Diamond jewelry setting apparatus

Abstract

The inventive setting has a plurality of prongs, each of the prongs having at least one, preferably two, longitudinal grooves adapted to accommodate a girdle of one or more subordinate stones. A top stone is retained by all of the prongs and bears down on the subordinate stones, so that the top stone keeps the at least one subordinate stone in place in the prongs. As the girdle of the subordinate stones is retained in the grooves of adjacent prongs, the tables of the subordinate stones faces outward between the prongs. Support beads projecting from the prongs may be provided for support on one or both sides of the girdle of the subordinate stones.

1 . A prong setting for jewelry, comprising: 
 a plurality of prongs, each of said prongs having at least one groove adapted to accommodate a girdle of at least one subordinate stone; and    a top stone retained by all of said prongs and bearing down on said least one subordinate stone,    wherein said top stone keeps said at least one subordinate stone in place in said prongs.    
   
   
       2 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 1 , each of said prongs having two of said grooves, wherein adjacent of said prongs accommodate substantially opposite sides of a girdle of said at least one subordinate stone.  
   
   
       3 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of said subordinate stones is held between each adjacent of said prongs.  
   
   
       4 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 3 , said at least one subordinate stone further comprising: 
 a first set of subordinate stones each disposed between adjacent of said prongs; and    a second set of subordinate stones each disposed between adjacent of said prongs respectively below each of said first set of subordinate stones.    
   
   
       5 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of support beads projecting from said prongs adapted to support said subordinate stones on their respective pavilions.  
   
   
       6 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 a first set of support beads projecting from said prongs adapted to support said first set of subordinate stones on their respective pavilions; and    a second set of support beads projecting from said prongs adapted to support said second set of subordinate stones on their respective pavilions.    
   
   
       7 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 1 , wherein the pavilion of said top stone presses against the at least one subordinate stone.  
   
   
       8 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 1 , wherein distal ends of said prongs are bent over the girdle of said top stone to help retain said top stone.  
   
   
       9 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 1 , wherein said grooves are longitudinal along said prongs and the table of said at least one subordinate stone faces outward between adjacent of said prongs.  
   
   
       10 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 5 , further comprising supplemental support beads projecting from said prongs adapted to support said subordinate stones from in front of their respective girdles.  
   
   
       11 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 6 , further comprising first supplemental support beads projecting from said prongs adapted to support said first set of subordinate stones from in front of their respective girdles and second supplemental support beads projecting from said prongs adapted to support said second set of subordinate stones from in front of their respective girdles.  
   
   
       12 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 1 , wherein said prongs are closer together at their respective proximal ends than at their respective distal ends.  
   
   
       13 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 3 , wherein said prongs are closer together at their respective proximal ends than at their respective distal ends and said first set of subordinate stones are larger in diameter than said second set.  
   
   
       14 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 6 , wherein said prongs are closer together at their respective proximal ends than at their respective distal ends and said first set of subordinate stones are larger in diameter than said second set.  
   
   
       15 . A prong setting for jewelry comprising: 
 a plurality of spaced-apart prongs adapted to hold a top stone in a substantially horizontal plane with the top stone's table facing substantially upward and further adapted to hold a plurality of subordinate stones respectively between adjacent of said prongs with the subordinate stones' tables facing substantially outward.    
   
   
       16 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of support beads projecting from said prongs adapted to support said subordinate stones on their respective pavilions.  
   
   
       17 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 15 , said plurality of subordinate stones further comprising: 
 a first set of subordinate stones each disposed between adjacent of said prongs; and    a second set of subordinate stones each disposed between adjacent of said prongs respectively below each of said first set of subordinate stones.    
   
   
       18 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 15 , wherein said top stone helps keep said plurality of subordinate stones in place in said prongs.  
   
   
       19 . A prong setting for jewelry according to  claim 18 , wherein the pavilion of said top stone presses against at least one of said subordinate stones.