Interchangeable semi-mount ring system and method for selling rings

Abstract

A semi-mount ring system includes a set of semi-mount shanks and a set of semi-mount heads. Each semi-mount shank includes a substantially similar head mounting mechanism. Each semi-mount head includes a stone mounting mechanism, one or more stones or the like secured within the stone mounting mechanism, and a substantially similar shank mounting mechanism. The head mounting mechanism of the shanks and the shank mounting mechanism of the heads are of a mating form, thereby allowing any semi-mount head to be detachably secured to any semi-mount shank to form a ring that has the appearance of a completed ring. In this fashion, a customer, for example, may select a custom ring and view the ring in its final form before the ring is completed.

1 . A semi-mount ring system comprising: 
 a shank having a head mounting mechanism;    a head having a stone mounting mechanism, a stone secured within the stone mounting mechanism, and a shank mounting mechanism secured to the stone mounting mechanism; and    wherein the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism are configured to have a mating and connectable form such that the head can be connected to the shank to form a ring.    
   
   
       2 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 1 , wherein the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism are further configured such that once the head is connected to the shank, the head can thereafter be detached from the shank.  
   
   
       3 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 2 , wherein the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism are further configured to form a friction-type fit when the head is connected to the shank.  
   
   
       4 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 2 , wherein the ring has an appearance of a custom one piece casting.  
   
   
       5 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 1 , wherein the stone mounting mechanism is at least one selected from the group consisting of a bezel setting, a channel setting, a tension setting, and a prong setting.  
   
   
       6 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 1 , wherein the stone is at least one selected from the group consisting of a precious stone, a semiprecious stone, a pearl, and a synthetic stone.  
   
   
       7 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of heads of different appearances and each including the shank mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form such that any of the plurality of heads can be connected to the shank.  
   
   
       8 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of shanks of different appearances and each including the head mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form such that the head can be connected to any of the plurality of shanks.  
   
   
       9 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of heads of different appearances;    a plurality of shanks of different appearances; and    wherein each of the plurality of heads includes the shank mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form and each of the plurality of shanks includes the head mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form such that any of the plurality of heads can be connected to any of the plurality of shanks.    
   
   
       10 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of heads have different appearances as a result of varying among the plurality heads at least one selected from the group consisting of a type of stone, a shape of stone, a size of stone, and a number stones.  
   
   
       11 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 1 , wherein the shank includes a void and wherein the head mounting mechanism is situated within the void.  
   
   
       12 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 11 , wherein the head is configured such that when the head is connected to the shank to form the ring, portions of the head substantially abut walls of the void.  
   
   
       13 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 11 , wherein the head includes one or more spacers secured to the stone mounting mechanism such that when the head is connected to the shank to form the ring, the one or more spacers substantially abut the walls of the void.  
   
   
       14 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 12 , wherein the ring has an appearance of a custom one piece casting.  
   
   
       15 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 1 , wherein the head includes one or more spacers secured to one or more sides of the stone mounting mechanism.  
   
   
       16 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes a bridge and one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes a channel, and wherein the channel and the bridge are configured such that the channel can receive the bridge and thereby connect the head to the shank to form the ring.  
   
   
       17 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 16 , wherein the channel and the bridge are further configured such that the bridge can be removed from the channel, thereby detaching the head from the shank.  
   
   
       18 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 17 , wherein the ring has an appearance of a custom one piece casting.  
   
   
       19 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 16 , wherein one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes an opening and one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes a pin, and wherein the opening and the pin are configured such that the opening can receive the pin when the channel receives the bridge to form the ring.  
   
   
       20 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 16 , wherein the head mounting mechanism includes the bridge and the shank mounting mechanism includes the channel.  
   
   
       21 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 20 , wherein one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes an opening and one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes a pin, and wherein the opening and the pin are configured such that the opening can receive the pin when the channel receives the bridge to form the ring.  
   
   
       22 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 21 , wherein the head mounting mechanism includes the opening and the shank mounting mechanism includes the pin.  
   
   
       23 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of heads of different appearances;    a plurality of shanks of different appearances; and    wherein each of the plurality of heads includes the shank mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form and each of the plurality of shanks includes the head mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form such that any of the plurality of heads can be connected to any of the plurality of shanks.    
   
   
       24 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 1 , wherein one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes an opening and one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes a pin, and wherein the opening and the pin are configured such that the opening can receive the pin and thereby connect the head to the shank to form the ring.  
   
   
       25 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 24 , wherein the head mounting mechanism includes the opening and the shank mounting mechanism includes the pin.  
   
   
       26 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 24 , wherein the ring has an appearance of a custom one piece casting.  
   
   
       27 . The semi-mount ring system of  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of heads of different appearances;    a plurality of shanks of different appearances; and    wherein each of the plurality of heads includes the shank mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form and each of the plurality of shanks includes the head mounting mechanism in a substantially similar form such that any of the plurality of heads can be connected to any of the plurality of shanks.    
   
   
       28 . A method for selling rings to a customer comprising the steps of: 
 displaying to the customer a plurality of shanks, wherein each shank includes a substantially similar head mounting mechanism;    displaying to the customer a plurality of heads, wherein each head includes a stone mounting mechanism, a stone secured within the stone mounting mechanism, and a substantially similar shank mounting mechanism secured to the stone mounting mechanism; and    wherein the substantially similar head mounting mechanisms among the plurality of shanks and the substantially similar shank mounting mechanisms among the plurality of heads are configured to have a mating and connectable form such that any of the plurality of heads can be detachably connected to any of the plurality of shanks.    
   
   
       29 . The method for selling rings of  claim 28 , further comprising the step of detachably connecting a selected head to a selected shank to form a ring.  
   
   
       30 . The method for selling rings of  claim 29 , wherein the formed ring has an appearance of a custom one piece casting.  
   
   
       31 . The method for selling rings of  claim 29 , further comprising the steps of: 
 disconnecting the selected head from the selected shank; and    detachably connecting any of the plurality heads to any of the plurality shanks to form another ring.    
   
   
       32 . The method for selling rings of  claim 28 , further comprising the steps of: 
 permanently securing a selected head to a selected shank to form a ring; and    selling the formed ring to the customer.    
   
   
       33 . The method for selling rings of  claim 28 , further comprising, once the customer selects a head and selects a shank, the steps of: 
 redisplaying the selected head and the selected shank; and    forming a ring for sale to the customer, the customer's ring having an appearance substantially similar to an appearance of the selected head connected to the selected shank.    
   
   
       34 . The method for selling rings of  claim 33 , wherein the stone of the selected head is a synthetic stone and the stone of the customer's ring is one selected from the group consisting of a precious stone and a semiprecious stone.  
   
   
       35 . The method of selling rings of  claim 33 , wherein the forming step is performed by a supplier of the plurality of displayed heads and the plurality of displayed shanks.  
   
   
       36 . The method of selling rings of  claim 33 , wherein the forming step includes the step of forming the customer's ring from stocked replicas of the selected head and the selected shank.  
   
   
       37 . The method of selling rings of  claim 28 , wherein each of the substantially similar head mounting mechanisms includes a bridge and each of the substantially similar shank mounting mechanisms includes a channel, and wherein the channels and bridges are configured such that any of the channels can receive any of the bridges and thereby detachably connect any of the plurality of heads to any of the plurality of shanks.  
   
   
       38 . The method of selling rings of  claim 37 , wherein each of the substantially similar head mounting mechanisms further includes an opening and each of the substantially similar shank mounting mechanisms includes a pin, and wherein the openings and pins are configured such that any of the openings can receive any of the pins when any of the channels receives any of the bridges.  
   
   
       39 . The method of selling rings of  claim 28 , wherein each of the substantially similar head mounting mechanisms includes an opening and each of the substantially similar shank mounting mechanisms includes a pin, and wherein the openings and pins are configured such that any of the openings can receive any of the pins and thereby detachably connect any of the plurality of heads to any of the plurality of shanks.  
   
   
       40 . The method of selling rings of  claim 28 , wherein each of the plurality of heads has a different appearance as a result of varying among the plurality heads at least one selected from the group consisting of a type of stone, a shape of stone, a size of stone, and a number of stones.  
   
   
       41 . The method for selling rings of  claim 28 , wherein the substantially similar head mounting mechanisms and the substantially similar shank mounting mechanisms are configured to form a friction-type fit when any of the plurality of heads is detachably connected to any of the plurality of shanks.  
   
   
       42 . A method for forming a ring, the ring comprising: 
 a shank having a head mounting mechanism;    a head having a stone mounting mechanism, a stone secured within the stone mounting mechanism, and a shank mounting mechanism secured to the stone mounting mechanism;    wherein the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism are configured to have a mating and connectable form, and wherein said method comprises:    aligning the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism; and    connecting the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism to form the ring.    
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising the step of permanently securing the head to the shank.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes a bridge and one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes a channel, and wherein the channel and the bridge are configured such that the channel can receive the bridge and thereby connect the head to the shank to form the ring.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes an opening and one of the head mounting mechanism and the shank mounting mechanism includes a pin, and wherein the opening and the pin are configured such that the opening can receive the pin and thereby connect the head to the shank to form the ring.