Stone setting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021030124-A1
Application number	US-202016837090-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2020
Priority date	Jul 29, 2019
Publication date	Feb 4, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for assembling a stone on a setting support, the stone being cut to exhibit a table, a crown, a girdle and a pavilion, including the steps of: providing a substrate coated with a pattern including an electrically conductive layer covered with a resin layer, the pattern having an inner contour delimiting a hole through the coated substrate and an outer contour corresponding to the outer contour of the desired setting support; removing the resin layer; after dissolution of the resin layer, positioning the stone in the through hole, the stone resting on the electrically conductive layer; and electrodepositing a metal layer on the electrically conductive layer to form the setting support, in order to make the stone integral with the metal layer.

First claim

1 . A method for assembling a stone on a setting support, the stone being cut to exhibit a table, a crown, a girdle and a pavilion, comprising the steps of:
providing a substrate coated with a pattern comprising an electrically conductive layer covered with a resin layer, the pattern having an inner contour delimiting a hole through the coated substrate and an outer contour corresponding to the outer contour of the desired setting support; removing the resin layer; after dissolution of the resin layer, positioning the stone in the through hole, the stone resting on the electrically conductive layer; and electrodepositing a metal layer on the electrically conductive layer to form the setting support, in order to make the stone integral with the metal layer.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the provision of the coated substrate comprises the steps of:
coating the substrate, by physical vapour deposition, with an electrically conductive layer; depositing a photosensitive resin layer on the electrically conductive layer; and applying a photolithography process to the resin layer such that the resin remaining after photolithography is delimited by the inner contour and the outer contour of the desired setting support.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the provision of the coated substrate comprises the removal, by wet etching, of the electrically conductive layer not covered by the resin layer, so that the remaining electrically conductive layer is delimited by the inner contour and the outer contour of the desired setting support thereby creating the pattern comprising the electrically conductive layer covered with the resin layer.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the provision of the coated substrate comprises drilling the through hole, by laser ablation.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the removal of the resin layer comprises the chemical dissolution of the resin layer.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising the securing, by a retention adhesive, of the stone positioned inside the through hole.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising the correction of the orientation of the stone positioned inside the through hole.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , comprising the correction of the orientation of the stone positioned inside the through hole, followed by the securing, by a retention adhesive, of the stone positioned inside the through hole.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the deposition is made such that the metal layer encompasses the girdle and areas of the crown and of the pavilion contiguous to the girdle in order to make the stone integral with the metal layer, the metal layer thereby imprisoning the stone to form the setting support.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrodeposited metal layer is made of a material chosen from the group comprising nickel, gold, silver, platinum, rhodium, palladium, copper and alloys thereof.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is made from a material chosen from the group including silicon, ceramic, glass and quartz.

12 . The method for setting a stone on an element of a timepiece or piece of jewelry comprising the mounting of the stone and of its setting support obtained by the assembly method according to claim 1 on a jewel setting placed on the timepiece or jewelry element or directly on the timepiece or jewelry element.

13 . An element of a timepiece or piece of jewelry comprising at least one stone assembled on its setting support obtained by the assembly method according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Laforge Elias

Classifications

• C25D7/005

  Jewels; Clockworks; Coins · CPC title

• B23P5/00

  Setting gems or the like on metal parts, e.g. diamonds on tools · CPC title

• A44C27/00

  Making jewellery or other personal adornments · CPC title

• G03F7/20

  Exposure; Apparatus therefor (photographic printing apparatus for making copies G03B27/00) · CPC title

• A44C17/04 Primary

  Setting gems in jewellery; Setting-tools · CPC title