Faceted jewelry ornament with facet grooved for light diffraction

• US 5,612,102 A
• Filed: 12/30/1993
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamato KAKO Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Yamato KAKO Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nakama, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Epstein, Henry F.
• Application Number:
  US08/175,560
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 428/7, 428/15, 428/187, 428/426, 63/32
• US Class Current: 428/15
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 17/005 Gems provided with grooves or notches, e.g. for setting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24736 Ornamental design or indicia

Abstract

The present invention provides an ornament composed of a light transmissive material having a plurality of facets, with a plurality of fine grooves formed on these facets to increase brilliancy, dispersion and scintillation effects and thereby enhance the ornamental appearance.

Claims

1. An ornament of a light transmissive material having a plurality of cut facets, wherein at least one of said cut facets has a plurality of fine grooves, said plurality of fine grooves being spaced over the total surface of said one facet with a substantially equal spacing suitable for the diffraction of visible light entering the ornament through said one facet to form a rainbow of seven colors within said ornament and thereby enhance the appearance of the ornament.

2. An ornament according to claim 1 wherein said spacing is approximately 2.5 microns.

3. An ornament according to claim 1, wherein said light transmissive material is a material selected from the group consisting of a diamond, glass, plastic and a cubic zirconia.

4. An ornament according to claim 1 wherein said fine grooves each have a depth of 0.2-0.3 microns.

5. An ornament according to claim 1 wherein the width of each of said plurality of fine grooves is approximately 2.5 microns.

6. An ornament according to claim 1 wherein said one facet is divided into a plurality of areas wherein the fine grooves in one area of said one facet have a different orientation than the fine grooves in other areas of said one facet adjoining said one area.

7. An ornament according to claim 6 wherein said areas of said one facet extend radially outward from the center of said one facet.

8. An ornament according to claim 1 wherein said fine grooves are parallel lines.

9. An ornament according to claim 1 wherein said fine grooves are formed as concentric circles.

10. An ornament according to claim 1 wherein said fine grooves form a waveform pattern.

11. An ornament according to claim 1 wherein said fine grooves form a pattern of parallel lines, concentric circles or waveforms.

12. An ornament according to claim 1 wherein said ornament is in the form of a brilliant-cut having a table facet, a plurality of crown facets, a plurality of pavilion facets and a girdle.

13. An ornament according to claim 12 wherein said one facet is said table facet.