US2090240A - Artificial gem in the nature of asteriae - Google Patents

Description

ug- 17, 1937- R. L. STROTHMAN 2,090,240

ARTIFICIAL GEM IN THE NATURE OF ASTERIAE Filed Feb. 19, 195'! ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 17, 1937 PATENT OFFICE ARTIFICIAL GEM IN THE NATURE OF ASTERIAE Robert L. Strothman, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application February 19, 1937, Serial No. 126,579

6 Claims.

which is relatively inexpensive and commercially practical and which can utilize transparent or translucent substances without any unusual properties therein, whereby saidasteriae can be produced and sold at relatively moderate prices. I

In nature, perhaps the finest example of asterism is found in the star sapphire which is that variety of sapphire in which, when the stone is cut and rounded off horizontally with the dome of the crystal, light striking the same is condensed across the threelines of crystalline interference. The three crossed lines produce a star which moves as a source of light, or the star moves in the stone as it is moved relative to the source of light. The term asterism is applied to any stones which are cut en cabochon which exhibit distinct stars in refiected light, and any such stones include in general, sapphires, rubies, quartz, and beryls. Natural stones having the quality of asterism are extremely rare and expensive.

In an attempt to imitate the work of nature in the qualities of natural rare asteriae, there has 0 recently been created a gem with asterism, and such gems have been produced by superimposing asteriated quartz crystals upon colored backgrounds. These stones so mounted are likewise relatively expensive because only rare forms of 5 quartz crystals may be used, as the quartz must be asteriated and the mounting of the quartz on the colored background gives it color and emphasizes the star effect when light rays hit the crystal. Obviously, stones produced in the manner last described must be somewhat rare and expensive because all quartz does not have the proper asterism and there is difficulty in finding crystals unmarred by cleavage lines.

With the foregoing in mind, it is therefore a 5 specific object of the present invention to provide asteriae wherein the source of the gems is not limited nor restricted with the result that the same can be produced and mounted in jewelry for relatively reasonable costs.

.0 A further object of the invention is'to provide asteriae wherein the stonesor gems may be produced from many forms of crystalline, transparent or translucent material and may be mounted on backings of various forms of polished ;5 metals.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide artificial asteriae which can be produced in various colors, sizes and shapes, and which are especially well suited for use in the artistic,

l0 jewelry and ornamental fields.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the formation of an improved asteria and of the several steps involved in the method of producing the same, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is an enlarged somewhat magnified view of a face of a metallic backing on which a transparent or translucent stone is to be mounted to produce an improved asteria;

Fig. 2 is a further magnified or enlarged vicw of a fragment of the showing in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through a mounted stone produced in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a plan or top view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3 and on a larger scale; and

Fig. 6 is a view of a completed asteria as mounted in a ring or setting for jewelry usage.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will appear that a backing for the crystal, gem or stone is indicated by the numeral 8 and said backing is of metal with one surface given a mirror-like finish. Any of the following metals may be used for this purpose, namely; silver, copper, brass, Monel metal, and stainless steel, and the backing is of course cut to the desired size and configuration so as to fit the base of the stone or crystal to be superimposed thereon.

The formation of the face of the backing to which the stone or crystal is to be applied, is extremely important in the attainment of the present invention.

As will appear most clearly from Figs. 1 and 2, the ultimate upper face' of the backing has scratched, engraved or cut therein, over its entire surface, three sets of lines or grooves, with the lines of each set extending across and angulariy relative to the lines of the othersets. As shown most clearly in Fig. 2, one set of the lines or scratches are designated by the numerals 9 and the lines of this set are all parallel and spaced apart slightly. These lines 9 are traversed at an angle by another set of spaced and parallel lines i0. and the sets of lines 9 and ill are both traversed or intersected by a set of parallel and spaced apart lines or grooves ii.

In actual practice, the various lines or scratches 9, l0 and il may be made in the face of the metal backing, by the use of emery or carborundum paper. The emery or carborundum paper may be rubbed on the backing in one direction to produce one desired set of lines, then -it may be rubbed over the backing in another direction to produce a second set of lines, and finally it is rubbed in still another or third direction to produce a final set of lines or scratches. The fineness or coarseness of the emery paper used, determines the fineness or coarseness of the lines or scratches, and this is dependent upon the size and type of stone to be mounted on the backing. Small stones require the formation of fine lines or scratches on the backing, whereas large stones require the production of deeper or coarser lines or scratches on the backing which are accomplished by coarser emery paper. A sleepy effect in the finally produced stone can be obtained by a lesser degree of polishing imparted to the upper face of the backing 8.

The stone to be mounted on the backing must be cut en cabochon either in round or oval contour, or in slight variations thereof. stone, quartz, sapphire, ruby, glass, or any other similar transparent or translucent material may be used, and the color of the same is immaterial. In cutting the stone en cabochon, care must be taken not to have it domed too high, otherwise the rays ultimately reflected will not appear on the surface of the stone but will appear too far below the surface of the stone.

After the selected stone has been cut and shaped, it is ready to be mounted on the upper surface of the backing 8, and as shown in the drawing, the stone thusprepared is indicated by the numeral l2. The securement of the fiat face of the stone to the backing can be accomplished by cementing the same together by the use of any waterproof transparent cementitious material as at l3. Under certain conditions, if other forms of securement are utilized, the adjacent faces of the stone and backing may be protected with a coating of banana oil, and the cementing can be dispensed with.

For use in the jewelry or ornamental field, the backed stone may then be mounted in a suitable setting, and as shown in Fig.6, it forms the ornamental portion of a ring ll. When the improved stone is mounted on a backing in the manner described, it will be found that it has the quality of asterism and when held in line with a light source, a six-sided star will be reflected therein which moves in or over the stone as the stone or light source are moved relative to one another. It has been found that in the present invention, this phenomena is produced by virtue of the rays of light from the light source striking the series of parallel lines 9, l0 and II on the base and being reflected through the stone I! to the observer. Each of the lines causes a small point of light to be reflected. With the lines arranged on the backing as described, and covered by the transparent or translucent stone, the three sets of lines produce three sets of rays or a six-pointed star. The sets of rays are indicated by the broken line showings in Figs. 3 and 4, and it will be noted that the lines of rays are at ninety degree angles relative to the respective sets of lines on the backing, and the effect of the star in the final product is shown in Fig. 6.

From the foregoing description of the mode of producing an improved asteria, it will be apparent that the present invention provides an extremely simple, inexpensive and effective method of manufacturing highly attractive ornamental stones or gems for jewelry usage. The asteriae thus produced, very closely approach in For the to limit the present invention to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, for various modifications or variations within the scope of the appended claims, may occur to persons skilled in the art.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. An asteria, comprising a gem normally devoid of asterism and having a base portion, and a plate on which the base portion is secured and having light reflecting qualities, one of the adjoining faces of the plate and gem having series of lines therein to produce asterism in the gem when light from a source is reflected through the gem by the plate. I

2. An artificial asteria, comprising a light transmitting stone normally devoid of asterism and having a base face, and a reflector plate on which said base face is mounted, one of the adjoining faces of the stone and plate having series of intersecting lineations therein whereby, when light froma source strikes said plate it will be reflected into the stone in condensedintersecting rays to produce asterism in the stone.

3. An artificial asteria, comprising a light transmitting, colored stone normally devoid of asterism andhaving a flat base face, a reflector plate on which said base face is mounted, one of the adjoining faces of the stone and plate having two seriesof intersecting lineations thereon, the lineations of one series intersecting those of the other series whereby, when light from a source strikes said plate and lineations it will be reflected into the stone in condensed intersecting rays to produce asterismin the stone.

4. An artificial asteria, comprising a domeshaped, light transmitting stone normally devoid of asterism and having a flat base face, and a reflector plate on which said base face is mounted, the adjacent face of the reflector plate having a plurality of lines therein whereby when light from a source strikes said plate it will be reflected into the stone to produce asterism therein.

5. An artificial asteria, comprising a domeshaped, light transmitting stone normally devoid of asterism and having a flat base face, and a reflector plate on which said base face is mounted,

the adjacent face of the reflector plate having three series of fine lines thereon, the lines of each series being intersected by the lines of both of the other series whereby when light from a source strikes said plate and the lines it will be reflected into the stone in condensed intersecting rays to produce asterism in the stone.

6. An artificial asteria, comprising a domeshaped, light transmitting, colored stone normally devoid of asterism and having a-fiat base face, and a reflector plate on which said base face is mounted, the adjacent face of the reflector plate having three series of closely-adjacent, fine lines therein, the lines of each series being in parallelism and being intersected by the lines of both of the other series whereby when light from a source strikes said'plate and the lines it will be reflected into the stone in condensed intersecting rays to produce asterism in the stone.

ROBERT L. STROTHMAN.

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