GB2248172A - Jewellery - Google Patents

Abstract

An item of jewellery such as dress ring, pendant, bracelet or brooch has an annular mount 4 for an ornamental disc 5. The mount 4 has a series of arcuately spaced inner recesses 8 formed by C-shaped bars 9. An ornamental circular disc 5 is seated and secured in the mount 4 by having a series of lugs 14 which depend from an outer flange (13, Fig. 7) and which are received in the recesses 8 and are peened or bent over to secure the disc 5. The disc 5 may have a raised outer marginal bezel portion with a central portion 10 carrying a selected design so that the disc has the visual appearance of a coin but is made of relatively inexpensive thin sheet material that is blanked and pressed and then simply fitted to a matching mount. <IMAGE>

Description

JEWELLRY This invention relates to improvements in jewellry, in particular to finger rings or pendants or bracelets which provide mounts in which coins or medallions are secured as ornamental features of the jewellry item.

Such items of jewellry are usually made of fine metal such as gold or silver and are sold without a coin or medallion which the purchaser has to select and have fitted te the mount or mounts. To display such jewellry items a retailer often has to also have a stock of relatively expensive coins or medallions.

Often, having regard to the weight of such fine metals, the purchase cost of the coin or medallion to be mounted in the item exceeds the retail cost of the basic item, particularly when the item is a finger ring or pendant.

klthough it would be advantageous to have cheap replicas of such coins or medallions te mount in such jewellry items, it is not lawful to make such replicas of coins of the realm.

It is cbject cf this invention to provide a decorative item of jewellr cf the kind described but Which does not include the mounting of a genuine coin or medallion.

AccoroIng to this invention, we provide a jewellry item including a setting mount cf annular form arranged to seat an ornamental disc, the mount having a plurality of arcuately spaced apart recesses wit each recess being arranged to receive one of a complimentarv set of setting lugs extending transversely from the marginal edge portion of the disc, the arrangement being such that the disc on one face carries an ornamental design which is visible when mounted in the setting and the disc is secured in the setting mount by the plurality of lugs received in the recesses and secured to the mount.

By this invention, the disc having the ornamental face to any desired design is simply mounted in the setting mount either for display purposes or is provided for sale by the retailer. The ornamental disc replaces the traditional coin or medallion and may be designed to give an outward visual appearance of a coin.

The disc may be a pressing or stamping of relatively thin plate or sheet material.

The material may be of fine metal such as gold or silver.

The disc may be made of base metal plated or gilded to simulate a fine metal.

Preferably the setting mount has at least four uniformly spaced apart recesses, and the disc has at least four lugs arranged te seat within each of the recesses.

Each lug may be arranged for soldering within the respective recess.

More conveniently, each lug is of a length so that it extends through the recess in the setting mount with a short part cf the free end projecting through the recess te the inside face of the jewellry item and the free end of each lug is peened or bent over to secure the disc in the setting mount.

Preferably, the setting mount provides a bottom face of annular form upcn which the marginal edge of the disc is located with such bottom face including the plurality of recesses. The setting mount may include an outer upstanding annular wall arranged to lie adjacent to the outer marginal edge portion of the disc which is confined within the setting mount.

By such a preferred arrangement, the ornamental disc is located within the setting mount and the setting lugs and marginal edge of the disc are hidden from view.

The setting mount may be formed as part of the shank of a finger ring, and as will be appreciated, the inward face of the disc is obscured from view when such finger ring is worn or on display.

The setting mount may be formed as part of a decorative pendant arranged to be carried on a chain or a bar clip.

The setting mount may be formed as one of a series of decorative mounts which are connected together to form a bracelet.

The decorative disc may have an ornamental design on the obverse face as well as any appropriate HallMark and/or Maker's Ilark.

A wide range of sizes and style and types of ornamental discs can be provided to suit any particular style or type of jewellry item, and it is envisaged that in sone instances, the design applied to the disc may be customised for a retailer as a self-promotion design such as the retailer's Trade Mark or Logo.

As will now be appreciated, the use of the ornamental disc wit the simple setting mount overcomes many of the problems arising on cost and stock-holding for retailers as well as providing an alternative te the traditional expensive coin or medallion as used for such jewellry items.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to an exemplary embodiment depicted in the accompanying drawings wherein: FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a dress ring having a setting mount according to the invention; FIGURE 2 is a view of the ring in the direction A shown in Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the ring in the direction B shown in Figure 1; FIGURE 4 is an underneath plan view of the ring in the direction C shown in Figure 1 with portions of the ring shank omitted for clarity; FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the ornamental disc mounted in the dress ring shown in Figure 1; FIGURE 6 is an underside plan view of the disc shown in Figure 5; and FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the disc on the line D D shown in Figure 6.

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of an alternative mount arrangement; and FIGURE 9 is an enlarged sectional view showing part of a disc secured in the mount of Figure 8.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the item o; jewellry is a dress ring 1 having a shank 2 with shoulders 3 and a mount 4 of generally annular form. An ornamental disc 5 is seated in and secured to the mount 4.

The mount 4 provides an annular bezel 7 within which the disc 5 is seated, and the disc is sized for a tolerant fit within the bezel 7. The mount 4 further comprises four arcuately spaced apart recesses 8 (Figure 4) formed by C-shaped bars 9 soldered or welded to the inner face of the mount.

The disc 5 is of circular form having a central portion 10 which carries a selected ornamental design 11. The outer marginal rim portion 12 has an ornamental design as may represent a knurled edge effect or other contigucus pattern around the rim portion 12. The rim portion 12 may stand proud cf the central portion 10.

The disc 5 also has a dependent flange 13 extending from the rim portion 12, and this flange 13 has four lugs 14 extending therefrom (Figure 7) which are arcuately spaced apart to match the spacing of the recesses 8 in the mount 4.

To seat and secure the disc 5 in the mount 4, the disc is assembled into the mount with the lugs 14 aligned with the recesses 8 and pressed into place so that each lug 14 extends into and projects through a respective recess 8. Cnce the disc 5 is so seated, then each end of a lug 14 is peened or bent over the free part of the C-bar 9 (Figure 4). Thus, the disc is securely fixed to the mount 4, and the lugs 14 are not visible when the dress ring in wcrn on a finger or when displayed in a box or display fitting.

In an alternatlve arrangement of mount as depicted in Figures 8 and 9, the mount 104 provides an outer bezel 107 and the mount has an inner shoulder formed by an inwardly extending flange 109. The flange 109 is formed with a plurality of arcuately spaced apart recesses 108 which are sized piercings or dril1irgs through the flange te receive the lugs 14 of the ornamental disc 5 which may be peened or bent over as previously descrIbed, cr welded or soldered in the recesses.

As will now be appreciated, the ornamental disc 5 may carry a design to represent a coin or any other emblem, monogram or feature such as a selected zodiac or like representation. The disc 5 may be made of relatively thin sheet material and manufactured by blanking out the shape and raising the marginal bezel edge portion and forming the dependent flange, and then either pressing or engraving the design and/or bezel.

The number of lugs on the disc complements the number of recesses provided in the mount, and for a dress ring as shown as an exemplary embodiment a suitable number is four or six. For other jewellry items, such as ear-rings, or a series of mounts to be connected to form a bracelet, the number of lugs may be as few as three, however, for other jewellry items having a larger mount, such as a pendant or brooch, then a greater number of lugs and recesses may be provided.

One important advantage obtained by this invention is that by a relatively inexpensive method of manufacture and design, the ornamental disc may be designed so as to give the visual appearance of a coin mounted in the mount of the ring.

A further important advantage obtained by this invention is that for retail display, a mount of a jewellry item can carry the ornamental disc for window display purposes. The retailer can have customised discs made as required, possibly of unique design, but these can be changed or removed on sale of the mount and the customer can select from a range of ornamental discs available cr to be engraved.

The ornamental disc used for display can be of fine metal or be plated.

Other advantages and applications in jewellry of this invention will be appreciated by those familiar with this particular field.

Claims (15)

Claims:

1. A jewellry item including a setting mount of annular form arranged to seat an ornamental disc, the mount having a plurality of arcuately spaced apart recesses with each recess being arranged to receive one of a complimentary set of setting lugs extending transversely from the marginal edge portion of the disc, the arrangement being such that the disc on one face carries an ornamental design which is visible when mounted in the setting and the disc is secured in the setting mount by the plurality of lugs received in the recesses and secured to the mount.

2. An item according to Claim 1 and wherein the disc is a pressing or stamping of relatively thin plate or sheet material.

3. An item according to Claim 2 and wherein the material is fine metal.

4. An item according to Claim 2 and wherein the disc is made of base metal plated cr gilded to simulate a fine metal.

5. An item according to any one of the preceding Claims and wherein the setting mount has at least four uniformly spaced apart recesses, and the disc has at least four lugs arranged to seat within each of the recesses.

6. An item according to any on of the preceding Claims and wherein each lug is of a length so that it extends through the recess in the setting mount with short part cf the free end projecting through the recess and being peened or bent over te secure the disc in the setting mount.

7. An item according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein each recess is formed by a C-shaped bar secured te the inner wall of the setting mount.

8. An item according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the setting mount has an internal flange and the recesses are formed in said flange.

9. An item according to any one of the preceding Claims and wherein the ornametal disc has a marginal bezel portion.

10. An item according to Claim 9 and wherein the bezel portion is raised and the central portion of the disc carries a design.

11. An item according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the setting mount is on the shank of a finger ring.

12. An item according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 wherein the setting mount is comprised in a pendant.

13. An item according to any one of Claims 1 to 10 wherein the setting mount is adapted to be connected to further mounts to form a bracelet.

14. An item of jewellry incorporating a setting mount and ornamental disc according to any one of the preceding Claims.

15. A dress ring having a setting mount and ornamental disc substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7, and the embodiment shown in Figures 8 and 9.