KIT FOR JEWELLERY

Abstract

A kit for jewellery is provided including a support element 12, such as a ring shank, and a collet 14. The support element 12 includes facing support surfaces between which the collet 14 can be inserted in an insertion direction. The support element 12 and the collet 14 each include a guiding element 24, 16, one of which includes a ridge and the other of which includes an elongate recess. The ridge and recess are configured upon insertion of the collet 14 between the support surfaces to interlock to hold the collet in position; the collet 14 being removable from the support element 12 by manipulation solely of the collet 14 including pulling the collect 14 in a direction opposite to the insertion direction. Insertion and removal of the collet 14 causes no strain or no unrecoverable strain on the support element 12.

Description

The present invention relates to a kit for jewellery, in particular to a modular jewellery assembly allowing components to be interchanged. The preferred embodiment provides a ring with interchangeable collets and shanks.

Rings with interchangeable settings for holding articles of jewellery have been described for example in US 2007/0056321 A1, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,090.

In the prior art, the focus of providing interchangeable settings for jewellery has generally been to provide a ring that can be worn as a final product, but for which for example the article can be interchanged when the owner desires. Reasons for interchanging the article may be in order to adapt the ring to the latest fashion.

Accordingly, the setting and ring body are generally provided with elements which lock securely together to prevent the setting and ring body from being easily separated. This can be achieved by the elements being relatively large and robust and comprising significant mechanical features which resist movement in a removal direction.

It is important in such rings that the interchangeable setting and the body of the ring do not become separated while the ring is being worn. However, the interchangeable setting and ring body are likely to be subject to various forces when being worn. Accordingly, the locking elements in the prior art are generally arranged so as to require the application of a significant force specifically to distort the ring body before the locking elements release the interchangeable setting. Such a distorting force is unlikely to be encountered during the normal wearing of the ring, and so the chances of the ring and setting being accidentally separated is reduced.

However, since the force to distort the ring body needs to be significant in order for it not to be encountered during normal wearing of the ring, it is generally necessary for a mechanical tool to be used to apply the distorting force. The use of a mechanical tool and the necessary distortion of the ring body can make these prior art products unsuitable for delicate items of jewellery.

Additionally, the distortion that it is necessary to apply to the ring body can make the prior art unsuited to being frequently interchanged. Not only does it require some skill and effort to interchange settings in this manner, but the frequent distortion of the ring body can cause it to lose some of its resilience and after time become less able to retain the setting.

When an individual wishes to purchase an item of jewellery with a non-interchangeable setting, in particular a ring, it is generally necessary to select a desired shank and collet combination without having had an opportunity to try on, or even look at, an assembled version. A result of this is that it can be difficult to decide what combination to select. In addition, when the final product is provided to them, it can look different from how the individual imagined it would look, leading to disappointment on an expensive purchase.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved kit for jewellery.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit for jewellery, including a support element and a collet; the support element including first and second support arms ending respectively in first and second support surfaces which are spaced and which face each other for the collet to be inserted between them in an insertion direction; the first support surface including a first guiding element; the collet including first and second walls arranged to abut respectively the first and second support surfaces when the collet is inserted therebetween, the first wall of the collet including a second guiding element; wherein one of the first and second guiding elements includes a ridge and the other includes an elongate recess; wherein upon insertion of the collet between the first and second support surfaces the first and second guiding elements interlock to hold the collet in position with the first and second support surfaces in abutment with the first and second walls; the collet being removable from the support element by manipulation solely of the collet including pulling the collet in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, insertion and removal of the collet causing no strain or no unrecoverable strain on the support element.

The guiding elements allow for the removable coupling of the support element and collet together, for instance a shank and collet of a ring.

Preferred embodiments of the invention provide a kit for jewellery which can be used to assist an individual who wishes to buy an item of jewellery with a non-interchangeable setting, by providing the individual with the opportunity to try on a selected collet and support element combination before ordering a final product to be assembled. In the scenario in which an item of jewellery is being tried on, the collet is not subject to the same forces as during normal wearing, and so a smaller resistance to the separation of the collet and support element can be used. This can facilitate the interchanging of the collet and support element, it can allow for delicate designs to be employed, and it can provide for a long working life for the support element. These advantages and features are described in more detail below.

In this specification, a ridge and recess are interlocked where the ridge extends into the recess such that the elongate sides of the ridge and recess constrain relative movement of the ridge with respect to the recess.

Preferably, the support element exhibits elastic deformation at strains up to a first amount of strain and plastic deformation at strains above the first amount of strain, wherein insertion and removal of the collet cause strain less than the first amount of strain.

Preferred embodiments of the invention allow a single support element to be attachable to any one of multiple different styles of collet. In addition, a single collet is attachable to any one of multiple different styles of support element. In this way, a customer can try on a selection of different possible combinations in order to assess the look and feel of each one before choosing one that best suits him or her. A final product can then be assembled based upon that choice.

In addition, the preferred embodiments of the invention allow a collet to be attached to and removed from a support element purely by manual manipulation of the collet, where that manipulation includes pulling the collet in a direction opposite to an insertion direction. This means that it is quick and easy for an unskilled person to interchange collets and support elements repeatedly by hand on demand from a customer. Such a kit can be employed to advantage in a situation, such as a shop, where the jewellery assembly is only temporarily being tried on to gain an impression of its appearance, and where it will not be exposed to the forces experienced by normal wearing.

In some embodiments, manual manipulation is purely pulling by hand. In other embodiments, a twisting motion is required. However, in no embodiments are tools required.

In preferred embodiments, insertion and removal of the collet cause no strain, or no unrecoverable strain on the support element. By unrecoverable strain, what is meant is that if a resilience of the support element has been decreased by the insertion or the removal of the collet, this resilience can be regained by a simple manual manipulation of the support element, for example for a substantially circular ring, pressing radially inwards simultaneously on opposite sides of the support element so as to press the first and second support surfaces towards each other. There being no strain or no unrecoverable strain on the support element means that the support element can be used repeatedly over many days and weeks and even months with the collet being interchanged several times a day. In some embodiments, this can be used to advantage by providing the support element and the collet made from non-precious material. Multiple collets and support elements can be retained for example in a shop. Customers can make use of the collets and support elements to try different combinations of support elements and collets. Because distortion of the support elements is minimised, the support elements do not significantly lose resilience and remain suitable for having different collets repeatedly inserted and removed.

The customer is then able to see what a particular design of collet and support element combination would look like when being worn, and is much less likely to be disappointed when the final product is produced and provided to them.

In such preferred embodiments, when a customer has selected a preferred combination, that preferred combination can be manufactured in final form from precious materials as a separate procedure before being provided to the customer.

Preferably, the ridge protrudes no more than 1 mm, in some embodiments no more than 0.5 mm, and the recess has a depth of no more than 1 mm, in some embodiments no more than 0.5 mm. This can allow delicate designs to be employed for the collet and support element and allow distortion of the support element to be kept small.

Preferably, insertion and/or removal of the collet with respect to the support element causes distortion of the support element of no more than 2 mm and in some embodiments no more that 1 mm.

In some embodiments, the second guiding element includes an elongate recess which provides an opening in a first end of the collet and the first guiding element includes an elongate ridge, the first end of the collet being transverse to the first and second walls. In some embodiments, this can enable a collet to be advanced in the insertion direction into a support element such that the ridge of the first guiding element on the support element slides into the recess of the second guiding element on the collet without needing to clear an end wall of the recess. In such embodiments, it can be possible, if the thicknesses of the ridge and recess do not taper, to enable insertion and/or removal of the collet with substantially no distortion of the support element.

Hereinafter, the recess may also be referred to as a channel and the ridge as an elongate protrusion or rib.

Advantageously, the guiding elements extend in the insertion direction. Preferably, they extend in a radial direction of a ring shank.

In some embodiments, a base wall of the elongate recess and a top wall of the ridge are curved in a direction transverse to their longitudinal extents. Advantageously, the elongate recess and ridge have tapering side walls.

In some embodiments, there are provided four guiding elements in the form of two channels and two ribs, one of the channels and ribs being located on opposing faces of one of the collet and support element. Each of the channels and ribs can have features corresponding to those described above for the channel and rib.

Advantageously, the channels are located on opposing faces of a ring collet, the ribs being located on corresponding, facing surfaces of a ring shank. The arrangement of channels and ribs could be reversed but this is not preferred.

Preferably, the channels are arranged relative to one another in a V-configuration, advantageously opening in a radial direction of the jewellery assembly. The ribs are preferably arranged in complementary manner.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 show two different views of an embodiment of a ring;

FIGS. 3a-3d show views of the collet of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIGS. 4a-4c show views of the shank of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIGS. 5-25 each show different views of alternative embodiments of a ring, in which (a) is a side view, (b) is an end view, (c) is a rear view, (d) is a perspective view, and (e) is a detail of the perspective view shown in (d); FIG. 16(f) as an end view from the direction opposite to that for FIG. 16(c); and

FIGS. 26 and 27 each show two different views of alternative embodiments of a ring; FIG. 26(a) and FIG. 27(a) are side views; FIG. 26(b) is a top view; and FIG. 27(b) is a perspective view.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, the ring 10 includes a shank 12 and removable collet 14. The collet 14 is provided with two opposing faces or walls each of which has an elongate channel or recess 16 extending in a radial direction of the ring. The channel or recess 16 has a base wall 18 which curves in a direction which is orthogonal to the radial direction of the ring and two side walls 20 which open in an outwardly tapering manner from the base wall. Extending from the base wall are, in this embodiment, two pins 22 which in this example are in the shape of round ended rods. Although not clear in the drawing, the two channels are facing in opposite direction on opposing sides of the collet 14.

The shank 12 can be considered as including first and second support arms, which respectively terminate in first and second support surfaces. The support surfaces face each other across a gap into which the collet 14 can be inserted. The first and second support surfaces are arranged to abut first and second walls of the collet 14 when the collet is inserted between the first and second support surfaces.

On each of the first and second support surfaces there is provided a ridge or protrusion 24 which corresponds to the channels or recesses 16 on the collet 14. The ridges or protrusions 24 are provided with a top wall 26 which curves transversely with a curvature which corresponds to the base wall 18 of the channel 16. The protrusion 24 has tapering side walls 28, also corresponding to the taper of the side walls 20 of the channel. In each protrusion there are provided two bores or holes 30 corresponding in location and size to the pins 22 in the channel 16. It is not necessary for the base wall of the channel and the top wall of the protrusion to be curved but this is preferred as it enhances the solidity of the fit.

The base walls of the channels 16 taper in a radial direction of the shank 12 so the channels 16 are arranged with respect to one another in a V-shape. The protrusions 24 are similarly arranged. In addition, the first and second support surfaces taper such that the separation of the first and second support surfaces decreases along a direction of insertion 32. The insertion direction 32 is in the depicted embodiments substantially radially inwardly with respect to the shank. The first and second walls of the collet have a corresponding taper. In addition, the thicknesses of the ridges 24 and recesses 16 taper along the radial direction with respect to the shank such that the ridges 24 and recesses 16 become thinner radially inwardly with respect to the shank, where thickness refers to a dimension in a direction which is transverse to both the radius and the circumference of the shank. In this embodiment, the recesses 16 extend to and provide an opening in the base of the collet.

The ridges or protrusions 24 are arranged to interlock with the channels or recesses 16 when the collet 14 is inserted between the first and second support surfaces of the shank 12. Furthermore, the elongate nature of the ridges 24 and recesses 16 is such that the ridges 24 and recesses 16 mutually guide each other into an interlocking position as the collet is inserted along the insertion direction 32 into position between the first and second support surfaces of the shank 12. The ridges 24 and recesses 16 can therefore be considered to be guiding elements.

The guiding elements 16, 24 are arranged so that the collet 14 can be removed from the shank 12 by manipulation solely of the collet, wherein the manipulation includes pulling the collet in a direction opposite to the insertion direction. The guiding elements 16, 24 are also arranged such that insertion and removal of the collet causes no strain or no unrecoverable strain on the shank 12.

This is advantageous since it means that tools or mechanical objects are not required in order to interchange the collet or the shank. It also means that distortion of the shank can be minimised, thereby increasing its life to enable collets to be repeatedly interchanged without the shank losing resilience.

The ridges 24 protrude no more than 1 mm, and in some embodiments no more than 0.5 mm, respectively from the first and second support surfaces, and the recesses 16 recess no more than 1 mm, and in some embodiments no more than 0.5 mm, from the first and second walls of the collet 14. In this way, insertion and/or removal of the collet 14 with respect to the shank 12 can cause distortion of the shank 12 of no more than 2 mm and in some embodiments of no more than 1 mm.

While in the prior art substantial interlocking elements meant that a mechanical tool was generally required to distort the ring, preferred embodiments of the invention can limit the amount of distortion required and avoid the need for a tool by providing ridges and recesses with limited depth, such as the 1 mm and 0.5 mm limits described above.

The collet 14 can be fitted to the shank by pressing this along the insertion direction 32 from above into the gap between the two protrusions 24 As the collet 14 is inserted into the shank 12, ends of the recesses 16 in the collet 14 meet wider ends of the ridges 24 of the shank 12. Manual manipulation of the collet causes the protrusions 24 of the shank 12 to open out as a result of resilience of the shank. Once the pins 22 align with and engage into the corresponding hole 30, the shank 12 springs hack. The coupling, once this has been achieved, is solid and does not allow rotation of the collet 14 relative to the shank 12 in the preferred embodiment. It is possible to replace the collet or shank by manipulation solely of the collet, typically by solely pulling the collet in a direction opposite to the insertion direction. In this regard, the pins 22 may be considerably shorter than the height of the side wall 20 of the channel. As a result of this, it is not necessary to provide an additional force to open the shank in order to remove the collet. This can allow for rapid and frequent interchange by unskilled persons.

The arrangement provides for the design of many different types of collet and many different types of shank and for the customer to choose the design she or he prefers.

It is not necessary for the side walls of the channel and protrusions to taper but this is preferred for manufacturing tolerance reasons and because it provides a better fit.

The taper in the thickness of the ridges 24 and recesses 16 is not necessary, nor is that the recesses provide openings in the base of the collet.

However, as described above, the taper in the thickness of the ridges and recesses provides a resistance to the removal of the collet 14, providing a solid coupling of the collet 14 in the shank 12.

It is also not necessary to have pins 22 and holes 30 or any particular shape for the guiding elements as long as the guiding elements include elongate recesses and ridges. FIGS. 5-27 depict alternative embodiments which do not have pins 22 and holes 30 and which have guiding elements with alternative shapes.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the ring 10 includes a shank 12 and removable collet 14 as per the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4.

Many of the other features of the embodiment of FIG. 5 are as described in respect of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4. However, as described above, in this embodiment there are no pins 22 or holes 30 on the ridges 24 or recesses 16. In addition, the ridges 24 extend the full radial thickness of the shank 12, that is from an inward circumferential surface of the shank 12 to an outer circumferential surface of the shank 12.

In this embodiment, as the collet 14 is initially inserted into the shank 12, as for the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, ends of the recesses 16 of the collet 14 meet wider ends of the ridges 24 of the shank 12. In addition, as per the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, manual manipulation of the collet causes the ridges 24 to move apart owing to inherent resilience of the shank 12, allowing the collet to slide between the first and second support surfaces. Since there are no pins 22 or holes 30 in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the collet can slide between first and second support services until the tapers of the recesses 16 and ridges 24 match up, at which point the ridges 24 snap fit into the recesses 16 to cause them to interlock, holding the collet in position in the shank 12.

In other words, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the collet is coupled to and held in place in the shank 12 simply by the co-operation and interlocking of the recesses 16 and ridges 24.

As per the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, the collet can be easily removed by manually grasping the collet and pulling it in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion. This will attempt to move the recesses 16 from a point at which their tapers match up with the tapers of the corresponding ridges 24 to a point where the tapers no longer match up and where, at any given point of the recesses 16, the ridges 24 are wider. Accordingly, once again the ridges 24 are forced apart owing to the inherent resilience of the shank 12 and the collet can be removed.

Because of the arrangement of the guiding elements, this can be achieved purely by manual manipulation of the collet.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 corresponds in many respects to the embodiment of FIG. 5.

The embodiment of FIG. 7 also corresponds in many respects to the embodiment of FIG. 5. However, in this embodiment, the ridges 24 are provided with additional elongate recesses 34 on an end surface of the ridges 24, which end surface is substantially a continuation of the outer circumferential surface of the shank 12. The additional recesses 34 are arranged to co-operate and interlock, when the collet 14 is inserted into the shank 12, with corresponding additional ridges or bars (not clearly shown in the Figure) in the collet, to increase the solidity of the coupling.

The embodiments of FIGS. 8 and 9 correspond in many respects to the embodiment of FIG. 7.

The embodiment of FIG. 10 corresponds in many respects to the embodiment of FIG. 5. However, in the embodiment of FIG. 10, the ridges 24 do not extend the full radial thickness of the shank 12. In addition, the taper in the thickness of the ridges 24 and recesses 16 is in the opposite sense to that of FIG. 5, and is curved so that the radially outer end (with respect to the shank) of the ridges 24 and recesses 16 is a substantially rounded point.

An advantage of the embodiment of FIG. 10 is that, owing to the reversal of the taper of the thicknesses of the ridges 24 and recesses 16, there is less resistance to removal of the collet in a direction opposite to the insertion direction 32, meaning that the collet 14 can be removed with substantially no deformation of the shank 12.

The embodiment of FIG. 11 substantially corresponds to the embodiment of FIGS. 7 to 9.

In the embodiment of FIG. 12 the thicknesses of the ridges 24 and recesses 16 do not taper. In addition, the taper of the top walls 26 of the ridges 24 is arranged to compensate for the taper of the first and second support surfaces of the shank such that the top walls 26 are substantially parallel to each other.

In the embodiment of FIG. 13, the ridges 24 are located on the collet and the recesses 16 are located in the first and second support surfaces of the shank 12.

The embodiment of FIG. 14 corresponds in many respects to the embodiments of FIGS. 7-9 except that in the embodiment of FIG. 14 the ridges 24 do not extend the full radial thickness of the shank 12, and the additional elongate recesses 34 are provided at the corner of the outer circumferential end of the ridge 24 and the top wall 26 of the ridge 24. The additional elongate bars or ridges (not clearly shown in the drawings) are correspondingly arranged within the recesses 16.

The embodiment of FIG. 15 is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 14, except that the additional elongate recess 34 is provided in the corner of the top wall 26 of the ridges 24 and one of the side walls of the ridges 24. The additional elongate recesses 34 of the two ridges 24 are respectively on the corners of the top wall 26 with opposite side walls so that the two ridges 24 have rotational symmetry but are not minor images. In this embodiment, the additional elongate recesses 34 have tapered thicknesses such that their thicknesses increase in a radially inward direction with respect to the shank.

The embodiment of FIG. 16 corresponds substantially to the embodiment of FIG. 12 except that in the embodiment of FIG. 16 the thicknesses of the ridges 24 and the recesses 16 taper as described for example with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4. The embodiment of FIG. 17 corresponds in many respects to the embodiment of FIG. 7, except that in the embodiment of FIG. 17 the additional elongate recesses 34 are aligned substantially in a radial direction with respect to the shank and are provided in the top wall 26 of the ridges 24. The corresponding elongate ridges or bars are provided correspondingly in the recess 16 of the collet.

The embodiment of FIG. 18 corresponds in many respects to the embodiment of FIG. 5, except that an additional elongate ridge 36 is provided on the ridges 24, and a corresponding additional elongate recess is provided within the recess 16. The additional elongate ridge 36 is aligned in a substantially radial direction with respect to the shank 12 and provides extra solidity to the coupling of the collet and shank. The embodiment of FIG. 19 corresponds substantially to the embodiment of FIG. 18 except the additional elongate recesses and the additional elongate ridges 36 are interchanged such that the additional elongate recesses are in the ridges 24 of the shank 12 and the additional elongate ridges are provided in the recesses 16 of the collet 14.

In the embodiment of FIG. 20, the ridges 24 and the corresponding recesses are provided in a diamond configuration. In the embodiment of FIG. 21, the taper of the top walls 26 of the ridges 24 is steeper than the taper of the first and second support surfaces. In addition, the thicknesses of the ridges 24 and recesses 16 increases in a radially inward direction with respect to the shank.

In the embodiment of FIG. 22, the ridges 24 are provided in a T-shape such that the head of T is radially outwards with respect to the shank from the base of the T. In the embodiment of FIG. 23, ridges 24 are provided with additional elongate recesses 34 in the radially inward surface of the ridges 24 and set back from the top wall 26 of the ridges 24 in order that the top wall 26 provides a lip 38 which can retain an additional elongate ridge or bar provided in the collet 14 to correspond to the additional elongate recess 34. A further additional elongate recess 34 can be provided at the end of the ridge 24 that is radially outward with respect to the shank 12 as depicted in the embodiment of FIG. 24. In this embodiment, a further additional elongate bar or ridge is correspondingly arranged in the collet. Alternatively, the additional elongate recess in the end of the ridge 24 that is radially outward with respect to the shank as per the embodiment of FIG. 24 could be provided without the additional elongate recess in the end wall of the ridge 24 that is radially inward with respect to the shank. Such an arrangement is shown in the embodiment of FIG. 25.

The embodiments of FIGS. 26 and 27 correspond substantially to the embodiment of FIG. 13.

Features and modifications of the embodiments can be combined and interchanged as desired.

The disclosures in British patent application nos. 1014653.8 and 1114428.4 from which this application claims priority, and in the abstract accompanying this application are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A kit for jewellery, including a support element and a collet; the support element including first and second support arms ending respectively in first and second support surfaces which are spaced and which face each other for the collet to be inserted between them in an insertion direction; the first support surface including a first guiding element; the collet including first and second walls arranged to abut respectively the first and second support surfaces when the collet is inserted therebetween, the first wall of the collet including a second guiding element; wherein one of the first and second guiding elements includes a ridge and the other includes an elongate recess; wherein upon insertion of the collet between the first and second support surfaces the first and second guiding elements interlock to hold the collet in position with the first and second support surfaces in abutment with the first and second walls; the collet being removable from the support element by manipulation solely of the collet including pulling the collet in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, insertion and removal of the collet causing no strain or no unrecoverable strain on the support element.

2. A kit according to claim 1, wherein the support element exhibits elastic deformation at strains up to a first amount of strain and plastic deformation at strains above the first amount of strain, wherein insertion and removal of the collet cause strain less than the first amount of strain.

3. A kit according to claim 1, wherein the second support surface includes a third guiding element and the second wall includes a fourth guiding element; wherein one of the third and fourth guiding elements includes a ridge and the other includes an elongate recess; wherein upon insertion of the collet between the first and second support surfaces the third and fourth guiding elements interlock to hold the collet in position with the first and second support surfaces in abutment with the first and second walls.

4. A kit according to claim 1, wherein the collet is removable from the support element solely by pulling on the collet by hand in a direction opposite to the insertion direction.

5. A kit according to claim 1, wherein insertion and removal of the collet causes distortion of the support element of no more than 2 mm.

6. A kit according to claim 5, wherein insertion and removal of the collet causes distortion of the support element of no more than 1 mm.

7. A kit according claim 1, wherein the first and second support surfaces have a taper, and the first and second walls have a corresponding taper.

8. A kit according to claim 7, wherein the taper of the first and second support surfaces is arranged such that the spacing between the first and second support surfaces decreases along the direction of insertion.

9. A kit according to claim 1, wherein the collet and/or support element include precious metal.

10. A kit according to claim 1, wherein the collet and/or support element are made from non-precious material.

11. A kit according to claim 1, wherein the second guiding element includes an elongate recess which provides an opening in a first end of the collet, the first end of the collet being transverse to the first and second walls.

12. A kit according to claim 11, wherein the or a fourth guiding element includes an elongate recess which provides an opening in the first end of the collet.

13. A kit according to claim 1 wherein the first guiding element is provided with at least one pin or hole and the second guiding element is provided with a corresponding hole or pin for each of the at least one pin or hole on the first guiding element, the at least one pin or hole of the first guiding element and the corresponding holes or pins of the second guiding element being arranged to co-operate upon insertion of the collet into the support element to provide additional solidity to the interlocking.

14. A kit according to claim 13, wherein the at least one pin or hole of the first guiding element is a plurality of pins or holes.

15. A kit according to claim 13, wherein the or a third guiding element is provided with at least one pin or hole and the or a fourth guiding element is provided with a corresponding hole or pin for each of the at least one pin or hole on the third guiding element, the at least one pin or hole of the third guiding element and the corresponding holes or pins of the fourth guiding element being arranged to co-operate upon insertion of the collet into the support element to provide additional solidity to the interlocking.

16. A kit according to claim 15, wherein the at least one pin or hole of the third guiding element is a plurality of pins or holes.

17. A kit according to claim 1, wherein the support element is a ring shank.

18. A kit for jewellery, including a plurality of support elements as described in claim 1 and a plurality of collets as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of support elements and the plurality of collets includes at least two different designs.

19. An item of jewellery made from a kit according to claim 1.

20. An item of jewellery according to claim 19 wherein the item is a ring