Patent Publication Number: US-2012024009-A1

Title: Multi-faceted gemstone for multi-stone jewelry item

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to gemstones and more particularly to a multi-faceted gemstone particularly suitable for use in a multi-stone jewelry item. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Present day gemstone cuts are well known. These include brilliant, princess, emerald, asscher, marquise, oval, radiant, pear, heart and cushion cuts. While diamonds with these cuts are frequently used as single stones mounted on pieces of jewelry, such as engagement rings, more difficulty is encountered when these diamonds are mounted in pieces of jewelry where it is desired to provide a continuous diamond look, that is, a look wherein it appears that the jewelry is made from a single diamond. An example of such a jewelry piece is a wedding ring where the stones are placed on the circular periphery of the ring. Nonetheless, when such diamonds are mounted, they fail to provide the desired continuous look. For example, the joints between adjacent diamonds are noticeable to the naked eye thus detracting from the aesthetics of the piece of jewelry. 
     Accordingly, there is the need to provide a new diamond cut that can be used on pieces of jewelry enabling the diamonds to provide a continuous diamond look. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a new diamond cut that can be mounted on a piece of jewelry to provide a continuous diamond look. 
     Another aspect of the present invention to provide a new diamond cut that can be mounted on a piece of jewelry to provide a continuous diamond look while at the same time enhancing the aesthetic look of the jewelry piece. 
     A still further aspect of the present invention is to provide a new diamond cut that can vary in shape and cut faceting but nonetheless can be mounted on a piece of jewelry to provide a continuous diamond look. 
     These and other aspects of the invention are achieved by providing a gemstone having a front, a back and a bottom, with the gemstone having a lower pavilion and an upper crown. The crown has a top surface and a pair of depending opposed planar sides. The top surface of the crown has a convex shape such that the top surface arcuately runs in a lateral direction from said front to said back of said gemstone. 
     These and other aspects of the invention, together with features and advantages thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description of several preferred embodiments, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a top plan view of a gemstone according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is a front elevation view thereof; 
         FIG. 1C  is a side elevation view thereof; 
         FIG. 1D  is perspective view thereof; 
         FIG. 1E  is a cross sectional view of the invention taken along line  1 - 1  of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1F  is a bottom plan view thereof; 
         FIG. 2A  is a top plan view of a gemstone according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2B  is a front elevation view thereof; 
         FIG. 3A  is a top plan view of a gemstone according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is a front elevation view thereof; 
         FIG. 4A  is a top plan view of a gemstone according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4B  is a front elevation view thereof; 
         FIG. 4C  is a side elevation view thereof; 
         FIG. 4D  is perspective view thereof; 
         FIG. 5A  is a top plan view of a gemstone according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5B  is a front elevation view thereof; 
         FIG. 6A  is a top plan view of a gemstone according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7A  is a top plan view of a gemstone according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7B  is a cross sectional view of the invention taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 7A ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a wedding ring according to the present invention showing a gemstone of the present invention being inserted into the ring mounting and also showing several additional gemstones already in place; 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged view showing a gemstone of the present invention being inserted into the ring mounting; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the wedding ring of  FIG. 8  with all the gemstones in place; 
         FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  11 - 11  of  FIG. 10 ; and 
         FIG. 12  is a cross sectional view taken along the line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring particularly to  FIGS. 1A-1E , a gemstone according to the present invention is generally designated  10 . Gemstone  10  has a front  10   a , a back  10   b  and a bottom  10   c . Gemstone  10  includes a crown generally designated  12  and a pavilion generally designated  14 . Advantageously and in contrast to gemstones of the prior art, gemstone  10  does not include a table nor does it include a girdle. Crown  12 , which has a front side  12   a , a rear side  12   b , a first or right side  12   c , a second or left side  12   d  and a top  12   e , defines multi-faceted crown surface  15  located along top  12   e  of crown  12 . Multi-faceted crown surface  15  has a convex shape such that crown surface  15  arcuately runs in a lateral direction essentially from the front to the back of gemstone  10 . Although crown surface  15  is arcuate in the lateral direction, it is non-arcuate in the longitudinal direction of the crown. Multi-faceted crown surface  15  has a first multi-faceted crown surface portion  16  and a second multi-faceted crown surface portion  18 , each having a plurality of facets  20 . Facets  20  may include rhombus shaped facets  22  and triangular shaped facets  24 . Crown  12  also includes pentagonal front and rear facets  26  (only the front facet being shown) and opposed planar right and left side facets  28  (only the right side facet being shown), the latter each having a facet surface or face  28   a  and a generally curved upper edge  28   b . Only at side  27  of side facets  26  is upper edge  28   b  non-curved. Right and left side facets  28  are substantially larger than facets  20  located on multi-faceted crown surface  15 . These side facets have a height H 3  (measured from apex  28   c  of upper edge  28   b  to the beginning of pavilion  14 ) and a width W 3  (in this embodiment, W and W 3  are the same). Advantageously, H 3  is in the range of between 20% to 85% of W since above 85% sufficient light will not refract through the gemstone and below 20% the gemstone will be overpowered by its setting. 
     Multi-faceted crown surface  15  has front and rear edges  17   a  and  17   b , respectively, and right and left side edges  17   c  and  17   d . In this embodiment, front and rear edges  17   a  and  17   b  are straight and right and left side edges  17   c  and  17   d  are curved (see  FIG. 1A ), the latter because the opposed planar side facets  28  are inwardly directed one to the other as they run from the multi-faceted crown surface  15  towards the bottom of the gemstone. First multi-faceted crown surface portion  16  and second multi-faceted crown surface portion  18  divide multi-faceted crown surface  15  into two parts along a boundary line or peak  30  which bisects the multi-faceted crown surface. Peak  30  arcuately runs in a lateral direction along the crown from substantially the front to the back of the gemstone. Peak  30  has an apex  30   a  which is located halfway between the front and back of crown  12 . As shown in  FIG. 1B , first multi-faceted crown surface portion  16  slopes downwardly defining a first crown angle a which advantageously is in the range from 0° to 20°. Likewise, second multi-faceted crown surface portion  18  slopes downwardly in the opposite direction defining a second crown angle b which also may be in the range from 0° to 20°. It has been found that in angles greater than 20° the continuous diamond look is compromised. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1B , first crown angle a and second crown angle b are equal angles. In other words, the slope of first multi-faceted crown portion  16  is the same as the slope of second multi-faceted crown portion  18 , but the latter is a positive slope and the former is a negative slope. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1C ,  FIG. 1D  and  FIG. 1E , multi-faceted crown surface  15  is curved front-to-back, once again because the opposed planar side facets  28  are inwardly directed one to the other as they run from the multi-faceted crown surface  15  to pavilion  14 , with the curve generally conforming to the upper edges  28   b  of side facets  28 . That is, side edges  17   c  and  17   d  define generally curved upper edge  28   b  of side facets  28 . Because there is no table, the curve of multi-faceted crown surface  15  is substantially continuous, that is, crown surface  15  curves substantially continuously from front edge  17   a  to rear edge  17   b . Advantageously, the height H 1  of crown  12  is in the range of between 50% and 85% of the W of gemstone  10  since above 85% sufficient light will not refract through the gemstone and below 50% the gemstone will be overpowered by its setting. In this embodiment, upper-most edge  29  of multi-facet crown surface  15  has segments that are generally parallel to the segments of front edge  17   a  and rear edge  17   b  of multi-faceted crown surface  15 . That is, both upper-most edge  29  and front and rear edges  17   a  and  17   b  correspond to first crown angle a and second crown angle b, respectively. 
     As mentioned, gemstone  10  also includes pavilion  14 , having a height H 2  which is advantageously in the range of between 25% and 50% of gemstone width W. Above 50% the gemstone will be overpowered by its setting and below 25% difficulties are encountered in setting the gemstone. As shown in  FIG. 1F , pavilion  14  is also multi-faceted to maximize the internal brilliance of the gemstone. By way of example, pavilion  14  is formed with a plurality of straight or parallel facets  32 , a plurality of triangular facets  34 , a plurality of curved facets  36  and a plurality of trapezoidal facets  38 . In the preferred embodiment, there are 14 straight facets, 2 triangular facets, 4 cured facets and 4 trapezoidal facets. 
       FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  illustrate a gemstone  10  according to a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, first crown angle a and second crown angle b are both 0°, that is, multi-faceted crown surface  15  (similar or corresponding parts in the various embodiments use the same reference numerals) is formed with only a single multi-faceted surface portion  40  having facets  20 , such as rhombus-shaped facets  22  and triangular shaped facets  24 . Because crown angle a is 0° (the slope of surface portion  40  is zero), and there is no boundary line or peak  30  (compare  FIG. 1A  with  FIG. 2A ). In other words in front elevation view ( FIG. 2B ), upper-most edge  29  of multi-faceted crown surface portion  40  is a generally horizontal, as is front edge  17   a , with both these edges parallel one to the other. In this embodiment, the crown also includes front and rear facets  33  which are relatively narrow and trapezoidal in shape. 
     In the third embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B , multi-faceted crown surface  15  has two peaks  30  formed by two angled first and second multi-faceted crown surface portions  16  and  18  which are separated by a horizontal multi-faceted crown surface portion  40 . Once again, upper-most edge  29  of multi-faceted crown surface portion  15  is generally parallel to the front edge  17   a  and rear edge  17   b  of multi-faceted crown surface portion  15 , with the front edge  17   a  sloped upwardly (a positive slope), horizontal (zero slope) and sloped downwardly (negative slope), left to right, as viewed in  FIG. 3B . Rear edge  17   b  is similarly sloped but at the rear of the gemstone. In this embodiment, crown  12  has front and rear hexagonal crown facets  42  formed of front and rear edges  17   a  and  17   b  and having a bottom edges corresponding to a top edge  39  of trapezoidal facet  38  on pavilion  14  and having narrow side edges. 
       FIGS. 4A-4D  show a fourth embodiment of the invention. The gemstone also has a first crown angle a and a second crown angle b. However in this embodiment, the right and left side edges  17   c  and  17   d  of multi-faceted crown surface  15  are straight and not curved when the gemstone is viewed from the top because the opposed side facets  28  are substantially vertical as they run from the multi-faceted crown surface  15  to pavilion  14 . In this embodiment, W 3  and W are not the same, with W 3  being in the range of 50% to 100% that of W (when W 3  is 100% of W, the gemstone becomes that shown in the first embodiment). Like the first embodiment, multi-faceted crown surface  15  has first multi-faceted crown surface portion  16  and second multi-faceted crown surface portion  18 , separated by peak  30 . Rear edge  17   b  of first multi-faceted crown surface portion  16  also defines a third crown angle c and a fourth crown angle d is formed by the front edge  17   c  of first multi-faceted crown surface portion  16  as is shown in  FIG. 4A . Third crown angle c and fourth crown angle d, both of which may be in the range from 0° to 20°, taper gemstone  10  rear-to-front and front-to-rear, respectively, when viewed from the top of the gemstone. Likewise, rear edge  17   b  of second multi-faceted crown surface portion  18  defines a fifth crown angle e and front edge  17   a  of crown surface portion  18  defines a sixth crown angle f, which also taper gemstone  10  rear-to-front and front-to-rear, respectively, when viewed from the top of the gemstone. These angles are may be in the range from 0° to 20°. In the embodiment of  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B , third crown angle c, fourth crown angle d, fifth crown angle e and sixth crown angle f are all substantially equal angles one to the other. However, because gemstone  10  now includes crown angles d and f, the front of gemstone  10  now includes another boundary line or peak  45 . As shown in  FIG. 4D , peak  45  extends from peak  30 , along front facet  26  of crown  12 , with peak  45  continuing along trapezoidal facet  38  and triangular facet  34  of pavilion  14 . Peak  45  essentially bisects these facets into crown facets  26   a  and  26   b , pavilion facets  38   a  and  38   b  and pavilion facets  34   a  and  34   b . These facets, along with curved pavilion facets  36   a  (the other curved pavilion facet not being shown in  FIG. 4D ) are disposed at crown angles d and f, respectively. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B , fourth crown angle d and sixth crown angle f are 0°. However in this embodiment, the straight right and left side edges  17   c  and  17   d  of gemstone  10  taper from back-to-front. This is because opposed side facets  28  are inwardly directed one to the other as they run from the rear to the front of gemstone  10 . This taper forms seventh crown angle g and eighth crown angle h. These angles are in the range of 45° to 90° (the latter providing a gemstone without taper of the right and left gemstone sides). 
       FIG. 6A  illustrates a gemstone  10  according yet another embodiment of the invention in which the gemstone is tapered from left to right. In this embodiment, right side edge  17   c  is shorter than left side edge  17   d . In other words, the width W 1  of the gemstone on the left side is greater than the width W 2  of the gemstone on the right side. The taper percentage, W 2 /W 1 , may range from 75% to 100%, with the lower percentage indicative of the greatest taper and the highest percentage having no taper. 
       FIG. 7B , the cross section of gemstone  10  looking along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 7A , shows that the cross section of gemstone  10  may also be varied. Thus, comparing cross sectional view of  FIG. 7B  with the cross sectional view of  FIG. 1F , the latter is more “peaked” shaped as compared to the former which is “rounder”. 
       FIGS. 8-12  show gemstone  10  of the present invention, previously described with respect to the first embodiment, mounted on a piece of jewelry such as a wedding ring  44 . More specifically, a plurality of gemstones  10  are mounted side-by-side along the outer periphery  46  of a circular metal band  45 . Band  45  includes a series of straight and parallel rails  48  and a plurality of gemstone receiving openings  50  sized to receive the gemstones. Gemstone receiving opening  50  includes inwardly directed flanges  52  which cooperate with and fit into notches  54  defined along the front and rear of pavilion  14  thereby keeping the gemstone in place. As shown in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 11 , circular band  45  includes periphery walls  56 . These walls flex outwardly slightly enabling gemstone  10  to snap fit into place. 
     Each gemstone  10  is cut such that when the gemstone is inserted into its gemstone receiving opening  50 , the sides of adjacent gemstones abut each other. More specifically and as shown in part in  FIG. 12 , facet face  28   a  of right side facet  28  abuts facet face  28   a  of left side facet  28  of the adjacent gemstone and facet face  28   a  of left side facet  28  abuts facet face  28   a  of right side facet  28  of the other adjacent gemstone. 
       FIG. 10  shows all of gemstones  10  in place along the outer periphery  46  of circular band  45  forming a completed wedding ring  44 . It will be appreciated that after setting gemstones  10  into circular band  45 , the gemstones give the appearance of one single diamond which forms wedding ring  44 . In this regard, the joints  58  between adjacent gemstones formed at the upper edges  28   b  of abutting side facets  28  are not readably visible nor is the outer periphery  46  of circular metal band  45 . This provides a pleasing aesthetic appearance for the wedding ring. 
     Thus, the present invention provides a multi-faceted gemstone having a new diamond cut that can be used on pieces of jewelry enabling the gemstones to provide a continuous diamond look. The diamond cut also provides an enhanced aesthetic look for the jewelry piece. The multi-faceted gemstone is particularly adapted to abut corresponding like gemstones so that when the gemstones are mounted on a piece of jewelry, the joints between adjacent gemstones are not readily visible. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to several preferred embodiments, the invention should not be so limited. Thus, while gemstones  10  according to the first embodiment have been shown as mounted on the outer periphery  46  of band  45  of wedding ring  44 , it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to placement of the gemstones on the ring&#39;s periphery. The gemstones may be mounted on one or more “sides” of the metal band of the wedding ring. Gemstones  10  according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention are particularly suited for such mounting, since the side or planar facets of the gemstone are directed inwardly towards one another as they run from the back to front of the gemstone and when the gemstones are placed next to and abut each other, they form a “circular” pattern. The gemstones also may be mounted on a metal band having an outer periphery that is generally square, rectangular, triangular or polygon in overall shape, instead of the traditional circular shape. Gemstones  10  according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention are particularly suited for mounting in a straight pattern, due to the fact that the side or planar facets are vertical and/or parallel to each other. 
     The gemstones may also be mounted to form other pieces of jewelry such as, by way of example, earrings, pendants, necklaces and bracelets. 
     Likewise, although the invention has been disclosed using a diamond gemstone, the gemstone need not be diamond. It can be another precious stone or even a non-precious stone. 
     The scope of the invention will now be set forth in the following claims: