside of the container. The signs 31, 33, 35 printed on the two surfaces of the card or security plate 5 represent a stylized diamond with the same shape as that of the sign 21. At least one of the four lateral surfaces perpendicular to the plane defined by the container 1 and for example each of these four lateral surfaces carries at least once the sign 23 constituted for example by a relief representing the word DES. This same word is printed as a sign 37 in several places on the surface 5a and as a sign 39 on the surface 5b of the card or security plate 5 and constitutes an abbreviation of the words DIAMOND EXCHANGE STANDARD printed as a sign or indication 43 on the surface 5b of the security card or plate. The surface 5a also includes the sign or indication 41 representing the name of the issuing body, for example INTERDIAMOND EXCHANGE STANDARD.

The security card or plate 5 also includes printed information specifying the number, type and / or quality and nominal total weight and / or total nominal mass of the precious stones 11 contained in a container and therefore giving information on the equivalent value of the product. To this information belongs the sign or indication 51 printed on the surface 5b and specifying the number of precious stones 11 contained in the container, the signs or indications 53, 55 printed on the two surfaces 5a and 5b, respectively, and specifying the quality by one of the Greek letters mentioned above and which is indicated in addition to the Greek letter itself still his name in Latin letters. The signs 57, 59 also printed on the two surfaces 5a and 5b, respectively, of the security card or plate 5 specify the nominal total weight of the precious stones and therefore also give a measurement for the nominal total mass of the precious stones 11, the value of the nominal total weight being indicated in carat.

On the inner surface 3b of the housing 3 is printed a sign 27 which is visible from the outside of the container through the housing 3 and is at least partly alphanumeric, comprising for example a letter, a number with several numbers and also lines and / or points. A sign 61, at least partly alphanumeric and identical to the sign 27 is printed on the outer surface 5b of the card or security plate 5. These two identical signs 27, 61 include at the beginning a letter, namely the first letter of the name written in Latin letters of the Greek letter specifying quality. This letter follows - separated by an oblique line - a two-digit number specifying the carat weight. To this number follows - separated by a line - an identification number used to identify an individual product and container and therefore different for each individual product. At the end of the signs 27, 61 is a two-digit number serving as a linked number or check digit according to an algorithm defined with the identification number.

The housing can optionally be additionally provided with at least one sign which is invisible in daylight to the human eye, but becomes visible to the human eye and / or can be detected and / or read by a detection element. and / or reading in artificial ultraviolet radiation or possibly in another artificial electromagnetic radiation having at least partly a wavelength or a wavelength range suitably fixed. This sign can be formed by a bar code representing the same alphanumeric information or at least the same number as signs 27 and 61.

As already mentioned, the precious stones 11 cannot be removed from the container 1 without destroying the latter. The container 1 is constructed in such a way that it is practically impossible to open it, to substitute the precious stones with falsified and / or artificial stones and / or being of lower quality and / or having less weight without easily leaving traces detectable. It is noted in this context that polyvinyl chloride and / or polymethyl methacrylate of which the coating of the container consists substantially is relatively sensitive to high temperatures and changes appearance and especially color if it is heated as it would be for example the case if someone tried to cut the container with a fine saw or a thin beam produced by a laser.

The signs and / or indications on the housing 3 and the safety card or plate 5 already mentioned and serving as information visible to the human eye about the origin and the equivalent value of the products and for specifying an individual product also serve to prevent containers from being opened without this being visible and products being falsified. But the products include, in addition to the visual information mentioned, further special features to avoid the preparation of false products. Some of these features are now described.

The parts of the lateral surfaces of the housing which are not occupied by the signs 23 are provided with a relief stripe 25 made up of fine ribs perpendicular to the plane defined by the container 1. This stripe 25 helps, in cooperation with the signs 23, that the container 1 cannot be opened by cutting the case along these edges and then - after the exchange of the precious stones - closed without the 'we notice.

The security card or plate 5 comprises at least one security character and, preferably several of these characters detectable from outside the container. Some of these security features are visible to the naked human eye, that is to say without any auxiliary device, but are naturally even more clearly visible using a magnifying glass. The security card or plate 5 also comprises at least one security character which can only be detected with the aid of an auxiliary device. The different security characters make it practically impossible for a falsifier to copy the security card or plate without a copy being able to be recognized as such.

The signs, indications and images represented on the card or security plate 5 and being printed and / or constituted by a relief made by an engraving and / or an imprint and / or the like may include and / or be constituted by at least one feature graphic serving as a security character. Such a graphic particularity can for example be constituted by certain numbers or letters having planned "faults" such as discontinuities in the lines and / or ornaments etc.

The security card or plate 5 comprises as security character at least one guilloche and namely guilloche patterns 71, 73 which are printed on the areas of surfaces 5a, 5b bearing the signs 53, 55, 57, 59. These guilloche patterns 71, 73 can have at least partially at least one color which is only very badly or not at all copiable with the currently known polychrome electrostatic photocopiers to make electrographic copies in color as it is for example the case for brown and / or iridescent colors. The guilloche are for example polychome and have several colors of the same kind.

The security card or plate 5 can comprise as a security character at least one more sign and / or a graphic representation 75, 77 of a different kind from the guilloche patterns to make an electrographic copy different from the original and therefore recognizable as a copy. These signs or graphic representations 75, 77 include a design with elements such as a number of parallel lines of which at least the extension in one direction and / or the color density is below the reproduction capacity of the apparatus for making copies. electrographic. This object can be achieved - depending on the color and type of the photocopier used - by making said dimension, for example the thickness of said lines less than 0.5 mm or even at most 0.05 mm and / or by making the density of color less than 0.25. The elements in question can also have instead or in addition to this a color in particular an iridescent color which is not copiable at all with the polychrome electrostatic photocopiers known at present. These signs or graphic representations are preferably polychrome and can very well be combined, that is to say masked by a guilloche. Signs or graphic representations of this kind are disclosed in patent CH-A-645,308.

The card or booklet includes - as already mentioned - a diaphanous section or zone but not entirely transparent. This section or zone is provided with at least one opacity sign 81. An opacity sign is a sign which corresponds to a watermark in a paper but is made of a synthetic material and which is only barely visible or not at all in the incident lighting but becomes relatively well and clearly visible in the light entering the section or zone provided with the opacity sign 81. This represents for example a stylized diamond with the same shape as the diamond of the signs 21, 31, 33, 35 and on both sides of the diamond the word DES also forming the signs 23 , 37, 39. The two words DES of the sign 81 are also written so that one of them appears in "normal" letters and the other in reverse letters by looking on each of the two surfaces 5a and 5b of the card. or security plate 5. The sign of opacity 81 can be produced by forming the section or zone comprising the sign of opacity of two laminated sheets or layers whose surfaces mutually in contact with one another have a structure of relief which have different permeabilities for light, one of these sheets or layers being relatively transparent and the other relatively opaque. More detailed information on signs of opacity and possibilities for producing them can be found in patent CH-A-650,732.

The surface 5b comprises at least one latent image 83 which forms another security character. A latent image is an image that changes the visual appearance for an observer depending on the angle of incidence of light and / or the angle of observation. Since the latent image 83 is superimposed on another graphical representation, the outline of the occupied surface section is indicated only schematically for reasons of clarity. A person looking at the latent image 83 recognizes - depending on the angle of observation - several words DES or the stylized diamond already mentioned several times. A latent image can be produced for example by giving the area of the surface 5b intended to carry the latent image a fine and particular structure of relief and by printing on this surface area in color. Additional information for constituting latent images on a surface - of security paper - is found in patents CH-A-611,211 and CH-A-617,889.

The surface 5b also supports luminescent signs 87 which are distributed over large parts of said surface but of which only one is drawn again representing the stylized diamond. These luminescent or, more precisely, fluorescent signs are invisible to the naked human eye in daylight but become visible to the naked human eye when irradiated with ultraviolet radiation.

The electronic chip 13 also constitutes a security character and comprises at least one memory with several memory addresses and defining at least one access area and preferably several access areas. The electronic chip also includes a wired logic circuit and / or a processor and is constituted and / or programmed in such a way that each information stored in a particular access area of the memory can only be read if one brings to the electronic chip an identification signal corresponding to an identification which has been assigned to said access area and programmed and / or stored in the electronic chip during the product manufacturing process. The manufacturer of electronic chips introduces and stores at least one piece of information in at least one access area and for example different information in different access areas of the memory. Then, the manufacturer who produces the security cards or cards and equips them with an electronic chip has at least one piece of information memorized. Finally, the product issuing organization enters at least one piece of information in the memory. The information entered into the memory of the electronic chip is coded with cryptographic codes and therefore stored in the form of cryptograms. The stored information makes it possible, in combination with the identification signal or signals, to check whether the electronic chip 13 of a particular product has actually been manufactured by the intended manufacturer, integrated into the security card or plate 5 by the intended manufacturer and processed by the body transmitter of the finished product. If the memory has different access zones, these can for example constitute in conjunction with the identification signals a hierarchical order. Each access zone then corresponds to a particular access level. The electronic chip can for example be constituted and / or programmed so that part of the information entered by the manufacturer of the electronic chip is stored in an access area to which only said manufacturer has access.

The electronic chip 13 is formed and / or programmed to form locking and / or fuse means ensuring, among other things, that it is only possible to store information once. These locking and / or fuse means comprise for example electrical connections which are irreversibly interrupted after the information has been stored in memory and / or is constituted so as to ensure that an attempt to modify the stored information causes an irreversible locking and / or an irreversible deterioration of the locking and / or fuse means so that the stored information can no longer be read. If someone tries to read information from the electronic chip 13 without the identification signal which gives access to the area of the memory containing the information to be read being brought to the electronic chip, this can also cause an irreversible lock and / or an irreversible deterioration of the locking means and / or fuse blocking access to the memory.

If the security card or plate is strongly curved, it tends to form an irreversible fold along one of the welds and especially along the weld extend along the rib 3g. Such a fold would be clearly visible. This tendency of the security card or plate to form an irreversible fold during a strong curvature is therefore one of the characteristics of the container helping to recognize an attempted rape. The line of weakness 3h of the housing extends - in a projection perpendicular to the surfaces 3a, 3b, 5a, 5b of the housing 3 and of the security card or plate 5 - in the section of the electronic chip or even in the section of the microchip or even crosses this section. The security card or plate 5 is possibly also itself provided with a weakening line 93 which is parallel to the long edges of the security card or plate 5, is at least approximately opposite the line of weakening 3h and extends at least on one side of the electronic chip 13 to the latter and / or crosses it. This weakening line 93 may for example be formed by a row of fine holes with a solid bottom or penetrating the card or security plate or by a fine groove or possibly be invisible from the outside. If someone tries to open the container violently, it can result in an irreversible crease or a fracture of the microchip 13 along the weakening lines 3h and 93. This crease or this fracture will also cause a locking and / or a deterioration of the locking and fuse means or will put the microchip completely out of service. If the container is heated during an attempted rape, this can damage the microchip. Deterioration of the microchip caused by thermal effects can then also be detected electrically.

Each precious stone 11 optionally comprises itself a sign or an indication 97 used to specify the body issuing the product and / or certain properties of the stone and / or to identify an individual precious stone. The sign or indication 97 is registered or recorded before the precious stone is locked in the container for example in a part of the table 11a as drawn or elsewhere using a ray emitted by a laser by a similar method to that used for the optical recording of data on discs. The sign or indication 97 can be made so that it extends only over a small fraction of the surface of the gemstone and is at least practically invisible to the naked human eye and even during an inspection with a magnifying glass and therefore does not diminish the value of the precious stone. If the product is finished and precious stones having signs or indications 97 are enclosed in the container 1, the information represented by the signs or information 97 can be detected and read with a device using an emission produced by a laser and penetrating into The box.

A reading device for reading the information stored in the electronic chip 13 is drawn in FIG. 11 and designated by 101. This device comprises a box and a guidance and transport device 103. The last limit - for example next to the front plate of the box - a slot for inserting the container 1 of a product and includes guide means for guiding the container 1 pushed manually into the slot. The device 103 further comprises means of transport and ejection with an electric motor 103a for transporting and ejecting the container 1 out of the slot. The reading device 101 also comprises a coupling element 105 with contacts adapted to be connected separately with the electrical contacts 13a of the electronic chip 13 integrated in the card or security plate 5 of a product and therefore for coupling the electronic chip 13 electrically with the reading device 101. The reading device 101 also includes a computer 107, a keypad 109, a display device 111, a connection to the network 115, a power supply device 117 and a radiation source 119 arranged for example at the front plate of the box and adapted to emit ultraviolet rays. The computer 107 is electrically connected with the coupling element 105, the motor 103a, the keypad 109 and the display device 111 and possibly also with a printer arranged outside the box and / or with a whole set of information processing. The keypad 109 comprises keys for entering the numbers 0 to 9 and possibly also letters and / or other signs. The keypad 109 further comprises a key connected to the power supply device 117 to turn the reading device 101 on and off and an eject button to trigger the ejection of a container and therefore put when running the motor 103a via the computer 107 and / or possibly directly. The current supply device 117 is connected with the radiation source 119 and - as indicated by arrows - with the other components of the reading device needing electrical energy.

When preparing products with a container 1 and precious stones, a number of electronic chips 13, boxes 3 and security cards or cards 5 are first manufactured. The manufacturers of electronic chips and cards or cards then put the information provided in the memory of the electronic chips. Then, an authorized person of the body issuing the products puts precious stones 11 chosen from a stock in stone holders 7 and the last in boxes 3 so that each container 1 contains stones with quality and weight total corresponding to the information on the safety card or plate 5. When a case contains precious stones, the container is closed as already described by welding. Then, it is optionally further verified for example with a device using at least one suitable physical method such as a spectrometric and / or optical method using for example rays penetrating the case 3 if the container actually contains natural precious stones. The device may include at least one radiation source, for example at least one laser for producing a visible or invisible emission and a spectrometer and / or spectrocomparator. It is also possible, for example, to check, for example microscopically, whether the quality and dimensions of precious stones correspond to the quality and weight, respectively, specified on the card or security plate. Then, an authorized person of the issuing body records in the electronic chip 13 using a recording device comprising a computer the information corresponding to the alphanumeric indication represented by the signs 27 and 61 and possibly also d other information, specifying for example the body issuing the complete product, the date of issue, the number and / or individual characters of the precious stones contained in the container etc.

The products can then be put as valuables in the circuit of financially negotiable values and be negotiated. The equivalent value of an individual product can be fixed at the start, i.e. when a number of products are first issued by the issuing body on the basis of the value of the precious stones belonging to the product and depends naturally of the quality and the total weight of the precious stones of the product. Then, the equivalent value of a particular product is established at a given time, that is to say on the date when the product is traded according to supply and demand. The counter values or quotations of the different categories of products may be published by the body issuing the products and / or a body recognized by that body regularly and preferably every day in the press, in particular in the international financial press, and also on the international financial telecommunications network. The issuing body can also undertake to buy a product for a trade-in amount linked for example to the daily quotation according to a fixed agreement.

Reading devices 101 can be installed in various places of sale and purchase, in particular in banks or other institutions accredited by the issuing body. These reading devices can be used and operated by the organization issuing the products itself and / or by other organizations, such as banks, authorized by the issuing organization and recognizing it. If a product owner wants to verify whether it is a true product or to be paid the equivalent value of a product, he can return this product to the issuing body or to a body cooperating with that -this. A person from the organization receiving the said product can visually check whether the container is intact and - by inspecting the various security characters on the security card or plate 5 - whether it is actually a product put into circulation by the issuing body. During this inspection and verification, it is possible to irradiate the security card or plate 5 with ultraviolet radiation emitted by the radiation source 119 from a reading device 101 and examine whether the security card or plate includes the luminescent signs 87. If the housing 3 which is normally - that is to say in daylight - clear, includes an additive making the housing colored in artificial ultraviolet light, it can also be checked, whether the housing temporarily obtains the predetermined color during that it is subjected to ultraviolet radiation emitted by the radiation source 119. But in particular, one can push the container 1 of the product into the slot of the guide and transport device 103 of the reading device 101 and connect the electronic chip 13 of the product electrically via the coupling element 105 with the computer 107. The person operating the reading device 101 can ens then introduce with the keypad 109 a personal identification and / or a part or any identification giving access to at least one access area of the memory of the electronic chip 13. The computer 107 then brings the electronic chip to the minus an identification signal allowing it to read at least one item of information stored in the memory of the electronic chip. This or each item of information stored in the electronic chip 13 can therefore only be read when the electronic chip and the reading device 101 have performed a mutual authentication. The computer 107 also "has" a key or keys for decoding or decrypting the or each cryptogram representing the information or the information to be read. The computer 107 can for example read and decode at least one item of information stored by the manufacturer of the electronic chip, the or at least one item of information stored by the manufacturer of the security card or card and the or at least one item of information stored by the 'issuing body. The computer 107 processes this information read, calculates among other things the number or check digit represented by the last digits of the signs 27 and 61 and checks whether the electronic chip, the security card or plate and the whole product actually come from the manufacturers provided and the issuing body. As described above, attempts to manipulate the electronic chip 13 and also at least certain ways of attempting to open a container 1 cause locking and / or deterioration of the locking and / or fuse means or deactivation. of the electronic chip which can be detected electrically when the electronic chip is connected to the reading device 101 and signaled by the latter. If the computer 107 finds, based on the information read, that the product is true and intact, it signals the display device 111 with information as shown in FIG. 11 and specifying for example the number of precious stones, the quality, the nominal total weight and especially the alphanumeric sign represented by signs 27 and 61. The operator of the reading device 101 can then check whether the information displayed actually corresponds to the information visible on the product and especially if the information read in the memory of the electronic chip contains the signs 27 and 61 visible on the box 3 and the security card or plate 5. It can optionally also be checked by the person operating the reading device 101 and / or automatically by the computer 107 if said sign is contained in a list of alphanumeric signs of the products put in circulation by the issuing body. The organization receiving the product then knows that it can pay the recovery amount linked to the daily quotation according to a fixed agreement. If the product has been checked, it is automatically or by manual actuation of the eject button ejected by the guide and transport device 103. The eject button also allows the procedure to be interrupted and have the product ejected before the end of the control or in the event of a fault.

As mentioned, the housing 3 may possibly be provided with at least one sign - such as a bar code corresponding to the signs 27 and 61 - which is invisible in daylight, but becomes visible to the human eye and / or detectable and / or readable by a detection and / or reading element in artificial ultraviolet light. If the box includes a sign of this kind, it is also possible to verify the presence of this sign by eye when the box is subjected to radiation emitted by the radiation source 119 and / or to detect and / or read this sign on the using a detection and / or reading element belonging to the reading device 101.

As described above, the electronic chip 13 is capable of reacting according to the detection of a possible rape attempt. If such an attempt has been made and has been detected by the electronic chip 13, it will also be recognized and signaled by the reading device 101. If the reading device observes and reports that the electronic chip does not contain the correct and correct information coded and / or is otherwise not in order and / or if there are other traces of a rape, the body may have the product and the precious stones examined, for example, by an expert from the issuing body before paying the trade-in amount. If it is necessary to open a container 1 to examine the precious stones and / or to put them in a new intact container, the container can be opened by breaking it along the weakening line 3h intended for breaking . It is obvious that this method of opening the container causes significant and distinct damage to the housing 3, the security card or plate 5 and the electronic chip 13.

Products in accordance with the invention are therefore suitable for being traded as valuables such as gold bars while allowing easy recognition and with a high degree of security whether a product corresponds to the specifications indicated or not. The container 1 therefore constitutes a packaging which offers all the necessary guarantees, not only in terms of identification of the financial value of the product, but also of the possibility of negotiating this product because of its published quotation.

The variant of the product represented in FIG. 12 comprises a container 201, the coating of which consists of a housing 203 and a security card or plate 205. The product also comprises a stone holder 207, inserts 209 and precious stones 211. These elements of the product represented in FIG. 12 can be similar or identical to those of the product described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11 with the exception of the case 203 being made up of two initially separate parts, namely a plate 215 and a cover plate 217, the latter being thinner than the plate 215. The plate 215 has a hole penetrating into the plate 215 and forming the hollow 215c to accommodate the stone holder 207. To assemble the container 201, the cover plate 217 is similarly connected to the card or security plate 205 by ultrasonic welding with the plate 215 so that it can no longer be separated from the plate 215 without deterioration and / or destruction of the latter or of itself.

The stone holders 7 and 207 could be replaced by the stone holder 407 drawn in FIG. 13. The stone holder 407 has solid bottom holes forming housings 407a whose shapes and dimensions are similar or identical to those of the housings 9a of the inserts 9. It is therefore possible to house the precious stones directly, that is to say without inserts corresponding to the inserts 9, in the housings of the stone holder 407 consisting of a single piece. The use of a stone holder 407 therefore makes it possible to dispense with inserts 9. If it is however desired to place a set of precious stones whose individual sizes are relatively different in the housings 407a, it is obviously necessary to size the housings 407a for the largest gemstone in said clearance and therefore accept that the smallest stones have a relatively large clearance in the housings.

The variant of the product represented in FIG. 14 comprises a container 501, the coating of which consists of a housing 503 and a security card or plate 505. The housing 503 is provided with a recess 503c corresponding to the recesses 3c of the housing 3, but being closer to the middle of the container than the hollow 3c. A stone holder 507 drawn on a larger scale in FIG. 15 and separately in FIG. 16 is housed in the hollow 503c of the housing 503. The stone holder 507 is dimensioned so that its outline corresponds - in a perpendicular view on the security card or plate 505 - at least approximately that of the hollow 503c. The dimension of the stone holder 507 measured perpendicular to the card or security plate 505 is less than the depth of the hollow 503c. The stone holder 507 is housed in the hollow 503c so that its side adjacent to the card or security plate is flush with the corresponding side of the housing 503. There is therefore a free space in the form of a slot between the bottom of the hollow 503c and the stone holder 507. The latter is provided with at least one housing 507a and namely, for example, ten housings 507a. Each housing 507a consists of a hole passing through the stone holder. Each housing 507a or hole has a first section 507b and a second section 507c. The first section 507b is arranged on the side of the stone holder which is opposite the bottom of the hollow 503c and tapers conically towards the card or security plate 505. The second section 507c is located on the side of the stone holder adjacent to the card or safety plate and is cylindrical. The diameter of the second section 507c is larger than the minimum diameter is also larger than the maximum diameter of the first section 507b. The second section 507c of the housing 507a therefore constitutes an enlargement of the latter. The stone holder 507 forms an annular lip 507d which surrounds the first section 507b of each housing 507a and projects towards the axis of the corresponding housing. The product comprises precious stones 511, each of which consists of a diamond cut into a brilliant shape and held in one of the housings 507a. As the stone holder 507 is closer to the middle of the container than the stone holder 7 of the first product described, it is possible to move the signs of the security card or plate 505 which correspond to the signs 31, 37 of the card or plate 5 towards the upper edge so that they are visible between the upper edge of the card or security plate 505 and the stone holder 507.

The housing 503 consists of a thermoplastic material, namely polymethyl methacrylate. The box 503 is - like the other boxes described above - clear and transparent in daylight, but preferably includes an additive making the box colored in artificial ultraviolet light. The security card or plate 505 comprises at least one layer and for example several layers of polyvinyl chloride and at least on the adjacent side of the housing 503 and of the stone holder 507 a layer of polymethyl methacrylate. The stone holder 507 consists of a thermoplastic material, for example a mixture of polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene. The stone holder 507 is moreover like the other stone holders described above opaque and colored. The box 503 is made integral with the security card or plate 505 all around the stone holder 507 by a bonding junction. This junction is established during the manufacture of the container using an adhesive comprising a monomer at the base of methyl methacrylate capable of polymerizing with the materials forming the adjacent faces of the housing 503 and of the card or security plate 505 The stone holder 507 can also be attached to the card or plate 505 and possibly also directly to the housing 503 by gluing. Since the housing 503 and the stone holder 507 are joined to the card or wafer by gluing and not by ultrasonic welding like the housing 3 and the stone holder 7, the housing 503 and the stone holder 507 do not have need of ribs corresponding to the ribs 3e, 3f, 3g and 7d of the housing 3 and the stone holder 7.

Each lip 507d surrounding and bordering the first conical section 507b of a housing 507a is flexible and resilient. If a housing 507a is free of precious stone, the lip 507d protrudes radially towards the axis of the housing concerned, as can be seen in FIG. 16. If a precious stone 511 constituted by diamond in the shape of a brilliant is housed in a housing 507a , the table 511a of the diamond touches the bottom of the hollow 503c. The crown 511b of the diamond is then at least substantially outside the housing 507a in the space between the bottom of the hollow 503c and the stone holder 507, while the pavilion 511c of the diament is at least substantially in the housing 507a is left with a part on the lip 507d which is elastically deformed, namely curved towards the card or security plate 505. The lip 507d then clamps the diamond slightly against the bottom of the hollow 503c and holds the diamond substantially immobile. The stone holder 507 is dimensioned so that it can hold diamonds having different sizes as described, the lips 507d of the stone holder 507 are then - depending on the sizes of the diamonds - more or less strongly curved. Since the lips 507d press the precious stones 511 formed by diamonds against the bottom of the hollow, they likewise push the stone holder 507 against the card or security plate 505. It could therefore possibly be placed the stone holder 507 in the hollow 503c without sticking it to the card or security label 505.

The product described with reference to Figures 14 to 16 and the use of this product may be otherwise - that is to say as far as nothing else has been written above - similar or identical to the product and when using the product described with reference to Figures 1 to 11.

The products can still be modified otherwise. One can for example accommodate in the containers described with reference to the drawing a number of precious stones which is less than the number of holes in the stone holder. A container can therefore contain a number of stones having any value between one and ten. Naturally, one can also vary the number of holes of the stone holders intended to accommodate by means of an insert or directly a precious stone.

The container outline can also be varied. The container could for example have the shape of a polygonal plate with any number of corners or of a circular, elliptical or oval plate. The stone holders and inserts can naturally have, instead of the blue color mentioned, any other color. Possibly we could even forgo a separate stone holder and replace the recesses 3c and 215c of the housing 3 and the plate 215, respectively, by a number of housings each of which is arranged to directly accommodate and hold in place a precious stone.

You can also modify the information indicated on the security card or plate as well as the security characters of the latter. One could for example provide as a security character another hologram, at least one magnetic medium carrying information in the form of magnetically recorded digital data and / or a medium for similarly recorded digital data as on an optical data disc and / or disc. compact and optically readable using radiation produced by laser.

As described above, the locking and / or fuse means of the electronic chip are constituted so that attempts to modify the stored information or data or to read information or data without bringing the signal or signals identification can cause irreversible locking and / or irreversible damage. One could however constitute the electronic chip so that certain locks can be canceled using a particular device and by bringing at least one identification signal and / or at least one instruction which is for example known only at electronic chip manufacturer. Any deterioration of the locking means and / or fuse or deactivation of the electronic chip is almost always irreversible.

The computing device of a security card or plate can naturally comprise more than a single electronic chip. Possibly we could even use electronic chips which have electrical contacts instead electromagnetic or opto-electronic coupling means making it possible to establish a coupling by electromagnetic or optical induction, respectively, and therefore without contacts. The computer devices could possibly even even include, in addition to or instead of an electronic circuit, electromagnetic and / or magnetic and / or opto-electronic and / or optical means for storing and / or processing digital data and for executing, for example, logical operations.

The diamonds could have the size of brilliant instead of any other size. Instead of diamonds, other precious stones, for example emeralds, sapphires or rubies, could be wrapped in containers of the kinds shown in the drawing. If we prepare products with diamonds or other precious stones which do not have the brilliant cut, the contours and dimensions of the housings intended to accommodate a precious stone can naturally be adapted to the contours and dimensions of the precious stones to hold those -this in a planned position and in any case so that they always have the same side to a person who looks at them through the section of the container provided.

It is understood that the characteristics of the different variants of products described can be combined in different ways. It is possible, for example, to make the housing and the stone holder integral with the security card or plate by a combined bonding and welding junction.

The reading device could also be provided with at least one opto-electronic detector electrically connected with the computer and adapted to detect the alphanumeric sign 61 and at least one of the luminescent signs 87. The computer could then check whether the alphanumeric sign 61 visible and the information stored in the electronic chip 13 which must represent this sign correspond effectively and if the security card or plate 5 actually comprises at least one luminescent sign 87.

Claims (17)

Container containing at least one precious stone (11, 211, 511) so that it cannot be removed from the container without deterioration thereof, the container comprising a housing (3, 203, 503) provided with a hollow (3c, 215c, 503c), a plate (5, 205, 505) covering the hollow (3c, 215c, 503c) and means (7, 9, 207, 209, 407, 507) for holding said at least one stone precious (11, 211, 511) in the hollow (3c, 215c, 503c), the plate (5, 205, 505) being secured to the housing (3, 203, 503) so that it cannot be detached thereof without deterioration of the housing (3, 203, 503) and / or of itself, characterized in that the housing (3, 203, 503) is substantially diaphanous and / or transparent, that said means (7 , 9, 207, 209, 407, 507) are adapted to hold the or each precious stone (11, 211, 511) so that it can be seen through a section of the case (3, 203, 503) limiting the bottom of the hollow (3c, 215c, 503c ) and that the plate (5, 205, 505) comprises mutually laminated sheets and forms and / or comprises at least one support for at least one piece of information (31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 51, 53 , 55, 57, 59, 61) visible to the human eye from the outside of the container and used to identify the container. Container according to claim 1, characterized in that the plate forming a safety plate (5, 205, 505) is secured at least along its entire periphery with the housing (3, 203, 503) of the container (1, 201 , 501). Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing (3, 203, 503) is at least substantially rigid and consists, at least substantially, of a thermoplastic material. Container according to claim 3 characterized in that the plate (5, 205, 505) comprises a thermoplastic material and is connected to the housing (3, 203, 503) by a welding junction. Container according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the housing (3, 203, 503) includes an additive causing a change in color in an artificial ultraviolet light radiation. Container according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the section of the housing (3, 203, 503) limiting the bottom of the hollow (3c, 215c, 303c) belongs to a single part having in a perpendicular view on the plate ( 5, 205, 505) the same outline as this one. Container according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the housing (3, 503) consists of a single piece limiting the hollow (3c, 503c) and that the housing (3, 503) and the plate (5, 505) cover each other. Container according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the plate (5, 205, 505) is provided with at least one guilloche (71, 73) and / or at least one latent image (83). Container according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the plate (5, 205, 505) comprises at least one luminescent sign (87) invisible to the human eye in daylight, but becoming visible when it is irradiated with ultraviolet radiation. Container according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the plate (5, 205, 505) comprises at least one sign and / or a graphic representation (75, 77) polychrome adapted (e) to make an electrographic copy different from the original sign and / or graphy representation. Container according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a computer device for storing and processing data is integrated in the plate (2, 205, 505). Container according to claim 11, characterized in that the computing device comprises an electronic chip (13) which is connected by lamination and / or by an adhesive with the rest of the plate (5, 205, 505) and stores and / or represents at least one piece of information used to identify the container individually. Container according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the electronic chip (13) and provided with electrical contacts (13a) arranged on the side of the plate (5, 205, 505) which is further from the housing (3, 203, 503) so that they are accessible from outside the container. Container according to claim 11, characterized in that the electronic chip (13) is suitable for storing at least one piece of information which can only be read after the supply of at least one identification signal. Container according to one of Claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the plate (5, 205, 505) is substantially opaque. Container according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it (1, 201, 501) contains several precious stones (11, 211, 511) constituted by diamonds which have individual colors belonging to an area extending over not more than five degrees of color close to the color graduation according to the nomenclature of the "Gemological Institute of America" and which have individual clarities belong to an area extending over not more than five degrees of clarity close to the clarity graduation according to the nomenclature of "Gemological Institute of America", the zone of color extending for example on the degrees of color D, E, F, or G, H, I, J, and the zone of clarity extending for example on the degrees of clarity FL, IF, VVS1, VVS2, or VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2. Container according to one of Claims 1 to 16, characterized in that it comprises several precious stones (11, 211, 511) which have individual masses which are at least 50% and at most 170% of the average mass of all the stones precious (11, 211, 511) contained in the container.

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