Abstract:
A jewelry assembly which creates the appearance of a space between one or more diamonds or other stones and the supporting jewelry article is provided. The jewelry article is integrally formed with an internal frame for defining a window therewithin. At least one jewelry stone or gem is invisibly set with the window such that an annular space is defined between the one or more stones and the frame of the jewelry article.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/042,225, filed Apr. 15, 1997. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This application describes a jewelry assembly, and more particularly, a jewelry assembly in which the appearance of an air space between one or more diamonds or other jewelry stones and the supporting jewelry article is achieved. 
     Prior art settings for diamonds and other precious and semi-precious stones generally include a conventional “box-setting” in which the metal holding the diamond is visible. This obviously interferes with the overall aesthetic presentation of the jewelry article. 
     Recently, a process has been developed to create an “invisible” jewelry stone setting in which the diamond or other gem is cut below the girdle thereof. The cuts below the girdle provide a mechanism for invisibly mounting the stone. While this invisible setting technique provides an improved aesthetic presentation of the stones of a jewelry article, it is often necessary to use stones of substantial size in order to create the desired effect. This is obviously quite costly, and may preclude the average consumer from purchasing a jewelry article with invisibly cut diamonds or other stones. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a jewelry article with one or more invisibly cut stones which create the appearance of a larger stone while reducing manufacturing costs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a jewelry assembly which creates the appearance of a space between one or more diamonds or other stones and the supporting jewelry article is provided. The jewelry article is integrally formed with an internal frame for defining a window therewithin. At least one jewelry stone or gem is invisibly set with the window such that a space is defined between the one or more stones and the frame of the jewelry article. 
     In one embodiment, the jewelry stone is set into a hidden metal box located rearwardly of the setting area using an invisible setting technique. The box is then attached to the jewelry article itself by means of supporting fingers depending from the rear corners of the box. 
     In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of stones is arranged in a particular configuration or array, and the metal of the jewelry article surrounding this plurality of stones is separated therefrom by an air space. As with the first embodiment, a number of supporting fingers depend from the bottom corners of one or more of the invisible setting boxes in order to attach the stone array to the surrounding jewelry article, while at the same time giving the appearance of a space between the plurality of stones and the article. 
     The jewelry article may be a ring, a necklace, a bracelet, a pendant, or any other type of jewelry piece. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved jewelry design assembly. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a jewelry design assembly which creates the appearance of a space between one or more stones and the surrounding supporting jewelry article. 
     Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a jewelry design assembly which has an enhanced gem or stone presentation. 
     Still a further object of the invention is to provide a jewelry design assembly in which the set stones are securely held within the jewelry article. 
     Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the following description. 
     The invention accordingly comprises a jewelry design possessing the features, properties and relation of components which will be exemplified in the designs hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view illustrating a first embodiment of a jewelry article of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the jewelry stone setting used in the jewelry article depicted in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along lines  4 — 4  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view illustrating a second embodiment of a jewelry article of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the jewelry stone setting used in the jewelry article depicted in FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  7 — 7  of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along lines  8 — 8  of FIG.  5 ; 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring first to FIG. 1, a ring assembly made in accordance with the invention, and generally indicated at  11 , is described. Ring assembly  11  comprises a band  13  sized to fit around a wearer&#39;s finger having an outer annular surface  14  which includes a centrally disposed square-shaped window defined by a border or frame  15 . Frame  15  receives an invisibly set squared jewelry stone  17 , such as a diamond, and is separated all around from frame  15  of band surface  14  by a space  19 . 
     As best depicted in FIGS. 2-4, stone  17  is invisibly set within window  16  by means of a hidden metal box  23 . As in well known in the art, stone  17  comprises a table or top portion  29 , a girdle portion  31  which terminates to an outer circumference  32 , and a pavilion portion  33  formed below girdle portion  14 . In order to invisibly set stone  17  within metal box  23 , a plurality of grooves  35  are formed in pavilion portion  33  just below girdle portion  31  of stone  17 . Depending upon the specific design, groves  35  may comprise two pairs of grooves, with the grooves of each pair disposed opposite each other, thereby providing a total of four grooves formed at substantially the same level in pavilion portion  33  of stone  17 . 
     Referring still to FIG. 2, metal box  23  comprises a squared structure  24 , preferably of deformable metal, of a size slightly smaller than circumference  32  of stone  17 . Metal box  23  is open at the top and thereby defines a square-shaped lip  27  which is sized for supporting stone  17  along grooves  35 , as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In other words, stone  17  is set by press-fitting into metal box  23  such that lip  27  snap fits into grooves  35 . As can be appreciated, by setting stone  17  in this manner, no metal used for holding stone  17  will be seen by the wearer, and an extraordinary brilliance will attach to the stone when viewed. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 4, metal box  23  further includes a plurality (four) of fingers  25  which depend from the bottom corners thereof. Each of fingers  25  is attached at their ends to ring band  13  by a conventional soldering technique. As a result, since the diamond stone  17  is invisibly set in metal box  23 , which in turn is fixed to ring band  13 , stone  17  will appear to be “floating” within the window defined by frame  165  This creates a very desirable aesthetic appearance, and will, in fact, produce the illusion that stone  17  is larger than its actual size. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 5-8 a second embodiment of the inventive jewelry design assembly is now described. In this embodiment, there is provided a pendant assembly made in accordance with the invention, and generally indicated at  51 . Pendant assembly  51  comprises a heart-shaped pendant member  53  sized to be carried by a chain or necklace disposed through a hook element  55 . Pendant member  53  has a top surface  57  which includes a centrally disposed square-shaped window defined by a border or frame  59 . Frame  59  receives a plurality of invisibly set square jewelry stones  61 , such as a diamond, in order to define a jewelry stone array generally indicated at  63 . Jewelry stone array  63  is separated all around from frame  59  of top surface  57  by a space  65 . 
     As best depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8, stones  61  of array  63  are invisibly set within the window defined by frame  59  by means of a hidden metal box  67 . As before, in order to invisibly set stones  61  within metal box  67 , a plurality of grooves  69  are formed in the pavilion portion of each of stones  61  just below the girdle portion. 
     Referring still to FIG. 6, metal box  67  comprises a squared structure  71 , preferably made of deformable metal, and of a size slightly smaller than that of array  63 . Metal box  67  includes a plurality of box members  73 , each of which is open at the top thereof, thereby defining a plurality of squared lips which are sized for supporting stones  61  of array  63  along grooves  69  thereof, as best depicted in FIG.  7 . As can be appreciated, by setting stone  61  of array  63  in this manner, no metal used for holding stones  61  will be seen by the wearer, and an extraordinary brilliance will attach to the array when viewed. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 6 and 8, metal box  67  further includes a plurality of fingers  73  which depend from the bottom corners thereof. Each of fingers  73  is attached pendant member  53  by a conventional soldering technique. As a result, since diamonds  61  of array  63  is invisibly set in metal box  67 , which is in turn fixed to pendant member  63 , stone  61  will appear to be “floating” within the window defined by frame  59 . As before, a very desirable aesthetic appearance is achieved, producing the illusion that stone array  63  is larger than its actual size. 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained, and, since certain changes may be made in the described design and the construction set forth, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in this description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.