Jewelry formed by sections of multiply colored elements and process for making the same

Abstract

A process for making jewelry, such as necklaces, bracelets or the like with different colors on at least two of their visible faces such that a person can choose which face of the jewelry to display when it is worn. The process has two phases. In a first phase, at least two noble metal bands having different colors are placed with one long edge adjacent one another and coupled by welding. In a second phase, the welded bands are bent and welded along the free ends of the joined band to form a closed pipe having multiple colors around its circumference. The pipe is sectioned into multiple hollow links which are mounted and fixed on a flexible core to make a changeable jewelry having different appearances on two or more sides.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a divisional application of pending U.S. patent application No. 09/950,206 filed Sep. 10, 2001, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention provides a process and related means for making double-faced jewelry consisting of differently colored elements on both opposite sides.

[0003] The process permits making jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets or the like with different colors on at least two of their visible faces. A user can choose to put on the necklace or jewelry so as to show one face or the other of the jewelry according to the desired color. For instance, the user can show a white gold face or a yellow gold face of the jewelry.

[0004] Thus, the realization of the process according to the present invention provides a very advantageous result, although it is not conceptually new in the jeweler's art: it is the result of using double-faced jewelry which is made completely of precious solid metal and not simply covered as in prior known solutions.

[0005] As is known, in the jeweler's art, several processes are used to produce necklaces, bracelets and jewelry of any kind.

[0006] One type of such jewelry has recently interested purchasers a great deal and is now in great demand. It is the hollow necklace or bracelet. That is, jewelry in which a chain is formed by a succession of links which are essentially cylindrical and are in general flattened to have an elliptic section. These links are put near each other on a flexible core.

[0007] This particular type of chain is fit for several variants and appliances such as the insert composition and setting, the application and realization of decorations and ornaments, the gold covering of both opposite sides with bands having different color tonalities, for instance, white and yellow gold bands, so as to obtain double-faced, hollow necklaces.

[0008] In this way, an original chromatic effect is obtained and the purchaser can choose to put on the necklace in order to show one colored face or the other, the visual effect being thus different each time.

[0009] However, the use of that kind of jewelry has given rise to some drawbacks. The main drawback relates to the kind of working to be effected.

[0010] Generally, this kind of working consists of rolling processes or covering processes in which a base support is covered with gold foils or foils made of other metals having different colors, and usually two colors.

[0011] This kind of working involves practical drawbacks relating to a certain difficulty in the production and above all, a rapid deterioration of the jewelry.

[0012] In fact, the jewelry can be subjected to scratches, signs or the like that provoke a partial removal of the covering with all the evident consequences.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The aim of the present invention is to conceive a new working process for producing hollow double-faced necklaces, not by covering a base material, but by coupling precious metal parts having different colors or precious metal parts having different compositions.

[0014] After suitable working and bending processes, such parts form a pipe from which it is possible to obtain single metal links displaying two or more colors. The single metal links having two or more colors are mounted on a flexible core and form either chains or necklaces or bracelets, all of them being double faced. That is, they show different colors on each of their sides.

[0015] The above-mentioned objects and advantages are achieved according to the invention through a process and related means for producing double-faced jewelry. The process is characterized by a first phase in which precious metal bands having different colors are placed side-by-side and are coupled by welding. In a second phase, the resulting double precious metal band having two colors is subjected to a bending process and longitudinal welding to obtain a pipe showing different colors, from which pipe links are obtained that can be mounted and fixed on a flexible core.

[0016] Further features and details of the invention can be better understood from the following specification given as a non-exclusive example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In the drawings:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an apparatus for performing a first working according to the invention; and

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of an apparatus for performing a second working according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Referring now to the drawings, in FIG. 1, a machine 1 for effecting a first phase of the process according to the invention in which two or more bands of different colors are put near to each other.

[0021] As shown, two metal bands 3, 4 are placed near to each other and arranged side-by-side. It should be understood that additional metal bands can be used, depending on the desired visual effect to be achieved.

[0022] The machine 1 receives two metal bands 3, 4 placed side-by-side and having different colors. For example one band 3 may be a white gold band, while the other band 4 is a yellow gold band.

[0023] Both metal bands 3, 4 are inserted in the front side of a shoe 2.

[0024] Then, both bands pass through drawing rollers 5, following which, they are subjected to a welding process in which their connection line is welded using a welding element, such as torch 6.

[0025] A good weld can be obtained by having the pair of bands 3, 4 pass the torch 6 on a supporting roller 7. The supporting roller 7 can be adjustable relative to an upper fixed countershoe 8.

[0026] Then, the welded bands 3, 4 pass through extraction rollers 9, which pull out the welded bands 3, 4, which now form a single band 10 having two colors.

[0027] The single, two-color band 10 can be processed to obtain a hollow, two-color pipe 19. The hollow, two-color pipe 19 is produced using a second machine 11 shown in FIG. 2 or another suitable machine.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, the two-color band 10 passes sequentially through aligned pairs of rollers 12-17 which together effect a progressive shaping of the band 10 into pipe 19. The rollers 12-17 each have a suitably shaped profile which allow the two-color band 10 to be bend and welded along the free edges. The band 10 is shaped so that the free edges are placed adjacent each other and welded using a welding torch 18.

[0029] The resulting product consists of two-color pipe 19 having a longitudinal double chromatic effect formed by pipe parts 20, 21.

[0030] As discussed above, the two-color pipe 19 is sectioned in several single metal links which can display two or more colors.

[0031] The links are then mounted onto a flexible core to form double-faced chains, necklaces or bracelets having sides with different colors.

[0032] The number of the metal bands to be placed side-by-side can be any number, but as described, the double-faced effect can be obtained using just two bands 3, 4.

[0033] One with technical skill in this field can provide other machines to perform the same process, for example, a machine with a single working line, and such solutions are considered to be included within the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A two-sided necklace or bracelet, comprising:

a flexible core; and

a plurality of pipe sections threaded on the flexible core, each pipe section having two different appearances, the pipe sections being segments of a pipe formed from two strips of differently colored metals welded together at their edges into a tubular shape, the pipe sections being oriented on the flexible core to display either of the two appearances.

2. The two-sided necklace or bracelet of claim 1, wherein each of the pipe sections are oriented to display one side of the pipe section and fixed on the flexible core.

3. The two-sided necklace or bracelet of claim 2, wherein the flexible core is reversible for displaying either side of the pipe sections when worn.

4. A multi-colored necklace or bracelet, comprising:

a flexible core; and

a plurality of rings each displaying at least a pair of colors around a circumference of the ring, the rings being sections of a pipe formed by welding together a number of strips of different color metals corresponding to the at least a pair of colors displayed, the plurality of rings being threaded on the flexible core, the rings being oriented to display any of the at least a pair of colors of each ring when worn.

5. The multi-colored necklace or bracelet according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of rings are fixed on the flexible core.