Ball-shaped jewelry and method of making same
A jewelry includes a body made from a metal and having a hollow interior. The body has a seamless exterior wall substantially enclosing the hollow interior. The wall includes at least one opening which extends completely through the wall so as to define a design formed directly in the wall.
The present invention relates to a jewelry and, more specifically, to a ball-shaped jewelry and a method of making same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the jewelry industry, there is a constant need to make a jewelry having a new and unique design or features. It is believed that the prior art is devoid of a jewelry including a ball-shaped exterior wall which has a hollow interior therein and which is provided with a plurality of slots or openings arranged and formed therethrough for forming a complex design directly in the curved wall.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention overcomes the disadvantages and shortcomings of the prior art discussed above by providing a new and improved jewelry including a body which is made from a metal and which has a hollow interior. The body has a seamless exterior wall substantially enclosing the hollow interior. The wall includes at least one opening which extends completely through the wall so as to define a design directly in the wall.
In accordance with a feature of the present invention, a method for making the foregoing jewelry is provided. More particularly, the method includes the steps of designing the body with the use of a computer and making an expendable model of the body with the use of a three-dimensional model forming machine. A mold is then formed using the model. A molten metal is thereafter poured into the mold so as to form the body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFor a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Although the present invention can be used in conjunction with any type of jewelry, it is particularly suitable for use in connection with a pendant. Accordingly, the present invention will be described hereinafter in connection with a pendant. It should be understood, however, that the following description is only meant to be illustrative of the present invention and is not meant to limit the scope of the present invention, which has applicability to other types of jewelries.
With reference to
Referring to
A method for making the pendant 10 in accordance with the present invention will be discussed hereinbelow. The three dimensional (3-D) design of the pendant 10 is formed using a conventional computer and a conventional three dimensional (3-D) modeling software, such as those sold by TLM, Inc. DBA Robert McNeel & Associates, Seattle, Wash., under the trademark “RHINOCEROS”. The design formed with the use of the computer and software is then fed to a conventional three-dimensional printer (i.e., a 3-D wax-structure making device), such as 3-D printers sold by 3D Systems, Inc. under model no. “INVISION HR 3-D”. In response, the printer forms a wax model 38 (see
After multiple wax models 38 have been made, they are used for constructing a mold or molds in a conventional manner so as to make corresponding jewelry products. More particularly, each of the models 38 is attached to a support structure 40 (see
It should be appreciated that the present invention provides numerous advantages over the prior art discussed above. For instance, the present invention provides a jewelry having a ball-shaped body which includes a hollow interior enclosed therein. The slots 22 formed in the wall 14 cooperate to provide a design having a “floating” appearance (i.e. the letters formed by the slots 22 appear to be “floating” on the curved surface of the wall 14). Moreover, the method of the present invention makes it relatively simple and efficient to manufacture a jewelry having a complicated three-dimensional design.
It should be noted that the present invention can have numerous modifications and variations. For instance, the present invention can be used in conjunction with other types of jewelries, such as earrings. Moreover, the pendant 10 can be provided with a shape other than the spherical or spheroidal shape shown in
It will be understood that the embodiment described herein is merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications, including those discussed above, are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A jewelry comprising a body made from a metal and having a hollow interior, said body having a seamless exterior wall substantially enclosing said hollow interior, said wall including at least one opening which extends completely through said wall so as to define a design formed directly in said wall.
2. The jewelry of claim 1, wherein said wall has a generally spheroidal shape.
3. The jewelry of claim 2, wherein said wall has a hole for allowing a wire to extend therethough so as to mount said body to the wire.
4. The jewelry of claim 3, wherein said wall includes an annular projection extending substantially radially inwardly from said wall and surrounding said hole for reinforcing a portion of said wall defining said hole.
5. The jewelry of claim 4, wherein said annular projection is formed monolithically with said wall.
6. The jewelry of claim 5, wherein said at least one opening includes a plurality of openings, each of which extends completely through said wall, said plurality of openings defining a person's name.
7. The jewelry of claim 2, wherein said at least one opening includes a plurality of openings, each of which extends completely through said wall, said plurality of openings defining a person's name.
8. A method for making a jewelry which has a substantially enclosed body made from a metal and having a hollow interior, the body having a seamless exterior wall substantially enclosing the hollow interior, the wall including at least one opening which extends completely through the wall so as to define a design pattern formed directly in the wall, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming a design corresponding to the body with the use of a computer;
- making an expendable model corresponding to the design with the use of a three-dimensional model forming machine;
- forming a mold with the use of the model; and
- pouring molten metal into the mold so as to form the body.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the wall has a generally spheroidal shape.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wall has a hole for allowing a wire to extend therethough so as to mount the body to the wire.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wall includes an annular projection extending substantially radially inwardly from the wall and surrounding the hole for reinforcing a portion of the wall defining the hole.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the annular projection is formed monolithically with the wall.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said at least one opening includes a plurality of openings, each of which extends completely through the wall, the plurality of openings defining a person's name.
14. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one opening includes a plurality of openings, each of which extends completely through the wall, the plurality of openings defining a person's name.
International Classification: B22C 9/04 (20060101); B22C 7/02 (20060101);