GB2218319A

GB2218319A - Jewellery

Info

Publication number: GB2218319A
Application number: GB8905790A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher Simon French
Original assignee: ACME JEWELLERY Ltd
Current assignee: ACME JEWELLERY Ltd
Priority date: 1988-03-15
Filing date: 1989-03-14
Publication date: 1989-11-15
Also published as: GB8905790D0; GB8806070D0

Abstract

Earring 1 has a claw setting 2, 5. Part 2 is resilient and has claws 3 which receive a gem 4. The hooked edges 3a of the claws 3 snap-engage over rim 4a of gem 4. Claws 3 are securely located to the gem 4 by ring 5 seated on part 2 after introduction onto the part 2 along the axis of post 6. Post 6 is passed through the ear and secured thereto by a butterfly fastener. <IMAGE>

Description

JEWELLERY This invention relates to jewellery and particularly to a claw setting for a gem or stone and to a method of making same.

Claw settings are well known and have been used for many years in the ornamental display of gems, for example in diamond rings. Nowadays, for at least some items of jewellery, the gem or stone may be held in place by the inherent resilience of the claw setting itself. As the gem is introduced into the setting the claws can be deformed until the gem is correctly located and the claws snap over a locating rim or portion of the gem (usually the widest diameter portion) and return substantially to an undeformed position. It tends to be disadvantageous with this type of setting that the claws are quite capable of being deformed to allow the gem to "pop" out of the setting (for example on a sudden shock to the setting).Additionally, the design of claw setting necessitates a certain amount of material and a certain thickness of claw, in order to provide sufficient strength. It is believed that the design of claw setting is not as efficient or cost-effective as it could be and a saving in material for the setting could dramatically improve the cost-effectiveness of the setting if made of precious metal e.g. gold or platinum.

It is an object of the present invention to alleviate one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a claw setting for a gem or stone, the seting comprising a first part having a plurality of claws for receiving and holding the stone and a second part which is a retaining member, said retaining member acting in use to locate the claws relative to the gem or stone and to restrain movement of the claws apart from one another, said retaining member comprising a ring which is introduced over or located on the outside of said first part and is -seated thereon in seating locations on the claws.

Further according to the present invention there is provided an item of jewellery having at least one claw setting in accordance with the immediately preceding paragraph with its associated gem or stone mounted therein, said item being, for example, a stud earring or a ring.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a method of making a claw setting, the method comprising: (1) making a blank for a first part of the claw setting in which claws thereof are arranged in the same general plane, (2) bending the claws of said first part so that said first part is of a shape to receive and hold a gem or stone of predetermined size and shape, (3) making a retaining member for locating the claws relative to the gem or stone when received in said first part, said retaining member acting in use to restrain movement of the claws apart from one another.

Usually at least said first part of the claw setting will be of precious metal, for example gold or platinum.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the retaining member may comprise a simple ring (usually soldered a split ring or a stamped ring) of generally circular cross section (any cross section may be employed, for example square, if desired) which is introduced onto said first part and is seated thereon.

The first part may have three, four or more claws which, in use, embrace the gem and the ring is, preferably, seated adjacent to the ends of the claws to urge them into tight gripping engagement with the gem.

The ends of the claws are, preferably, curved or hooked to engage over a rim of the gem and they may be such as to be deformable away from one another as the gem is introduced into the setting until the curved or hooked ends snap over the edges of the gem. Said ends may be generally S-shaped with the ring being seated in portions of the S-shaped ends. In any event seating locations such as depressions or ribs may, additionally or alternatively, be provided on the claws.

The first part may, advantageously, have a wall thickness in the range of about 5 thousands of an inch (.13mm) to ten thousands of an inch (.25mm) and is, preferably, of uniform thickness. The wall thickness could be variable and the width of the claws could be increased towards their ends to provide additional strength at the ends. The ring is preferably about 15 thousands of an inch (.38mm) thickness.

The claw setting may be incorporated into an earring stud or other item of jewellery and several such settings may be mounted side by side, possibly with the aid of (possibly integral) interlocking tongue and slot connections on the claw setting.

An embodiment of an earring having a claw setting in accordance with the present invention, and method of making same, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- FIGURE 1 shows a front elevational view of an earring stud including the claw seating; FIGURE 2 shows a plan view of the stud in which a gem of the stud has been omitted for ease of illustration; FIGURE 3 shows a blank for a first part of the claw setting, and FIGURE 4 shows a sectional view similar to FIGURE 1 indicating the manner of attachment of a retaining member onto said first part.

FIGURE 1 shows an earring stud 1 having a first, inherently resilient part 2 with claws 3, which part 2 receives and holds a cut and polished precious gem or stone 4 in a manner which should be generally evident particularly when viewed in conjunction with FIGURES 2 and 4.

The claws 3 are located relative to the gem 4 by a retaining member 5 in the form of a soldered split-ring of circular section which is introduced onto the part 2 generally in the direction of arrow A (see FIGURE 4) and seated thereon. The ring 5 is shown at 5' in a position before engagement on part 2. The part 2 and ring 5 constitute a claw setting for the gem 4 and a post 6 of the earring extends along the central axis of the setting 2,5 (see FIGURE 2). The post 6 is passed through the ear and a butterfly fastener (not shown) secures the post to the ear in the usual manner.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 4 of a blank 7 for the part 2 with post 6. The claws 3 are arranged in the same general plane extending transversely to the axis of the post 6, and the ends of the claws 3 are generally S-shaped. The claws 3 are then bent upwardly so that the part 2 assumes the general shape as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4. The gem 4 is introduced into part 2 (in a direction reverse to arrow A as shown in FIGURE 4) and the claws 3 are momentarily deformed outwardly from one another by a rim 4a of the gem as said rim is moved into the part 2 beyond the extreme curved or hooked edge 3a of the S-shaped ends of the claws 3. The claws 3 snap over the rim 4a and are then securely located relative to the gem 4 by the ring 5 which is then introduced onto the part 2 and which restrains movement of the claws 3 away from one another.The ring 5 is seated in the lower portions of the S-shaped ends of the claws 3 as should be evident from the drawings. Any suitable shape may be chosen for the ends of the claws 3 in order to seat the ring 5 thereon and grip the gem 4.

Usually, the earring stud (apart from the gem) will be made of precious metal, for example gold and it is believed that the aforedescribed design is highly advantageous. Firstly, less material may be employed than with standard claw settings. In fact, an overall saving in gold (including the material content of the ring 5) up to about 40% can be made, to yield a lighter but strong (possibly stronger than usual) claw setting.

The wall thickness of the part 2 can be from about 5 thousands of an inch to about ten thousands of an inch rather than a wall thickness of about i2 thousands of an inch (.30mm) generally necessitated by the design of other claw settings. The thickness of the ring will generally be about 15 thousands of an inch so that it is strong enough not to deform to any substantial extent.

Stamped rings can be made more accurately and it is possible that a ring of square cross section may be employed which is of a thinner wall thickness than 15 thousands of an inch can reasonably be employed.

Owing to the design of claw setting in accordance with the present invention, the strength distribution of the claws is not the same as that required in prior art claw settings. Strength is required at the top (ends) of the claws rather than at the bottom of the setting and some degree of flexibility is desired at the bottom of the setting unlike in prior art settings. Thus, the claws 3 may be deformed relatively easily out of the way whilst the gem is introduced into the part 2 by flexing about a location towards the bottom of part 2 (i.e. at the bend of the claws) and then securely and reliably located relative to the gem by the ring 5.In prior art claw settings the ends of the claws are relatively weak to allow the gem to be introduced into the setting whilst the claws flex about a location relatively close to their ends and the base of the setting has to be relatively thick to provide a sufficient degree of strength and rigidity. Even so, prior art claw settings may be prone to the gem "popping" out of the setting whereas the gem may be more reliably located in the setting according to the present invention, substantially reducing or obviating the possibility of the gem inadvertently "popping" out. Nevertheless, the design of the claw setting may be such that the ring can be readily removed when required to allow the gem to be easily removed for substitution by another, and this removal of the gem may well be significantly facilitated with the present invention when compared with prior art designs.

Additionally, it is believed that the general design of the claw setting in accordance with the present invention, which setting may be described generally as a "basket", is aesthetically appealing and possibly more so than prior art designs.

Such a claw setting may be utilised with other items of jewellery other than earrings, for example rings, or anywhere where a gem is to be introduced into a receiving hole. Advantageously, the gem can be quickly and easily mounted into the claw setting without solder and a plurality of such settings can be mounted side by side.

The claw settings may be provided with interlocking tongue and slot portions (which extend generally from the bottom of the part 2) so that a tongue of one claw setting locates in a slot in a slot portion of an adjacent claw setting, in a manner which is generally known per se.

It is believed that the particular relative dimensions shown for the claw setting are particularly advantageous. Dimension X (see FIGURE 2) of each claw 3 may be .03 inches (0.7mm) and the base dimension Y (see FIGURE 4) may be 3.69mm.

It is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not to be unduly limited by the particular choice of terminology and that a specific term may be replaced by any equivalent or generic term where sensible. Further it is to be understood that individual features, method or functions related to the claw setting or items of jewellery including same and/or combinations thereof might be individually patentably inventive. In particular, any disclosure in this specification of a range for a variable or parameter shall be taken to include a disclosure of any selectable or derivable subrange within that range and shall be taken to include a disclosure of any value for the variable or parameter lying within or at an end of the range.

In a preferred development of the claw setting according to the present invention the Applicant solders the retaining ring onto the outside of the claws. The end tips of the claws are preferably generally straight prior to positioning the gem in the setting and once the ring has been soldered in place the end tips are bent or turned over by a press.

It is to be appreciated that the setting itself could be any convenient shape for example, a rectangular or heart shape.

Claims

1. A claw setting for a gem or stone, the setting comprising a first part having a plurality of claws for receiving and holding the stone and a second part which is a retaining member, said retaining member acting in use to locate the claws relative to the gem or stone and to restrain movement of the claws apart from one another, said retaining member comprising a ring which is introduced over or located on the outside of said first part and is seated thereon in seating locations on the claws.

2. A claw setting as claimed in Claim 1 in which at least said first part of the claw setting is of precious metal.

3. A claw setting as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the ring is soldered to the claws.

4. A claw setting as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, said first part having three or four or more claws which, in use, embrace the gem.

5. A claw setting as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the ring is seated adjacent to the ends of the claws to urge them into tight gripping engagement with the gem

6. A claw setting as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the ends of the claws are curved or hooked to engage over a rim of the gem.

7. A claw setting as claimed in Claim 6 in which said claw ends are such as to be deformable away from one another as the gem is introduced into the setting until the curved or hooked ends snap over the edges of the gem.

8. A claw setting as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 7 in which said ends are generally S-shaped with the ring being seated in portions of the S-shaped ends.

9. A claw setting as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 in which the end tips of the claws are generally straight and bent over after a gem has been received in the setting.

10. A claw setting as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which said first part has a wall thickness in the range of about 5 thousands of an inch (.13mm) to ten thousands of an inch (.25mm).

11. A claw setting as claimed in Claim 10 in which said wall thickness is uniform.

12. A claw setting as claimed in Claim 10 in which said wall thickness is variable and the width of the claws is increased towards their ends to provide additional strength at the ends.

13. A claw setting as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the ring is about 15 thousands of an inch (.38mm) thickness.

14. A claw setting substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

15. An item of jewellery having at least one claw setting as claimed in any one of the preceding claims with an associated gem or stone mounted therein, said item being, for example, a stud earring or a ring.

16. An item of jewellery as claimed in Claim 15 in which several claw settings are mounted side by side.

17. An item of jewellery as claimed in Claim 16 in which said claw setting are mounted side by side with the aid of interlocking tongue and slot connections on the claw settings.

18. An item of jewellery substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 1 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A method of making a claw setting, the method comprising: (1) making a blank for a first part of the claw setting in which claws thereof are arranged in the same general plane, (2) bending the claws of said first part so that said first part is of a shape to receive and hold a gem or stone of predetermined size and shape, (3) making a retaining member for locating the claws relative to the gem or stone when received in said first part, said retaining member acting in use to restrain movement of the claws apart from one another.

20. A method as claimed in Claim 19 in which at least said first part of the claw setting is of precious metal.

21. A method as claimed in Claim 19 or 20 in which the retaining member comprises a ring which is introduced onto said first part and is seated thereon.

22. A method as claimed in Claim 21 in which the ring is introduced over or located on the outside of said first part and located in seating locations on the claws.

23. A method as claimed in Claim 21 or Claim 22 in which the ring is seated adjacent to the ends of the claws to urge them into tight gripping engagement with the gem.

24. A method as claimed in Claim 22 or Claim 23 in which the ends of the claws are curved or hooked to engage over a rim of the gem.

25. A method as claimed in Claim 24 in which said claw ends are deformed away from one another as the gem is introduced into the setting until the curved or hooked ends snap over the edges of the gem.

26. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 23 to 25 in which said ends are generally S-shaped with the ring seating in portions of the S-shaped ends.

27. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 21 to 24 in which the end tips of the claws are generally straight and bent over after a gem has been received in the setting.

28. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 19 to 27 in which said first part has a wall thickness in the range of about 5 thousands of an inch (.13mm) to ten thousands of an inch (.25mm).

29. A method as claimed in Claim 28 in which said wall thickness is uniform.

30. A method as claimed in Claim 28 in which said wall thickness is variable and the width of the claws is increased towards their ends to provide additional strength at the ends.

31. A method as claimed in Claim 21 or any claim dependent therefrom in which the ring is about 15 thousands of an inch (.38mm) thickness.

32. A method as claimed in Claim 21 or any claim dependent therefrom in which the retaining ring is soldered to the claws.

33. A method as claimed in Claim 19 and substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

34. A method of making an item of jewellery substantially as herein described with reference to FIGURES 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

35. A claw setting for mounting in an item of jewellery and for a gem or stone, the setting comprising a first part having a plurality of claws for receiving and holding the stone and a second part which is a retaining member, said retaining member comprising a removable ring, acting in use to locate the claws relative to the gem or stone and to restrain movement of the claws apart from one another.