Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/FR2010/000394 filed May 27, 2010, claiming priority based on French Patent Application No. 09/02608, filed May 29, 2009, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention generally relates to jewelry. It relates to a jewel such as a necklace, a bracelet, a pendent, an ear ring or a ring, including a wire-like support on which at least a bezel is mounted, said bezel enclosing a decorative element (e.g. a precious stone), and to a manufacturing process thereof. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The manufacturing of jewels is so ancient it is impossible to date. The Louvre collections show that certain classic setting techniques of precious stones on bezels, still utilized nowadays, were already known in antique Egypt. The slipping of bezels on wire-like supports (e.g. golden chains) has also been known for a long time, such as for the manufacturing of necklace and bracelets. The basic technique is simple, for it suffices to drill a hole within the bezel, through which the wire-like support is inserted. 
     More complex are the techniques aiming at immobilizing the bezels on the wire-like support in order to prevent slipping of the bezel or even rotation of the bezel around the axis of the support, whenever it is compulsory to always present the same decorative face. 
     An ordinary technique allowing for immobilization in translation of the bezel consists in mounting stop rings on each side of the bezel and in setting the stop rings on the wire-like support. This technique is however tiresome, costly because of additional material, and the result is often unaesthetic. 
     Another technique consists in injecting glue between the bezel and the wire-like support, thereby providing double immobilization: both in translation and in rotation. However, it requires additional material, the mechanical properties (especially resistance to fatigue) and physic-chemical properties (especially resistance to oxidation) may appear uncertain and not constant in time. Moreover, the final result may appear unaesthetic, especially when the injection technique is not well mastered, or whenever the glue viscosity and drying time are not adapted (e.g. glue is too fluid or on the contrary too viscous; the drying too slow, or on the contrary too fast). 
     Those drawbacks are much important in the manufacturing of jewels of complex structure or, moreover, of small dimensions, since at the millimetric scale (and below), the effects of friction (capillarity) are greater than the effects of gravity, and the precise applications of glues is extremely tricky. This is why turning to mechanical techniques of immobilization is required. 
     It is known from European patent application No. EP 1 819 523 a technique consisting of creating a roll on the wire-like support inside the bezel for immobilizing the bezel in translation and, whenever possible, in rotation. 
     Practically, this technique is presently utilized on a large scale for the manufacturing of jewels including a wire made of a thermoplastic transparent material (such as fishing line), on which bezels are slipped, embedding precious stones such as diamonds. After having inserted the wire in the bezel, one introduces in the bezel the tip of a welding iron, which is applied at the end of the wire. Under the heat, a spheroid roll forms at the end of the wire, within the bezel. This operation may be symmetrically repeated, such that both rolls thus created, having a diameter greater than the holes in the bezel, thereby immobilize the bezel on the wire at the desired position. This technique, together with the interesting mechanical properties of the fishing line (altogether flexible, resistant to traction, to torsion and to shearing), makes it possible to realize jewelry of complex forms (such as a butterfly). 
     The general satisfaction of clients made the commercial success of those jewels possible. The attention of the inventors has however been drawn to some cases of dissociation of the wire and bezel, allowing at least the rotation of the bezel, and even—although less often—their separation. 
     Studies conducted by the applicant have permitted to identify three main causes to those incidents:
         some clients&#39; habit to constantly handle their jewel, rotating the bezel between the thumb and index, the cyclical solicitations thereby loosening the bezel on the wire;   the wire loosing resistance when exposed to light, since nylon is known as sensitive to ultraviolets;   the rupture of the wire and the forming of rolls potentially being less precise and repetitive during the application of the welding iron.       

     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention aims at alleviating those drawbacks, proposing a new manufacturing technique allowing, with increased reliability, to immobilize a bezel on a wire-like support. 
     The invention therefore provides, in a first aspect, a jewel including:
         a decorative element such as a precious stone,   a bezel including a body provided with at least one hole defining a longitudinal direction, the body having claws mounted thereon, which embed said decorative element,   a wire-like support on which the bezel is mounted, the wire-like support extending longitudinally through the body of the bezel through the hole and having a bore located in the body,   an elongated stop element, which extends transversely in the body while passing through the bore formed in the wire-like support, the stop element being engaged with stop surfaces formed within the body.       

     Accordingly, the bezel is blocked in translation and in rotation with respect of the wire-like support. 
     The invention provides, in a second aspect, a method of manufacturing a jewel comprising at least a bezel including a body provided with at least one hole defining a longitudinal direction, the body having claws mounted thereon, which embed said decorative element, and at least one wire-like support, said method including the following operations:
         longitudinally introducing the wire-like support in the bezel through the hole,   introducing an elongated stop element in the body through a bore formed in the wire-like support and located in the body,   placing the stop element in engagement with stop surfaces formed in the body.       

     The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view showing a bezel provided with holes for its mounting on a wire-like support; 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the bezel of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3-9  are partial cut-out perspective view showing several steps of manufacturing a jewel with a technique according to the invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a partial top view showing an example of a necklace which may be manufactured with a technique according to the invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view showing a detail of the necklace of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Shown on  FIG. 1  is a carved object  1  included in a jewel  2  such as a necklace, a bracelet, an ear ring, a ring, etc. Object  1  includes a bezel  3  provided with a decorative element  4  mounted thereon, here a cut precious stone such as a diamond, a ruby, an emerald, an aquamarine, etc. 
     The bezel  3  is preferably made of a precious metal such as platinum, yellow or white gold, silver. The bezel  3  comprises a hollow body defining a cavity  6 . The body  5  is here provided with a square section, and has four planar faces  7  substantially parallel to each other by pairs. At an upper end, the body  5  is mounted with four claws  8  which protrude from the corners of the body  5 , at four junctions between the faces  7 . The stone  4  has an upper part  9  or crown, on which the claws  8  apply, and a lower part  10  or breech, which applies onto an upper edge  11  of the body  5 , and partly extends in the cavity  6 . 
     The body  5  is provided with at least one pair of holes  12  of circular shape, formed in at least two faces  7  facing each other. The body  5  is provided with two pairs of holes  12 ,  13  (i.e. four holes), one hole being provided in each face  7 . 
     Both coaxial holes  12  of a first pair, the common axis L of which defines a longitudinal direction, are provided in two parallel faces  7  facing each other, whereas both coaxial holes  13 , the common axis R of which defines a transversal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L, are provided in the other faces  7 , also parallel to and facing each other. 
     The body  5  has, at its upper end, a first opening  14  forming a passage for the breech  10  and, at an opposite lower end, a second opening  15 , which forms an access (both visual and mechanical, by means of suitably dimensioned tools) inside the cavity  6 . 
     It shall be understood that, according to one embodiment, the bezel  3  has an overall width (i.e. distance between parallel faces) of 2.2 mm (22 tenths of millimeters) and an overall height (from the lower end to the tip of the claws  8  of 2.5 mm (25 tenths of milliliters) for a diamond stone of 0.04 carat (diameter 2.2 mm); the holes  7  have a diameter of 0.4 mm (4 tenths of millimeters). 
     For the manufacturing of a jewel  2 , the bezel  3  is mounted on a wire-like support  16 , hereinafter more simply called wire. It is preferably a wire formed in a transparent or translucent thermoplastic material, which may be colored, but advantageously not colored. As an example, a fishing line may be used, the diameter of which may be equal (with a clearance) to the diameter of the holes (i.e. 4/10 mm in the present example). 
     The most common materials for the manufacturing of fishing lines are polyamides (i.e. Nylon). One may use this material, the resistance of which is great but which sometimes weakens under cyclical constraints (such as traction). It might therefore be preferable to chose new materials, which tend to replace Nylon in the manufacturing of fishing lines. One may cite PolyVinyliDene Fluoride (PVDF), better known as Fluorocarbon. Compared to Nylon, PVDF has indeed the advantage, being a fluorinated polymer, to offer an increased resistance to temperature variations and to ultraviolets. From a visual aspect, PVDF has a refraction index (about 1.33) lower than the refraction index of Nylon (about 1.66), which makes PVDF more transparent than Nylon. It is also possible to use composite Nylon/Fluorocarbon or glass fiber. 
     As it shall be seen, the bezel  3  is not simply mounted on the wire  16 ; it is also immobilized in translation and rotation thereon. 
     A manufacturing method of a jewel is now disclosed, with reference to  FIG. 3-9 . 
     It starts ( FIG. 3-4 ) with forming a bore  17  through the wire  16 , perpendicular to its axis, by means of a sharp tool  18  such as a nail, a needle, a drill or a gimlet. The tool  18  has a pointed edge  19 , possibly provided with a helical cutting edge permitting to achieve a cutting by stock removal, followed with a smooth cylindrical body  20  having the same diameter as the wire  16 . 
     The bore  17  is formed by passing the tool  18  through the wire  16 , together with a possible rotation of the tool  18  at the beginning of the operation, for example when the head  19  is provided with a cutting edge to achieve a cutting by stock removal. At the end of the operation, the body  20  of the tool  18  is inserted in the start of the thus created bore, to enlarge it to the desired diameter (that of the wire). No cutting by stock removal is realized at this stage, the diameter setting of the bore  17  being made by simply bending the material. Therefore, as seen on  FIG. 4 , a roll  4  of material is formed on each side of the bore  17 , parallel to its axis. 
     The thus drilled wire  16  is then longitudinally introduced in the bezel  3 , through one hole  12  ( FIG. 5 ). As the diameter of the hole  12  is equal (with a clearance) to the diameter of the wire  16 , the roll temporarily creates a resistance, which is overcome by pulling the wire  16 , the elasticity of which is sufficient for the roll to rub and pass through the hole  12 . 
     Once this operation complete, the wire  16  longitudinally goes through the body  5  of the bezel  3 , through both coaxial holes  12  facing each other, whereas the bore  17  in the wire  16  is then localized in the cavity  6  ( FIG. 6 ). 
     The wire  16  is longitudinally adjusted to set the bore  17  at the level of both other holes  13 , and the wire  16  is turned to orient the bore  17  transversally in the axis T of holes  13  ( FIG. 6 ). 
     A stop element  22  is then transversely inserted in the body  5 , both through the holes  13  of transversal axis T and through the bore  17 . 
     Once introduced, the stop element  22  extends transversely in the cavity  6  through the bore  17 ; it engages the edges of the transversal holes  13  which form stop surfaces for the element  22  in rotation around the longitudinal axis L, and in longitudinal translation. Acting as a pin, the stop element  22  thus mutually blocks the bezel  3  and the wire  16  both in longitudinal translation, and in rotation around the longitudinal axis L. In other words, the wire  16  and the stop element  22  altogether form a cross which ensures the complete blocking of the bezel  3  onto the wire  16 . 
     The stop element  22  is preferably of cylindrical shape and has a diameter equal (with a clearance) to the diameter of the holes  13  and the bore  17 . The stop element is e.g. a metal pin, the length of which is equal to the distance between the faces  7  of the body  5 , such that when suitably positioned the ends of the rod  22  are flush with those faces  7 , the pin  22  being virtually invisible to the human eye. 
     However, in a preferred embodiment, the stop element  22  is formed of a portion of the same wire  16  that the one used for the mounting of the bezel  3 . Depending upon the jewel model which it is intended to manufacture, the section of wire used for making the stop element  22  may be:
         cut at both ends protruding from the body  5 , in order to make those end flush and thus to make the stop element  22  almost invisible to the human eye ( FIG. 9 );   cut at one end only, or not cut, when the portion of wire used is otherwise used as a support for other bezels, or when this wire portion is a buckle following the support wire  16 .       

     Partly represented on  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11  is a necklace  2  with a pendent made with two crossed wires, i.e. a primary wire  16  which supports a first bezel  3 , through which it goes from side to side, and a secondary wire  16 ′ an upper end  22  of which forms a stop element passing through the primary wire  16  and blocking the bezel  3  both in translation and in rotation with respect thereof. At a lower end, the secondary wire  16 ′ supports a second bezel  3 ′, which is blocked both in translation and in rotation with respect of the secondary wire by means of a stop element  22 ′ which passes through the secondary wire  16 ′ and is cut at both end not to protrude from the bezel  3 ′. 
     The thus manufactured jewel  2 , as any other jewel made with this technique (e.g. having volutes, buckles, etc.) has an increased resistance to external constraints (such as torsion, flexion, traction), the crosses tending to resiliently bring the bezels  3  back to their original position.

Technology Category: 4