AU629850B2 - Manufacture of decorative articles - Google Patents

Description

1 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA F 0 Patents Act 1952-1969 COMPLETE SPECIFICATIO

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int. Class Application Number Lodged Complete Application No.

Specification Lodged Published Priority: Related art: Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT HERMANN MAITZ 25 BIRKSGATE DRIVE URRBRAE SA 5064 HERMANN MAITZ COLLISON CO., PATENT ATTORNEYS, 117 KING WILLIAM STREET, ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, 5001 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: MANUFACTURE OF DECORATIVE ARTICLES The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: PATENT, TRADE MARKS DESIGNS SUB-OFFICE -7 SEP 1989 SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2 B This invention relates to the manufacture of decorative articles and more i particularly in relation to decorative articles manufactured with precious or semi-precious gem stones.

Many forms of precious stone such as diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and the like, as well as opal, can make very beautiful decorative items such as jewellery but in general these can be expensive. There is significant demand for prepared decorative articles incorporating gem stones which exhibit many of the characteristics of the more valuable precious or semiprecious stones of which can be manufactured relatively cheaply. For instance there has been proposed in the past, opal doublets and triplets which include a thin layer of opal set onto a backing in such a manner so as to give a decorative effect but at the same time reducing the total cost of an item of jewellery including such a doublet or triplet. There is also a demand for composite decorative articles which have the characteristics of two types of precious or semi-precious materials. This present invention is directed to satisfying the above demands and proposes an alternative form of decorative material.

In one form the invention is said to reside in a decorative article comprising a base of a first solid semi-precious non-metallic material having at least one continuous surface, at least one recess drilled or machined in the continuous surface, a solid precious or a second semi-precious nonmetallic material set by means of an adhesive into the recess and the entire continuous surface including the material in the recess being polished as a single continuous surface.

In one preferred embodiment the continuous surface may be a curved surface.

In an alternative preferred embodiment the continuous surface may be a 'planar surface.

Alternatively there may be two parallel planar surfaces with the recess extending between the two surfaces and with each surface polished to a single planar surface including the material set in the recess so that a double sided decorative article is produced.

The precious or semi-precious material may be selected from a group comprising opal, rock opal, opal matrix, garnet, agate, amethyst, emerald, coal, jasper, chrysoprase, jade, malachite, sapphire, tourmaline, and rhodenite.

The cross-sectional shape of the recess may be selected from a group comprising circular triangular, square, diamond, or oval or may be selected from a composite shaping including these shapes such as hearts, crosses, shields and the like.

By the present invention there may be provided when the precious or semi-precious material is opal or opal matrix a decorative article which SI has the colour of the opal or opal matrix around an insert of opal of preferably a contrasting colour. In one embodiment the opal or opal matrix and the base may be generally of white or creamy colour and hence the contrasting insert material may be of almost any other opal colour to provide the decorative effect. If the material to be inserted into the recess is opal, it may be selected from black opal, bolder opal, natural or treated opal matrix or manufactured opal doublets or triplets.

Further it may be opalite or opalised wood. It may also be opal matrix or treated opal matrix of a different colour or appearance than the surrounding opal or substantially opal matrix of the base.

The shape of the base may be selected from square, rectangular, circular, oval or any free form shape including such shapes as that of a waving flag or a water drop.

In one preferred form, the base may be of substantially rectangular form of perhaps 20 to 25 mm long by 10 to 15 mm wide and 1 to 5 mm deep with a recess of perhaps 0.5 to 4 mm in its surface with the base being manufactured from creamy white opal matrix. Into the recess may be inserted a piece of red opal such that it just extends in the surface.

When the opal and opal matrix is polished back to a single planar surface the decorative article may look like a Japanese flag and may make a significant item for tourist sales.

The adhesive which may be used to set the material into the recess may be any suitable thermosetting or other adhesive which will set the 4 material rigidly into the recess. If there is any adhesive around the edge of the recess after setting it can be easily polished back to the level surface along with the opal or opal matrix and inserted precious or semi-precious material. A suitable adhesive may include a polyester or epoxy resin adhesive.

In a further form, the invention may be said to reside in a method of making a decorative article comprising the steps of producing a solid piece of a first semi-precious material having at least one continuous surface, forming by drilling or machining at least one recess in the surface, setting a piece of a precious or a second semi-precious material into the recess with an adhesive such that it just extends out of the recess and polishing the entire continuous surface including the precious or second semi-precious material to provide a continuous surface.

In one form the continuous surface may be curved or alternatively the continuous surface may be planer.

By this method decorative articles may be produced which can include in their centre, a portion of precious or semi-precious material which gives the article a whole and appealing decorative nature and indicates some Svalue for the material but with a considerable boundary area of opal or 25 opal matrix to give some size to the finished product. By this means there S" may be produced as discussed above, decorative items such as .oo representations of the flags of various countries by setting into the surface a piece of the necessary colour cut into the shape as desired for the flag of that country.

In particular, the present invention may be practised as discussed above by the forming of a piece of opal matrix into the shape of a flag flying into .the breeze. That is, the shape may be substantially rectangular with S. sinusoidally curved upper and lower surfaces. Such a piece of opal matrix *035 may be 2 to 5 mm thick. There may then be drilled a circular hole in the centre of one of the large planar surfaces of a diameter of perhaps 6 mm and then set into the recess a circular piece of opal doublet, having a red light refraction so that it is in contrast to the substantially white or creamy colour of the opal matrix. The whole planar surface including the inserted 4 piece of opal may then be ground and polished llrCI~~WIY_~-_ -Ii back to a single planar surface. By this means therefore, there is produced a decorative article which appears to represent a Japanese flag.

This then fully describes the invention but to assist understanding the invention and a method of performing an invention will be now described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows a general view of a decorative article according to this invention.

Figure 2 shows in three stages the method of preparation of a decorative article according to this invention.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative form of decorative article according to this invention.

Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of a decorative article according to this invention and, Figure 5 shows an item of jewellery which may be produced according to this invention.

Now looking more closely to the drawings and in particular Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that the decorative article generally indicated as 1 comprises a body 2 of opal matrix which has a front planar surface 3.

Into the front planar surface 3 is formed a recess 4 which in this embodiment is circular.

Into the recess is set a piece of opal 5 of a contrasting colour to the colour of the body 2 and then as shown in Figure 2C the entire surface 3 and the opal inset 5 is polished back to a single continuous surface 6.

It is particularly important that the insert piece of material 5 just extends from the surface 3 so that as the surface is polished a single continuous surface 6 is produced.

I

6 Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment where a piece of opal matrix has a recess bounded by edges 11 drilled right through between planar surfaces 12 and 13. Into the recess a piece of opal or other precious or semi-precious stone 14 is inserted with it extending as shown by the dotted lines 15 just out of each surface 12 and 13 respectively. The surfaces are then polished to provide a pair of continuous planar surfaces.

Figure 4 shows a further embodiment where a piece of precious or semi-precious material 20 has a recess 21 cut into a continuous surface and then a piece of an alternative precious or semi-precious material 22 is set into the surface extending just out as shown by dotted lines 23.

The entire surface 24 is then polished back to a single continuous surface to provide the decorative article according to this invention.

Figure 5 shows one particular embodiment of decorative article according to this invention.

In this embodiment a piece of creamy white opal matrix 30 has set into its surface a piece of red opal 31 to appear like a Japanese flag. The outer periphery of the opal matrix 30 is formed into the shape of a waving flag so that the decorative article appears to be like a Japanese flag. The decorative article is then set into a precious or semi-precious setting 32 of, for instance gold, which includes a flag pole portion 33. A pin 34 is then mounted to the rear of the decorative article to provide a mounting means. The article may then be a decorative lapel pin.

4A,

Claims (11)

1. A decorative article comprising a base of a first solid semi-precious non-metallic material having at least one continuous surface, at least one recess drilled or machined in the continuous surface, a solid precious or a second semi-precious non-metallic material set by means of an adhesive into the recess and the entire continuous surface including the material in the recess being polished as a single continuous surface.

2. A decorative article as in Claim 1, wherein the continuous surface is a curved surface.

3. A decorative article as in Claim 1, wherein the continuous surface is a planar surface.

4. A decorative article as in Claim 1, wherein there are two planar surfaces parallel with each other and the recess extends between the two surfaces and each surface is polished to a single planar surface including the material set into the recess.

A decorative article as in any one preceding claim wherein the precious and the first and second semi-precious materials are selected from a group comprising opal, rock opal, opal matrix, garnet, agate, amethyst, emerald, coal, jasper, chrysoprase, jade, malachite, sapphire, tourmaline, and rhodenite.

6. A decorative article as in any one preceding claim, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the recess is selected from a group comprising circular, triangular, square, diamond, oval, or is selected from composite shapes including hearts, crosses, shields and the like.

7. A decorative article substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. 8

8. A method of making a decorative article, comprising the steps of producing a solid piece of a first semi-precious material having at least one continuous surface, forming by drilling or machining at least one recess in the surface, setting a piece of a precious or a second semi-precious material into the recess with an adhesive such that it just extends out of the recess and polishing the entire continuous surface including the precious or second semi-precious material to provide a continuous surface.

9. A method as in Claim 8 wherein the continuous surface is curved.

A method as in Claim 8 wherein the continuous surface is planar.

11. A method of making a decorative article substantially as herein- before described with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 2 of the drawings. Dated this 19th day of August, 1992 HERMANN MAITZ By his Patent Attorneys COLLISON CO. a e o 0 O 0