GB2245814A

GB2245814A - A collet for mounting a stone on a ring or other jewellery

Info

Publication number: GB2245814A
Application number: GB9015398A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rachamim Kanzen
Original assignee: KANZEN RACHAMIN TALLAB
Current assignee: KANZEN RACHAMIN TALLAB
Priority date: 1990-07-13
Filing date: 1990-07-13
Publication date: 1992-01-15
Also published as: GB9015398D0

Abstract

A collet for setting a stone on a ring comprises an annular base 2, claws 4 formed integrally with, extending upwardly from, and curving inwardly above the annular base 2, the claws 4 each presenting an inwardly facing tip 6 above the annular base 2 such that a stone 10 may be set between the inwardly facing tips 6 of the claws 4, and upwardly reflecting concave surfaces 7 formed on the portions of the collet between adjacent claws 4 and below the position at which a stone 10 may be gripped between the claws 4. <IMAGE>

Description

A COLLET FOR MOUNTING A STONE ON A RING OR OTHER JEWELLERY The present invention relates to collets used in the jewellery trade for mounting a stone, for example a precious stone such as a diamond.

In order to make jewellery available to the populace generally the price is kept as low as possible by using very small stones. However, in order to enhance the appearance of jewellery containing very tiny stones it is common practice to set the stone in such a way as to create an illusion that the stone is in fact many times bigger than it really is. In the past such an illusion has been created by setting the stone in the centre of a flat base and cutting shiny grooves around the stone to reflect light from the grooves. However, the need to cut grooves in the flat base in a way to reflect light involves the time of a skilled operator and thus adds to the expense of the jewellery in which the stone is subsequently incorporated, and also illusionset jewellery has a poor appearance.

According to the present invention there is provided a collet for mounting a stone in jewellery, the collet comprising a base, a plurality of claws extending upwardly from the base and presenting inwardly facing tips between which a stone may be set, and a plurality of upwardly reflecting concave surfaces between adjacent claws.

A feature of a collet in accordance with the present invention is the provision of the upwardly reflecting concave surfaces in the collet so that no further cutting of the collet is required after the stone has been set in the collet.

A collet in accordance with the present invention may have only two or three claws but preferably the collet has four claws when mounting a very small diamond or other stone. However the collet in accordance with the invention may have any larger number of claws, for example it may have six or seven claws when mounting stones larger than the very smallest currently used in the jewellery trade.

Collets in accordance with the present invention are preferably mass produced by casting in moulds.

The claws of the collet are thus formed integrally with the base and the upwardly reflecting concave surfaces, or scolloping, which extends continuously between the integrally formed claws and above the base of the collet.

The base of the collet may be an annular base with a central aperature in order to increase the amount of light which can illuminate the stone which is set in the collet, but such central aperture is not essential.

The base of the collet may also be of a shape other than circular, for example marquise-shaped or octagonal.

More specifically in accordance with the present invention there is provided a collet for setting a stone on a ring, the collet comprising an annular base, claws formed integrally with, extending upwardly from, and curving inwardly above the annular base, the claws each presenting an inwardly facing tip above the annular base such that a stone may be set between the inwardly facing tips of the claws, and upwardly reflecting concave surfaces formed on the portions of the collet between adjacent claws and below the position at which a stone may be gripped between the claws.

The present invention also comprehends a collet as previously described having a stone set therein and jewellery including a plurality of collets according to the invention with stones set therein.

Preferably a long-lasting shiny surface material, for example a coating of rhodium, is applied over the collets and stones set in the jewellery, after the surface of the jewellery has been polished.

The present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof which will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a collet in accordance with the present invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the collet of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a perspective view of three collets similar to the collet of Figures 1 and 2 each having a stone set therein and together mounted on a portion of a ring, and Figure 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of a collet in accordance with the present invention having a stone set therein.

In the drawings the same or similar parts are designated by like reference numerals.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, a collet designated generally by the numeral 1 has a base 2 with a central aperture 3 therein. Formed integrally with and extending upwardly from the base 2 are four claws 4 having outer surfaces 5 with some convex curvature. Each claw 4 terminates in an inwardly facing tip 6. Adjacent claws 4 are joined together by scolloping which comprises upwardly reflecting concave surfaces 7. The concave surfaces 7 are cut through into a hollow centre of the collet 1 at a level below the level of the inwardly facing tips 6 of the claws 4 as shown at 8.

A very small stone such as a diamond chip is set in the collet 1 between the four inwardly facing tips 6 of the claws 4. A diamond 10 set between four claws of each of three collets 1 is shown assembled on a gallery 11 on part of a ring 12 as shown in Figure 3.

The individual collets 1 are welded or soldered to the gallery 11 and the assembly of three collets is rhodium coated in order to provide very shiny surfaces, especially on the scolloping formed by the upwardly reflecting concave surfaces 7 and their cut outs 8.

In collets 1 according to the present invention and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings the stone or diamond 10 is set in the collet 1 at a position above the main reflecting surface of the scolloping defined by the concave surfaces 7 and above the cut-outs 8. Accordingly, in addition to the enhancement of the size of the diamond resulting from direct reflections from the concave surfaces 7 there is the likelihood of further enhancement by light reflecting from the concave surfaces 7 and the cut-outs 8 through the diamonds 10 themselves.

As already indicated, a collet 1 in accordance with the present invention may have more claws than four, and in Figure 4 there is shown a plan view of another collet 1 in accordance with the invention having six claws 4 and a diamond 10 set therein and held by the inwardly facing tips 6 of the claws 4.

By the use of the present invention the enhancement of a diamond or other stone set in a collet is achieved without the need for subsequent skilled work by a craftsman in cutting grooves or other scolloping to introduce the reflecting surfaces necessary to give the desired enhancement of the stone. Furthermore by the setting of the stone in a collet as hereinbefore described a greater degree of enhancement of the stone is achieved than in the previously known setting of small stones.

Also jewellery incorporating collets in accordance with the present invention is of a more solid construction than currently known illusion-set jewellery. Use of the present invention also enables the resultant jewellery to be of sophisticated designs and to have a finish usually associated with more expensive jewellery.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A collet for mounting a stone in jewellery, the collet comprising a base, a plurality of claws extending upwardly from the base and presenting inwardly facing tips between which a stone may be set, and a plurality of upwardly reflecting concave surfaces between adjacent claws.

2. A collet according to Claim 1 wherein there are four claws and four upwardly reflecting concave surfaces.

3. A collet according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the claws are formed integrally with the base, and the upwardly reflecting concave surfaces are continuous surfaces extending between the integrally formed claws and above the base.

4. A collet for setting a stone on a ring, the collet comprising an annular base, claws formed integrally with, extending upwardly from, and curving inwardly above the annular base, the claws each presenting an inwardly facing tip above the annular base such that a stone may be set between the inwardly facing tips of the claws, and upwardly reflecting concave surfaces formed on the portions of the collet between adjacent claws and below the position at which a stone may be gripped between the claws.

5. A collet according to any one of the preceding Claims having a stone mounted therein.

6. Jewellery including a plurality of collets having stones mounted therein according to Claim 5, the base of the collets being mounted directly or indirectly upon a ring.

7. Jewellery according to Claim 6 wherein a longlasting shiny surface material is applied over the dollets and stones and the surface material is polished.

8. A collet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A collet having a stone set therein substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

10. An article of jewellery having a plurality of stones set in collets substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.