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Patent Abstract
A bezel having a lumen open to the top and bottom and a recessed
center section is used both to mount a stone to a piece of jewelry
and to function as a clasp for the jewelry. The recessed center
section of the jewelry can be coupled to a hook to secure the jewelry
to the wearer.
Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A piece of jewelry comprising: (a) a band; (b) a hollow bezel
secured to a first portion of said band and having an open top,
an open bottom, an inside wall defining a lumen extending between
said open top and said open bottom, a seat within said lumen, and
an outside wall having a recessed section; (c) a stone mounted at
least partially within said lumen of said bezel and in contact with
said seat; and (d) a hook at a second portion of said band and having
an opening sized to receive the recessed section of said bezel,
wherein when said hook has received the recessed section of said
bezel, the hook is impeded from either the top or bottom of said
bezel.
2. The piece of jewelry of claim 1 wherein said band comprises
at least one metal wire.
3. The piece of jewelry of claim 1 wherein said band has spring
characteristics such that the band, hook and bezel all cooperate
to hold the inside of the hook against the center section of the
bezel as the piece of jewelry is worn.
4. The piece of jewelry of claim 3 wherein said spring characteristics
of the band are between approximately 5 and 7 dies hard.
5. The piece of jewelry of claim 1 wherein the outside wall of
said bezel has a substantially hour-glass shape.
6. The piece of jewelry of claim 1 further including a pair of
recesses above the seat, a seat bead positioned within each of said
recesses such that the edge of the stone is held in place between
said seat beads and said seat.
7. A jewelry piece comprising: (a) a band having first and second
portions; (b) a hook formed at said first portion of the band; (c)
a bezel secured to said second portion of said band, said bezel
having an outside wall comprising a top section, a bottom section
and a recessed center section, an open top, an open bottom, and
an inside wall defining a lumen extending between said open top
and open bottom, and a lumen wall having a seat, and at least one
recess; (d) a stone positioned at least partially within said lumen
and in contact with said seat; and (e) a seat bead positioned within
said recess cooperating with said seat to hold said stone to said
bezel, wherein said hook receives said recessed center section of
said bezel to secure said first and second portions of said band
together.
8. The jewelry piece of claim 1 wherein said bezel is formed using
a lost wax casting processes and a sprue that matches the inside
and outside walls of said bezel.
9. The jewelry piece of claim 7 wherein said bezel is formed using
a lost wax casting process and a hollow sprue that matches the inside
and outside walls of the bezel.
Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] I. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to jewelry. More specifically,
the present invention provides a unique combination clasp and stone
mounting for a bracelet, necklace or the like.
[0003] II. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Jewelry items have been made and worn for centuries. Bracelets
and necklaces date back to ancient Egypt and even earlier. Jewelry
items have been found throughout recorded history in virtually every
culture and civilization.
[0005] Many different clasp arrangements have been used to join
the opposite ends of a bracelet or necklace together after the jewelry
item has been placed about the neck, wrist or ankle. Also, many
different types of settings exist to permit a stone to be mounted
to the bracelet or necklace. However, very few jewelry pieces incorporate
structure that constitutes both a part of a clasp and a mounting
for a decorative stone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A first object of the present invention is to provide an
improved clasp for jewelry items.
[0007] A second object of the present invention is to provide an
improved clasp that also serves as a secure mount for a decorative
stone.
[0008] Still another object of the present invention is to provide
a secure mount that is open to the top and bottom so that the stone
and interior of the mount can be easily cleaned.
[0009] These and other objects of the invention are achieved by
providing a piece of jewelry that includes a wire band having a
clasp comprising a hook formed at one end of the band and a bezel
connected to the other end of the band. The exterior of the bezel
preferably has an hourglass shape so that it is wider at the top
and bottom and narrower at the center. When the jewelry piece is
wrapped about a body part such as the wrist or neck, the bezel is
moved into the hook such that the hook engages the narrower center
of the bezel. The wider top and bottom prevent the hook from slipping
off the bezel.
[0010] Preferably the wire band has a spring characteristic between
5 and 7 dies hard. If the spring characteristic is less than 5 dies
hard, the band will not maintain its shape and the hook will not
be held with sufficient force to the hourglass-shaped bezel. If
the spring characteristic is greater than 7, the wire band will
be too brittle and crack due to metal fatigue over time.
[0011] The bezel preferably has an interior lumen that extends
the entire length of the bezel. The top and bottom of the bezel
are both preferably open to the lumen. The wall of the lumen preferably
includes a seat upon which a decorative stone may be mounted. A
plurality of notches or recesses can also be provided. These notches
receive stone setting beads to secure the stone in place. Since
both ends of the bezel are open to the lumen, the lumen (as well
as the top and bottom of the stone) can easily be cleaned.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a jewelry piece incorporating
the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the bezel soldered
to one end of a wire band.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the bezel.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the bezel showing a stone mounted
in the lumen.
[0016] FIGS. 5A-5C show how a hook at one end of the wire band
is secured to the bezel attached to the other end of the wire band.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a jewelry piece 1. The jewelry piece includes
a metal wire band 2. Formed at one end of the wire band 2 is a hook
3. The opposite end of the wire band 2 is joined to a bezel 4. The
joint 5 between the wire band 2 and the bezel 4 is preferably a
solder joint. The wire band has certain spring characteristics.
Preferably the metal of the wire band 2 is between approximately
5 and 7 dies hard to give the metal sufficient spring characteristics
without being too brittle.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 2-4, the bezel 4 is elongated. The bezel
4 has an exterior wall 10 having a top section 12, a center section
14 and a lower section 16. The joint 5 between the band 2 and the
bezel 4 is located at the lower section 16 of the bezel 4.
[0019] The upper section 12 and the lower section 16 have generally
cylindrical shapes. The center section 14 provides a recessed area.
As such, the exterior wall 10 of the bezel 4 is shown as having
an hour-glass shape. Other shapes can also be used without deviating
from the invention so long as the exterior wall has a recessed area.
[0020] The bezel 4 has a top opening 20 and a bottom opening 22.
Extending between openings 20 and 22 is a lumen 24 having a lumen
wall 26. The lumen wall 26 is generally cylindrical in shape.
[0021] Associated with the top of the lumen 24 is a frusto-conical
seat 30. The lumen wall 26 also has a pair of recesses 32 above
the seat 30. FIG. 4 shows a stone 34 placed within the lumen 24
and resting on the seat 30. Also shown are a pair of seat beads
36 inserted into the recesses 32 to secure the stone 34 in place
in the bezel 4. The edges of the stone 34 are, in essence, pinched
between the seat 30 and the seat beads 36. The stone 34 and lumen
24 of the bezel 4 can be easily cleaned because of the top and bottom
openings 20 and 22.
[0022] The design of bezel 4 is particularly advantageous because
it permits a stone mounted to the bezel 4 to be easily cleaned.
During the course of wearing jewelry, water, perfume, lotion, body
oils, dirt and other grime can seep through the top into the back
of a standard bezel causing the stone to have a dark or cloudy appearance.
No manner of cleaning, soaking, boiling, ultrasonic cleaning or
steaming can remove such deposits once they have penetrated into
a standard closed-base bezel. The design of bezel 4 solves these
problems and permits the bezel 4 and stone 34 to be cleaned in a
variety of ways restoring the original beauty of the stone.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 1 and further demonstrated by FIGS. 5A-5C,
the bezel 4 and the hook 3 cooperate to provide a clasp joining
the two ends of the jewelry piece 1 together. The hook 3 is pushed
past the bezel 4 and the opening of the hook 3 then receives the
center section 14 of the bezel 4. The wider top section 12 and the
lower section 16 prevent the hook 3 from moving up and down across
the outer surface of the bezel past the top or bottom of the bezel
4. The spring characteristics of the metal wire band 2 hold the
inside of the hook 3 tightly against the center section of the bezel
4 to secure the two ends together so the jewelry piece 1 can be
worn. To disconnect the hook 3 from the bezel 4, all one needs to
do is provide sufficient force to overcome the spring force of the
wire band 2 so the hook 3 and bezel 4 are freed from each other.
Thus, the spring characteristics of the band 2, the hook 3 and bezel
4 all cooperate to provide adequate latching together of the two
ends of the jewelry piece.
[0024] The bezel of the present invention can be formed in a number
of ways. For example, a lost wax casting method can be employed
using a hollow or tubular sprue that matches the inside and outside
diameters of the bezel. When the bezel casting is removed from the
hollow or tubular sprue, it is ready for finishing without further
drilling or filing.
[0025] Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing
that various modifications to the preferred embodiment disclosed
can be made without deviating from the invention. Thus, the following
claims are provided to define the scope of the invention.
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