Personal ornament and silver alloy for personal ornament

• US 6,506,267 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2000
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippon Germanium Laboratory Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Germanium Laboratory Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishizawa, Hiroyasu, Fujiyasu, Hiroshi, Ishigaki, Shinichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilkins, III, Harry D.
• Application Number:
  US09/719,280
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 420/501, 148/430
• US Class Current: 148/430
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 5/06 Alloys based on silver

Abstract

The accessory of the present invention comprises 1% to 9% by weight of germanium, 2% to 20% of indium in terms of weight ratio with respect to germanium, and the rest constituted by silver. It can provide an accessory realizing a metallic luster similar to the brightness of platinum and the health-enhancing and curing effect caused by the far-infrared effect at the same time.

Claims

1. An accessory comprising an outside exposed portion, at least a part of said exposed portion disposed at a position where the accessory directly contacts with a human skin and consisting essentially of:

1% to 9% by weight of germanium;

indium in amount ranging from 2% to 20% by weight of the germanium; and

remaining balance of said exposed portion being silver.

2. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein weight ratio of germanium is 4%-9% of said exposed portion.

3. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein weight ratio of germanium is 1%-5% of said exposed portion.

4. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein weight ratio of indium with respect to germanium is 5%-20%.

5. The accessory according to claim 1, wherein weight ratio of indium with respect to germanium is 2%-13%.

6. A silver alloy for an accessory, said silver alloy consisting essentially of:

1% to 9% by weight of germanium;

indium in amount ranging from 2% to 20% by weight of germanium; and

remaining balance being silver.

7. The silver alloy according to claim 6, wherein weight ratio of germanium is 4%-9%.

8. The silver alloy according to claim 6, wherein weight of germanium is 1%-5%.

9. The silver alloy according to claim 6, wherein weight ratio of indium with respect to germanium is 5%-20%.

10. The silver alloy according to claim 6, wherein weight ratio of indium with respect to germanium is 2%-13%.