Patent ID: 6739052
Filing Date: 2004-05-25
Classification: A44C,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of making a jewelry bead comprising the steps ofproviding a rigid tube having an exterior wall of a first metal and a relatively large cross-sectional area; depositing a second metal on one or more selected areas of said wall; drawing down said tube so as to substantially reduce the diameter and wall thickness of said tube while elongating said tube thereby forming a drawn-down tube wherein the second metal is embedded into said selected areas of said wall; progressively deforming the drawn-down tube radially inward at selected locations along the length thereof; continuing the deformation until the drawn-down tube forms a protobead at an end of the drawn-down tube which is connected to the remainder of the drawn-down tube solely by a small diameter annular neck, and separating the protobead from the remainder of the drawn-down tube at said neck to form a hollow bead with a substantially level, all-metal color pattern on the bead.