EP0790012A2 - A pendant made of precious stone and method of manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

The pendant (6) is made from a strip of metal with a slight bend at one end (2) and a flat face and chamfered hole (5) at the other (3). A short piece of tube (4) is soldered on the strip. A stone or jewel (12) is placed with its conical end (14) in the hole, then the strip is bent over. The strip is bent over till the flat face at its end lies against the flat upper face (13) of the stone to retain it in the hole. A string or chain is passed through the bore of the tube so that the pendant can be hung round the neck of the wearer.

Description

The invention relates to a metal gemstone pendant with a holder for gemstones, especially for cut stones that have a flat top and a conical or pyramidal bottom. The invention also relates to a method for producing such a pendant and a multi-part gemstone pendant set.

Gemstone pendants are made in the jewelry industry for a variety of uses. They are mostly worn as necklaces, with the pendant attached to a thin chain or to a thin wire or textile thread. Occasionally, gemstone pendants are also processed in connection with other pieces of jewelry, such as on bracelets, belly chains and the like. The invention relates to gemstone pendants for each such application, insofar as it is attached to a thread-like fastening element. This term refers to both on one-piece fasteners such as wires as well as articulated fasteners such as chains.

The gem stone is held by a holder made of metal, the invention being directed primarily to cases in which a small holder compared to the stone is desired. Such small gemstone pendants are usually hung on very thin thread-shaped fasteners with a diameter of usually less than 2 mm. In the gemstone pendants, the gemstones (cut gemstones), which have a flat upper surface (table surface) and a conical or pyramid-shaped underside, such as faceted or brilliant cut stones, are usually fastened in a setting in which a plurality of fastening pins protrudes from a base, grips the upper edge of the gem and presses it against the base. However, this conventional version is unsatisfactory in several ways. Among other things, the production is relatively complex, the aesthetic appearance, especially in connection with modern jewelry design, is unsatisfactory and the durability also leaves something to be desired.

The Japanese utility model application Sho 63-199.610 describes a gemstone pendant with a more modern holder for cut gemstones. The holder has a supporting part, in which a hole is provided as a seat for receiving the pointed end of the conical part ("pavilion") of the gem. A projection protrudes from one end of the supporting part in the direction of the upper part of the gem. The protrusion has two pressure elements that rest on two of the sloping facets of the stone. The support part and the projection form a clamping piece in which the gem is to be held by a pincer-like clamping effect. An advantage of this construction is that more light enters the inside of the stone and the brilliance of the gemstone is improved because the lower part (pavilion) of the stone is largely freely accessible. However, the bracket is unsafe and the risk of losing the stone is relatively high. Therefore, another variant is described in the utility model, in which the stone is encompassed on all sides. However, this means that the advantages of essentially one-sided suspension are lost.

The invention has for its object to provide a gemstone pendant for thread-like fasteners, such as chains or thin clinchers, which is aesthetically particularly appealing, leaving as large a part of the gemstone as possible to allow good brilliance, efficient production allowed and securely fixed the gem.

The object is achieved by a gemstone pendant according to claim 1 and by a method for producing such a gemstone pendant according to claim 8. The invention also relates to a gemstone pendant set using a gemstone pendant according to claim 1.

The gemstone pendant according to the invention has an unusual and aesthetically particularly appealing appearance, because on the one hand the gemstone is largely exposed, on the other hand the holder to which the chain or the wire ring is attached is very narrow. It is preferably narrower than the diameter of the table surface of the gem. This enables advantageous combinations in the form of a gemstone pendant set. In such a set, the gemstone pendant is combined with other jewelry parts comprising it, in particular ornament parts, which are hung together with it on the chain.

From German patent specification 3931109 a gemstone setting for finger rings is known, in which, just like in the present invention, the gemstone is framed between two legs in a clamping piece, an upper, preferably shorter leg resting on the table of the gemstone, while the lower leg preferably longer leg is provided with a recess into which the lower tip end of the gem is inserted. This construction has significant advantages. It allows easy manufacture. The same holder can be used for gemstones of different sizes and shapes. The stone is held securely even under load and has a very nice, intensive shine because only a small part of the stone surface is covered.

Despite these advantages, the use of this design with two legs running essentially in parallel has so far been restricted to rings. This may be due to the fact that the construction of the stone holder and its manufacture according to DE 3931109 is specifically tailored to the conditions in the rings. The manufacturing method described requires that a recess is milled into the ring rail, into which the clamping piece designed as a U-shaped bracket can be inserted. Such a method of manufacture is not possible with a gemstone pendant. In addition, it is mentioned in the cited document that the outer surface of the ring rail referred to there as the "ring body" when the U-shaped is closed Clamping piece is pressed in a little by the stone. Such a deformation is only acceptable with a relatively solid metal part, such as the ring rail of a finger ring.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Schmuckstück-Anhängers;

Fig. 2

eine Seitenansicht, teilweise im Schnitt, von einem Schmuckstein-Anhänger gemäß der Erfindung;

Fig. 3 und Fig. 4

zwei unterschiedliche Phasen eines Verfahrens zur Herstellung des erfindungsgemäßen Schmuckstein-Anhängers;

Fig. 5 und Fig. 6

analoge Darstellungen zu den Figuren 3 und 4 für eine andere Ausführungsform eines Schmuckstein-Anhängers gemäß der Erfindung,

Fig. 7

eine Vorderansicht von einem erfindungsgemäßen Schmuckstein-Anhänger-Set.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments shown schematically in the figures; show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a jewelry pendant according to the invention;

Fig. 2

a side view, partly in section, of a gemstone pendant according to the invention;

3 and 4

two different phases of a method for producing the gemstone pendant according to the invention;

5 and 6

analogous representations to Figures 3 and 4 for another embodiment of a gemstone pendant according to the invention,

Fig. 7

a front view of a gemstone pendant set according to the invention.

In the following description, the information “above”, “below” and “laterally” relates to the position of a gemstone 12 shown in FIG. 2, in which the panel surface 13 is at the top and the pointed end 14a of the lower part 14 of the gemstone 12 is at the bottom.

The metal holder shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, preferably made of a noble metal, consists of a narrow metal rod which has a 180 ° curved shape in a side view. Whose width W (Fig. 4) is smaller than the largest diameter of the gem, even smaller than the diameter thereof Board surface. The rod forms an upper leg 2, a lower leg 3 and an intermediate piece 7 of a clamping piece designated overall by 1. In the vicinity of the end of the lower leg 3, a recess 5 is provided, which forms a seat for the lower part 14 of a gemstone 12. The tip 14a of the lower part 14 rests in the recess 5.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the clamping piece 1 surrounds the gem stone in an arc shape, its upper leg 2 resting as a pressure element on the panel surface 13 of the gem stone 12. Within the arch formed by the clamping piece 1, a metal cylinder 4 is provided on an inner surface 1a of the clamping piece 1 facing the gem 12. This is laterally arranged from the gem 12 and dimensioned such that the lower part 14 of the gem 12 rests thereon.

The lower part 14 of the gemstone 12 is the part below its largest cross-section (i.e. below the so-called Rondis plane). The upper part 9 of the gemstone is the part above the Rondis level.

If one takes into account the small dimensions of brilliants available at reasonable costs, it becomes clear that the parts shown are very small. In a practical embodiment - due to the size of the gem - the metal cylinder 4 has an outer diameter of less than 3 mm. The inner clear cross-section d must be suitable for receiving a sufficiently durable cord-shaped fastening element. In a practical case, this requires an inner one Diameter of at least 1.7 mm. This results in a small wall thickness of the cylinder 4 of approximately 0.5 mm.

In the case of the manufacture of a gemstone pendant 15 (consisting of the holder 6 and the gemstone 12), which is illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 4, the cylinder 4 is first inserted into a recess made in the inner surfaces 1a of the clamping piece 1 (for example by grinding) and (in particular by soldering or laser welding) firmly connected to the clamping piece 1. As shown, the depression 10 is formed opposite to the outer surface 4a of the cylinder 4, so that the two parts lie against one another over the entire surface. The axial length L of the cylinder 4 is at most as large as the width W of the clamping piece 1 at the fastening point.

After fastening the cylinder 4, the upper leg 2 is bent in the opposite direction (arrow 20). Preferably, the lower leg 3 remains straight up to the depression 10 and the bend is limited to the intermediate piece 7 and the upper leg 2. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 2, there is an intermediate space on the side facing away from the gem 12 Side of the cylinder 4. The cylinder 4 is not in contact with the clamping piece 1 in this area, rather the contact between the cylinder 4 and the clamping piece 1 is essentially limited to the area of the depression 10 and in any case to less than half the circumference of the cylinder 4.

In order to complete the gemstone pendant 15, the gemstone 12 is inserted between the upper leg 2 and the lower leg 3 of the holder 6. In the case shown, the gem has a brilliant cut, the upper surface being called the panel surface 13.

The lower part 14 tapers in the form of a cone or a pyramid (pavilion). At the pointed end of the conical lower part 14, a very small end surface (colette), not shown in the figure, can be provided.

To fasten the gem 12, its pointed lower end 14a, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is inserted into the hole 5, the conical lower part 14 of the stone 12 coming into contact with the outside 4a of the cylinder 4. The upper leg 2 is pressed in the direction of the lower leg, for example by means of a hand press, in such a way that its end rests on the panel surface 13 of the gemstone 12. The upper leg 2 is shorter than the lower leg 3. The pressure element which is in contact with the gem 12 (here the front boundary surface 2b of the upper leg 2) presses on the panel surface 13 in an eccentric position.

A design as shown in FIG. 2 is preferred. In this case, the panel surface 13 of the gemstone 12 is arched over by the upper leg 2 such that a section 2a of its lower boundary formed by the inner surface 1a runs in an arc over the plane 11 of the panel surface 13. This results in a particularly firm mounting.

In the illustrated embodiment, the clamping piece 1 is formed in one piece overall. This is particularly preferred, but an embodiment is also possible in which the different sections of the clamping piece 1 (in particular the lower leg 3, the intermediate piece 7 and the upper leg 2) are made from separately manufactured and subsequently connected in particular by soldering or welding Sharing. The recess 5 is an open through hole in the embodiment shown in the figures. Alternatively, however, it can also be designed as a non-continuous depression (blind hole).

FIGS. 5 and 6 show representations analogous to FIGS. 3 and 4, in which case the cylinder 4 is made in one piece with the clamping piece 1. For example, a casting process can be used for this. However, the embodiment in which parts 1 and 3 are produced separately is generally advantageous, although it initially appears to be more complex. In particular, with regard to the strength of the cylinder, it has proven to be advantageous to produce it from drawn precious metal tube.

FIG. 7 shows the combination of a gemstone pendant 15 (consisting of holder 6 and gemstone 12) with an ornamental part 17 which, together with the gemstone pendant 15, hangs on the same thread-like fastening element 16. The parts 15 and 17 are coordinated in their dimensions and in their aesthetic appearance and form an overall gemstone pendant set. The ornamental part 17 is preferably - as shown - provided with two through holes 18, 19, the spacing a (relative to the mutually facing boundaries of the holes 18, 19) is large enough that the holder 6 of the gemstone pendant 15 fits between them, the ornamental part 17 frames the gemstone pendant 15.

Claims (10)

Gemstone pendant for attachment to a thread-shaped fastener (16), such as a chain or wire, comprising a holder (6) made of metal, in which a gem (12) with a flat upper panel surface (13) and a tapered lower part (14) is contained,
wherein the holder (6) includes a clamping piece (1) which has a recess (5) for mounting the lower part (14) of the gem (12) and a pressure element resting on the upper part (9) of the gemstone above the largest cross section (8) having,
characterized in that the clamping piece (1) has an upper leg (2) and a lower leg (3) which are connected to one another by an intermediate piece (7), the recess (5) is provided for mounting the lower part (14) of the gem (12) in the lower leg (3), the upper leg (2) rests as a pressure element on the panel surface (13) of the gem (12), the clamping piece (1) engages around the gem (12) in total, laterally from the lower part (14) of the gem (12) within that of the clamping piece (1) A metal cylinder (4) is firmly connected to the inner surface (1a) of the clamping piece (1) facing the gem (12), the cylinder (4) is arranged and dimensioned in its outer dimensions such that the lower part (14) of the gem (12) rests on it and the cylinder (4) has an internal clear cross section (d) for the passage of the thread-like fastening element. Gemstone pendant according to claim 1, characterized in that the cylinder (4) is made separately from the clamping piece (1) and is subsequently connected to it, in particular by soldering or laser welding. Gemstone pendant according to claim 2, characterized in that the cylinder (4) is embedded in a recess (10) shaped opposite its outer surface (4a) on the inner surface (1a) of the clamping piece (1). Gemstone pendant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cylinder (4) is in contact with the clamping piece (1) on less than half of its circumference. Gemstone pendant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper leg (2) bulges the table surface (13) of the gemstone (12) in such an arc-shaped manner that a portion (2a) of its lower limit in an arc above the plane (11 ) of the board surface (13). Gemstone pendant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the axial length (L) of the cylinder (4) is at most as large as the width (W) of the clamping piece (1) at the fastening point. Gemstone pendant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper leg (2), the intermediate piece (7) and the lower leg (3) of the clamping piece (1) consist in one piece of a bent metal rod. Method for producing a gemstone pendant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the inner surface (1a) of the clamping piece (1) a recess (10) is formed which is shaped opposite the outer surface (4a) of the cylinder (4), the cylinder (4) is inserted into the recess and there, in particular by soldering or laser welding , is firmly connected to the clamping piece and the gem (12) is fastened in the holder (6) in that the upper leg (2) and the lower leg (3) are bent towards one another, the lower part (14) on the outer surface (4a) of the cylinder (4) rests. Gemstone pendant set consisting of a gemstone pendant according to one of claims 1 to 7 and at least one ornamental part (17) designed to match this, which has at least one hole for the passage of the cord-shaped fastening element (16). Gemstone pendant set according to claim 9, characterized in that the ornamental part (17) has two through holes (18,19), the spacing (a) of which is dimensioned such that a gemstone pendant according to one of claims 1 to 7 fits in between, the ornamental part (17) framing the gemstone pendant (15).

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