GB2229623A - Jewellery - Google Patents

Abstract

An article of jewellery including a hollow tube (2), for example a circular earring (1) of hollow construction, is provided with a helical member (3) to provide support for the tube wall, the member (3) being retained in the tube (2) by retaining means (4). The retaining means (4) comprises an end cap (9) for each end (6, 7) of the tube (2). The helical member (3) may be a steel spring. <IMAGE>

Description

JEWELLERY This invention relates to jewellery, and in particular to articles of jewellery including a metal tube.

Known articles of this sort are hoop earrings, which generally comprise a gold or silver tube of part-annular outline, one end of the tube having a socket to receive an arcuate tongue secured to and extending from the other end of the tube. The tube is flexible, so that the ends can be moved away from each other to allow the tongue to be removed from the socket, and also displaced transversely to facilitate insertion and removal of the earrings. These earrings are easy to use, but they have the disadvantage that the tube walls are quite thin and are liable to be crushed and damaged.

According to the present invention, an article of jewellery including a metal tube has a helical member housed in the tube and retained by retaining means.

The helical member supports the tube wall, so that the tube is less liable to crushing and damage. The helical member is of course sufficiently flexible to enable it to be used in arcuate tubes, where it will maintain its outside diameter, and thus its support for the tube wall. Preferably the helical member is of metal, so that it is not affected by heat treatment of the article. It may conveniently be a steel spring.

The retaining means preferably comprises an end cap for each end of the tube. The caps may be of metal, conveniently the same metal as the tube. The caps preferably fit over the end of the tube, and are attached by soldering.

The invention is of particular use where the article comprises a sleeper earring having a tube of part-annular outline, and an arcuate tongue attached to and extending from one end of the tube, the other end of the tube being adapted to receive the tongue. In this case the tongue is attached to one end cap, the other end cap having an aperture to receive it.

An embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the single figure of which is a side view, partly cut away, of an earring.

The earring 1 shown in the Figure is of the hoop type, being of annular outline. The major part is formed as a metal tube 2, in which a helical member 3 is received and retained by retaining means 4, and the earring is completed by an arcuate tongue 5 attached to and -extending from one end 6 of the tube 2, and received in the other end 7 of the tube 2.

The tube 2 is made of gold, and is formed from a strip of 0.1 mm thickness which is first shaped to make a straight tube having a longitudinal seam with abutting edges, the straight tube then being bent round a mandrel into the part-annular outline shown, with the seam 8 on the inner side of the annulus.

The helical member 3 comprises a steel spring, whose outside diameter is slightly less than the inside diameter of the tube 2, and whose length is less than that of the tube 2. The retaining means 4 comprises a pair of end caps 9, one for each end 6,7 of the tube 2. The end caps 9 are also of gold, and are arranged to be a snug fit over the end of the tube 2.

They are attached to the tube 2 by soldering. Each cap 9 includes a central aperture 10 for the arcuate tongue 5, which is also of gold. One end 11 of the tongue 5 is soldered into the aperture 10 of the cap 9 on the end 6, while the other free end 12 can be received in the aperture 10 of the cap 9 on the end 7, in order to close the earring.

The earring 1 is assembled by inserting the spring 3 into a formed tube 2, and then fitting and soldering the end caps 9 and the tongue 5. It will be noted that the spring 3, being of steel, will not be affected by the soldering process.

The tube 2 is sufficiently flexible and resilient to enable the ends 6,7 to move away from each other, to enable the free end 12 of the tongue 5 to be inserted into, and released from the aperture 10 in the cap 9.

The tube 2 also allows displacement of its ends 6,7 transversely to the plane of the closed earring 1, so that the earring 1 can be fitted to or removed from an ear. The spring 3 ensures that the tube wall is supported during these movements, and also prevents it being crushed or damaged.

The outer surface of the tube 2 may be decorated as required, and the thickness of the original strip may be varied according to the diameter of the tube 2.

The tube 2 may be of silver instead of gold.

Claims (10)

1. An article of jewellery including a metal tube, in which the metal tube has a helical member housed in the tube to support the tube wall, the member being retained by retaining means.

2. An article of jewellery according to Claim 1, in which the helical member is arranged so that its longitudinal axis is flexible.

3. An article of jewellery according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the helical member is made of metal.

4. An article of jewellery according to Claim 3, in which the helical member is a steel spring.

5. An article of jewellery according to previous claims, in which the retaining means comprises an end cap for each end of the tube.

6.An article of jewellery according to Claim 5, in which the caps fit over the ends of the tube.

7. An article of jewellery according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, in which the caps are made of metal.

8. An article of jewellery according to Claim 7, in which the caps are attached by soldering.

9. An article of jewellery according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, in which the caps are made of the same metal as the tube.

10. An article of jewellery including a metal tube substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.