Jewelry lighting device

A lighting device mounted within a jewelry setting which is directed at a facet of a gemstone to increase the brilliance and brightness of the gemstone. The lighting means is a low dispersion, focused beam of light which is directed at a facet of a gemstone so that the gemstone captures the light. In the preferred embodiment, the lighting source is radioluminescent or electroluminescent and uses various focusing means to focus the light from the lighting means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention pertains to jewelry in general, and is specifically 
directed to lighting means mounted in a jewelry setting which is used to 
light a gem stone mounted within the setting, to increase the brightness 
and brilliance of the gem stone. 
Gem stones are commonly mounted to jewelry settings. Precious and 
semi-precious stones are mounted within settings of various materials, 
which are usually precious and semi-precious metals. Common examples of 
such jewelry are rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, and earrings. 
Brightness and brilliance are desirable characteristics and qualities 
which are associated with gem stones. It is highly desirable for gem 
stones to reflect and refract light to increase their beauty. Often, the 
value of a gem stone is associated with its ability to reflect and refract 
light clearly. Gem stones do not generate light, and the light must be 
provided from an external source. 
The brightness and brilliance of a gem stone is affected by the cut and 
quality of the stone, the type of stone, as well as the available light in 
the environment in which the stone is worn. Unless a lighting means is 
provided for and directed toward the gem stone, the gem stone will reflect 
and refract only the light which is in the room or other environment. The 
brilliance and brightness of the stone will be increased if the light is 
directed from the setting, rather than the environment. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The present invention provides a lighting means which is mounted in a 
jewelry setting in which a gem stone is mounted, with the lighting device 
mounted externally to the gem stone. The lighting device emits a beam of 
light, which is well focused at a selected facet of the gem stone, so as 
to strike the facet of the gem stone with very low dispersion. It is 
necessary for the lighting means to be relatively small, and accordingly, 
the amount of light which is emitted from the lighting means will be 
relatively low. However, a well focused beam of light, even of low power, 
directed at a facet of a stone from the jewelry setting of the stone will 
result in and yield great brilliance and brightness to the stone, 
particularly indoors where the ambient light is lower. Through the use of 
radioluminescent and electroluminescent lighting means, including 
electroluminescent means powered by a thermocouple deriving energy from 
the wearer's body heat, a satisfactory lighting of the gem stone will 
result.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The lighting means of the present invention may be mounted to a jewelry 
setting having a gem stone. As shown in FIG. 1, the jewelry setting may be 
a ring 2, and the gem stone may be a diamond 4. 
The lighting means 6 is mounted to the jewelry setting externally to the 
gem stone. The lighting means 6 as shown in FIG. 1 is mounted within a 
void formed within the ring. The lighting means may be mounted by threaded 
means, by soldering, by adhesive means or other means. 
The jewelry lighting device 6 is mounted externally to the gem stone 4, so 
that a beam of light is directed from the lighting means toward a facet of 
the gem stone. The beam of light is focused so as to reduce dispersion of 
the beam of light to an absolute minimum. The beam of light should strike 
a facet of the gem stone at a right angle, or no more than 45.degree. from 
a right angle. 
The jewelry setting could be any jewelry setting in which a gem stone is 
mounted. The jewelry setting could be a ring, a bracelet, a necklace, 
earrings, or other jewelry setting. The gem stone could be any precious or 
semi-precious gem stone. As used herein, gem stone means any material 
which could be placed within a jewelry setting and which is transparent or 
translucent. 
In general, it is desirable that the lighting means emit as white a light 
as possible. If the lighting means is used to light a diamond, a white 
light is particularly desirable. In other applications, lighting means 
comprising other colors my be acceptable. 
It is desired that the lighting means emit a beam of light which is as 
focused as possible, and that dispersion is kept to an absolute minimum, 
so that substantially all of the light strikes the facet of the gem stone 
at which the light is directed. The device should be placed externally to 
the gem stone, but close enough to the gem stone that 90% of the light, 
measured in candle power, will strike the plane of the facet of the gem 
stone at which the light is directed. The factors which will achieve this 
goal are the use of a low dispersion lighting means, placing the lighting 
means relatively closely to the gem stone, and focusing the beam of light 
on the facet. 
To achieve a well focused light, a lens 10 may be placed within the 
lighting means. FIG. 3. The particular lens and the location of the lens 
relative to the light source will allow a focusing of the light on the 
facet. 
A low dispersion lighting means may be achieved by capturing light in a 
tube 12. The light source 8 is placed, as is shown in FIG. 3, so that as 
light exits the lighting means it must pass through the tube 12. As the 
distance from the light source to the tube is increased, the dispersion of 
the light as it exits the tube is decreased. 
Since the overall device as contemplated herein is relatively small, the 
tube will be short. Additional focusing may be accomplished by the use of 
as lens 10 with a convergent focus. By the use of the lens, the light may 
be focused so as to converge on the selected facet of the gem stone. The 
particular convergent lens to be used will depend on the location of the 
lens relative to the light source, and will be determined by the distance 
of the light from the facet, and the length of the tube. 
Fiber optics may be used to capture light emitted by the light source, and 
to direct the light at the desired facet in a focused manner. Fiber optic 
material may be placed so as to collect light from the light source, then 
positioned so as to direct a beam of light at the desired facet. The fiber 
optic material may be placed within the tube 12, and the light emitted 
from the fiber optic material could be directed through the lens 10. 
Alternatively, the use of the tube or the lens may be dispensed with if 
the beam emitted from the fiber optic material is sufficiently focused. 
The light source 8 may be radioluminescent. Radioluminescent, as used 
herein, means the production of visible light from the excitement of a 
material such as phosphorous, which is caused by energy imparted to the 
phosphorous and derived from the close proximity of the phosphorous to a 
radioactive material such as tritium. As the energy is supplied form the 
radioactive decay of the material such as tritium, the excited phosphorous 
emits light. 
The light source may be electroluminescent. The electroluminescent light 
source may be powered by a battery, or by a thermocouple. A thermocouple 
may be used to generate a current to power the light source, with the body 
heat of the wearer used to provide heat energy to the thermocouple from 
which a current is generated to power the light source. 
The light source could be any light source which will produce light from 
the current generated by the thermocouple. However, in the preferred 
embodiment, a phosphorous light source is used to produce a white light.