Girdled gem and method of making the gem
D United States Patent [1 1 [In 3,875,760  
 Jones Apr. 8, 1975 GIRDLED GEM AND METHOD OF MAKING D2l7.634 5/l970 Bodncr D45/l A THE GEM FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 Inventor! Henry Vincent Jones, Younefle 2l8.558 7/1924 United Kingdom 63/2 Dr West Vancou er. Brmsh l.0l5,389 l2/l965 United Kingdom 63/2 Columbia. Canada [22] Fil d; A 9 [974 Primar E.ruminerF. Barry Shay A I N 459 238 Attorney, Agenr, or FirmFetherstonhaugh &amp; Co.  
 {57] ABSTRACT The method of making a faceted g y forming e 5 Fieid D45 A gem body with a faceted crown and a faceted pavilion with a narrow girdle between the crown and pavilion, [56] References Cited and rounding the girdle in cross-section from the crown to the pavilion to eliminate any sharp edges UNITED STATES PATENTS along the girdle, and a faceted gem formed by this l,508.887 9/1924 Juergens method 2.340.659 2/1944 Goldstcin.....  
 048.737 3/l9l6 Shepard D4511 A 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures GIRDLED GEM AND METHOD OF MAKING THE GEM This invention relates to a method of making a girdled and faceted gem, and the gem formed by this method.  
  The gems involved with this invention are mainly diamonds, and it will be described relative thereto, but it will be understood that other faceted gems can be used in place of the diamonds.  
  The cutting of diamonds has been accomplished for centuries, and most diamonds cut today are formed with a faceted crown, a faceted pavilion and a girdle therebetween. The patents of the prior art have been concerned with increasing the number of facets in the diamonds in order to increase the brilliance thereof, and some effort has been made to facet and to polish the gridle for the same purpose, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,286,486 and 3,585,764.  
  The diamonds of the prior art are formed with sharp edges between the girdles and the crown and pavilion respectively. The standard girdle has a flat outer surface extending between the crown and the pavilion of the stone, leaving a sharp edge where they meet. The grinding of this girdle in most cases leaves minute knicks in these edges which are ready-made starters for further chipping and fractures later on. In addition, when the setter is setting such a diamond, he has to use great pressure in forcing the claws of the setting over these sharp edges of the girdle, and very often the pressure is so great that the diamond is fractured. This reduces the value of the diamond, and sometimes it is not noticed until the diamond is unset at a later date. There is also difficulty in bending each claw over the sharp edge since the claw has a tendency to return to its former upright position. In addition, many diamonds are chipped whenn the flat girdles thereof receive sharp blows. If the sharp blow is struck above the longitudinal centerline of the girdle, the fracture or chip goes up towards the table of the crown, but if the blow is struck blow this centerline, the fracture or chip will go down towards the culet of the pavilion. Another disadvantage of the prior diamonds is that they often come loose in their settings. When this happens, the diamond can move around within the setting, and the sharp edges of the girdle act as saws and undercut the claws or heads of the setting, thus weakening it.  
  The present invention greatly reduces these problems by providing a diamond having a girdle that is curved in cross-section so that there are no sharp corners or edges between the girdle and the crown and pavilion, thereby eliminating knicks along the girdle. With this arrangement, it is easier to bend a setting claw around the curved girdle then to bend the claw around a sharp corner or edge. Considerably less pressure is required at this time so that the diamond is very seldom chipped or cracked by this operation. In addition, with the rounded girdle, if a sharp blow is struck on the girdle either above or below the longitudinal centerline thereof, the striking object will veer off, thus causing only a glancing blow insteadof a direct blow as is the case with a flat or faceted girdle. Thus, a diamond of this invention is much less likely to be cracked or chipped than the previous diamonds. Another advantage is the fact that the rounded surface of the girdle, when polished, provides the effect of additional facets, and the curved surface reflects light in such a way that the diamond is given a larger and more brilliant appearance. A further advantage is that if the diamond comes loose and moves around in its setting there are no sharp cutting edges to saw into the setting claws or beads. In addition, the lack of the unsightly edges on the girdle results in a more beautiful gem.  
  A faceted gem according to the present invention comprises a gem body having a faceted crown and a faceted pavilion, and a narrow girdle between and separating the crown and pavilion, said girdle having a curved outer surface in cross-section throughout its length from the crown to the pavilion to eliminate any sharp edges or corners along the girdle.  
  The method according to this invention comprises forming a gem body with a faceted crown and a faceted pavilion with a narrow girdle therebetween, and rounding the outer surface of the girdle from the crown to the pavilion to eliminate any sharp edges or corners along the girdle.  
  A gem in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. I is a top plan view of the gem,  
 FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the gem,  
  FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1,  
  FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1,  
  FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a prior art diamond at the girdle thereof to illustrate the reflected light effect of the standard girdle, and  
  FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but illustrating a diamond of the present invention and showing the reflected light effect at the girdle.  
 Referring to the drawings, 10 is a diamond cut in accordance with this invention. The illustrated diamond has been formed with a &#34;round brilliant cut. This pertains to the faceting of the diamond, and it is to be understood that any faceted arrangement can be utilized in the present invention.  
  The gem or diamond 10 is formed with a crown 12, a pavilion l6 and a girdle 20. The crown 12 is provided in the usual manner with a table 24, bezel facets 25, star facets 26 and upper girdle facets 27. Pavilion I6 is formed with lower girdle facets 30, pavilion facets 31 and at its lower end with a culet 32. The illustrated cutting of the crown and the pavilion is well known, but any other desired facet arrangement may be used.  
  Girdle is different from any girdle of the prior art. This girdle is curved in cross-section from crown 12 down to pavilion 16 so that it has a curved outer surface 36 which extends around the girdle and blends with the adjacent surfaces of the crown and pavilion, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Each upper girdle facet 27 is formed with a flat surface 39, while each lower girdle facet is formed with a flat surface 40. FIG. 3 illustrates how the upper and lower flat surfaces 39 and 40 merge or blend in to the curved outer surface 36 of girdle 20. In addition to this, the adjacent edges of the upper girdle facets 27 join with each other and with the bezel facets 25 to form lines or edges 43 that extend down to the girdle. Similarly, the adjacent edges of lower girdle facets 30 and pavilion facets 31 join in lines or edges 45 which extend up to the girdle. FIG. 4 shows how the edges 43 and 45 blend into the curve 36 of girdle 20. Thus, there are no corners or sharp edges throughout the length of the girdle that can be knocked off by sharp blows. Furthermore, the curve 36 of the girdle tends to deflect any sharp blows which the girdle may receive, and this reduces the changer of the diamond being chipped or cracked.  
  A setting claw 48 is shown in broken lines in FIG. 3 to illustrate how&#39;such a claw bends around the curve 36 of the girdle. It will be noted that the claw is not subject to any sharp bending action so that it will more readily bend around the curved girdle thus reducing the amount of force required for the bending action. In addition. there is a less tendency for the claw to straighten up than is the case if it is bent around a sharp corner resulting in a more secure setting job.  
  By referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the curve 36 of girdle 20 naturally forms narrow facets 50 extending longitudinally of the girdle, and large facets 51 in the areas where the lines or edges 43 reach the girdle.  
  If desired. culet 32 can be rounded, as shown, in order to eliminate sharp or abrupt edges around it.  
  The brilliance of the diamond 10 is increased by polishing the curved surface of girdle 20. This results in a halo-like effect as illustrated at 55 in FIG. 6. Light directed against the girdle is reflected both upwardly and downwardly therefrom as well as radially therefrom, as clearly shown. FIG. 5 illustrates a standard diamond 58 having the standard girdle 59 with its flat outer surface extending between the crown and the pavilion. This flat girdle surface reflects light almost straight outwardly therefrom in a radial direction, as illustrated at 61. By comparing the diamonds of H65. 5 and 6, it will be seen that the girdle of diamond of the present invention radiates considerably more light than the girdle of the standard diamond 58. This increased light radiation around the edge of the diamond produces a halo effect which gives the impression the diamond is bigger than it really is.  
 I claim:  
  1. A faceted cut gem comprising a gem body having a faceted crown and a faceted pavilion, and a narrow girdle between and separating the crown and pavilion, said girdle having means for eliminating any sharp edges along the girdle for reducing the danger of the gem being chipped or cracked, said means comprising a continuous outer surface extending around said body and being curved in transverse cross-section throughout its length from the crown to the pavilion and which merges with the surfaces of said crown and pavilion.  
  2. A gem as claimed in claim 1 in which said curved surface of the girdle is polished to produce a halo light effect around the gem body when subjected to light.  
  3. A gem as claimed in claim I in which the facets of the crown are arranged to form corners at the girdle on the crown side there-of, the facets of the pavilion are arranged to form corners at the girdle on its pavilion side, and the curve of said curved surface of the girdle being continued into the crown and pavilion facet corner areas to round the latter.  
  4. A gem as claimed in claim 3 in which said curved surface of the girdle is polished to produce a halo light effect around the gem body when subjected to light.