Interchangeable Jewelry System

Abstract

The present invention includes interchangeable jewelry pieces and an interchangeable jewelry product line comprising at least post style earrings, dangling earrings and pendants for necklaces. All of the jewelry items in the line have a base portion with a magnetic portion designed and dimensioned to receive and magnetically secure an interchangeable decorative cap portion. The decorative caps have a simple functional design making them relatively inexpensive to mass produce. The decorative cap portion includes a receiver portion, a substantially planar decorative material dimensioned for receipt in the receiver portion, a cover portion for protecting the decorative material, and downwardly projecting peripheral rim dimensioned to encompass the peripheral edge of a magnetic portion of the base of each of the pieces of jewelry in the product line.

1 . An interchangeable jewelry product line comprising:
 at least post style earrings, dangling earrings and pendants for necklaces, each of the jewelry items in the line having:
 a base portion with a magnet, the magnetic portion have a peripheral edge of predetermined dimensions; and 
 an interchangeable decorative cap including, (a) a substantially planar, mass produced decorative material, (b) a substantially planar receiver portion dimensioned for receipt of the decorative material, (c) a cover portion for protecting the decorative material, and (d) a downwardly projecting peripheral rim dimensioned to encompass the peripheral edge of predetermined dimensions of the magnet of the base of each of the jewelry items in the jewelry product line to facilitate releasable magnetic attachment of an interchangeable decorative cap to the base of each of the jewelry items in the line. 
   
     
     
         2 . The jewelry product line of  claim 1  wherein the decorative material is made from a fabric upon which an attractive design is printed. 
     
     
         3 . The jewelry product line of  claim 1  wherein the decorative material is made from a fabric upon which an attractive design is painted. 
     
     
         4 . The jewelry product line of  claim 1  wherein the decorative material is made from paper upon which an attractive design is printed. 
     
     
         5 . The jewelry product line of  claim 1  wherein the decorative material is made from a paper upon which an attractive design is painted. 
     
     
         6 . The jewelry product line of  claim 1  wherein the base portion of each of the jewelry items in the line have magnets with substantially the same peripheral dimensions and wherein each of the downwardly projecting peripheral rims of the decorative cap portions is dimensioned to be slightly larger than the peripheral edge dimensions of the magnet of each base portions such that a slight gap remains between the downwardly projecting peripheral rims and the periphery of the magnets which allows manual tilting of the cap relative to the base to facilitate purposeful removal of the decorative caps from the base portions. 
     
     
         7 . An interchangeable decorative cap for detachably mounting to a base portion of one or more piece(s) of decorative jewelry, the base portion having a magnet to releasably magnetically secure the interchangeable decorative cap, the magnet of the base portion having peripheral edges of preselected dimensions, the interchangeable decorative cap comprising:
 a substantially planar, mass produced decorative material having predetermined external dimensions;   a receiver portion having a first planar surface larger than the predetermined external dimension of the decorative material for receipt of the decorative material thereon, the receiver portion having a substantially planar back surface including a magnetizable material for releasably magnetically mounting to the magnet on the base portion;   a substantially transparent cover portion for protecting the decorative material and having a substantially planar surface for contacting the decorative material; and,   a downwardly projecting peripheral rim extending from the back surface of the receiver portion which is dimensioned to encompass the peripheral edges of the magnet of the base portion.   
     
     
         8 . The interchangeable decorative cap of  claim 7  wherein the internal dimensions of the downwardly projecting peripheral rim of the cap is selected to be sufficiently close to the outer peripheral dimensions of the magnet of the base to prevent the cap from inadvertently sliding laterally off of the base when detachably mounted thereon. 
     
     
         9 . The interchangeable decorative cap of  claim 8  wherein the internal dimensions of the downwardly projecting peripheral rim of the cap is selected to be sufficiently larger than the outer peripheral dimension of the magnet of the base to form a gap therebetween whereby the cap may be tilted slightly by hand relative to the base to facilitate purposeful removal of the cap from the base. 
     
     
         10 . The interchangeable decorative cap of  claim 7  wherein the downwardly projecting rim extending from the back surface of the receiver portion is annular and has an internal diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the magnet of the base portion and wherein the magnet is cylindrical in shape and has a standardized height and standardized outer diameter for each of the bases of a line of different jewelry items so that the decorative cap can be detachably magnetically coupled to and interchanged between each of the different jewelry items in the line. 
     
     
         11 . The interchangeable decorative cap of  claim 7  wherein the decorative material has a decorative pattern applied to at least one of its surfaces, wherein the receiver portion is stamped from a metal blank, and wherein the cover portion is formed from a flowable thermoplastic resin. 
     
     
         12 . The interchangeable decorative cap of  claim 7  wherein the decorative material is disk shaped and further including an adhesive for fixing the decorative material to the first planar surface of the receiver portion and a raised annular edge having an internal diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the decorative material. 
     
     
         13 . The interchangeable decorative cap of  claim 7  wherein the substantially transparent cover portion has a curved glossy exterior surface to provide the decorative material with a jewel like sparkle. 
     
     
         14 . An improved pierced post style, earring for mounting detachable decorative caps comprising:
 a post portion dimensioned for insertion through the pierced portion of a wearer's earlobe;   a backing portion for engagement with the backside of the wearer's earlobe in order to secure the post portion of the earring to the wearer's earlobe;   a magnet joined to the post portion and having a substantially planar top surface and a peripheral edge with predetermined dimensions; and   an interchangeable cap having a design element mounted to a decorative surface of the cap and having an outer rim extending downwardly from the periphery of a non-decorative surface of the cap, the outer rim being dimensioned to encompass the peripheral edge of the magnet to prevent the cap from inadvertently sliding off of the earring.   
     
     
         15 . An improved dangling, pierced earring for mounting detachable decorative caps comprising:
 a loop portion dimensioned to pass through the pierced aperture of a pierced ear;   a clasp portion affixed to loop portion having an open position for passing a portion of the loop through the aperture in the wearer's pierced ear and a closed position for securing the loop to the wearer's pierced ear;   a base portion attached to the loop portion, the base portion having (a) a cylindrical magnet with a predetermined height and predetermined outside diameter and (b) an interchangeable cap portion having (i) a design element on a front surface of the cap, (ii) a planar, magnetizable portion on a back surface of the cap, (ii) and downwardly extending peripheral rim extending from the back surface of the cap, the downwardly extending peripheral rim having an inside diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of the cylindrical magnet.   
     
     
         16 . An improved pendant for mounting detachable decorative caps comprising:
 a chain attachment for linking to a chain portion dimensioned to drape around a wearer's neck;   a base portion connected to the chain attachment, the base portion having (a) a cylindrical magnet with a predetermined height and predetermined outside diameter affixed to the front surface of the base portion, (b) an annular peripheral ridge extending outwardly from the front surface, the space between the peripheral edge of the cylindrical magnet and the annular ridge defining an annular channel in the base portion and (c) a detachable cap portion having (i) a design element on a front surface of the cap, (ii) a planar, magnetizable portion on a back surface of the cap, (iii) and downwardly extending peripheral rim extending from the back surface of the cap, the downwardly extending peripheral rim having an inside diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of the cylindrical magnet and having an outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the annular peripheral ridge whereby the peripheral rim of the cap fits within the annular channel of the base when detachable mounted thereto.