Removable jewelry setting

Abstract

The present invention provides an improvement in an article of jewelry of the type in which the ornamental portion of the article is secured or released selectively from the support portion of the article. The removable jewelry setting provides a simplified construction which is used readily by the wearer of jewelry to assemble a particular combination of ornament and support selected from a wide variety of such combinations made available by the improvement. The construction also enhances the ability to tailor a jewelry article to a particular style of dress without unduly multiplying the number of expensive ornaments required to provide a wide range of ornamented articles. The construction enables ease of interchange of the ornamental portion of an article of jewelry.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A removable jewelry setting comprising:
 a lower body portion having a channel extending therethrough, said channel including at least two spaced apart side walls defining a width of said channel and a lower wall spaced apart from an upper body portion to define a height of said channel,   an upper body portion including at least one mounting for a stone thereon, said upper body portion pivotally connected to one of said side walls for movement between an open position and a closed position,   a releasable latch assembly, said latch assembly being constructed and arranged to cooperate with said upper body portion and said lower body portion to retain said upper body portion in said closed position, said latch assembly being releasable to allow an elongated member to be placed in said channel, whereby pivoting said upper body portion to said closed position secures said removable jewelry setting around said elongated member.   
     
     
         2 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 1  wherein said latch assembly is manually releasable and includes a manually engagable actuating portion extending through a side wall of said lower body portion. 
     
     
         3 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 2  wherein said latch assembly is a sliding spring latch assembly, said spring latch assembly including a sliding latch body having a depression therein, a catch positioned within said depression for facilitating engagement with a pawl, a spring member connected to said latch body and said lower body portion for biasing said latch body to a latched position, said pawl positioned on a lower surface of said upper body portion. 
     
     
         4 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 3  wherein said lower body portion includes a tubular conduit for containing said spring latch assembly, said tubular conduit positioned substantially transverse with respect to said channel. 
     
     
         5 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 4  wherein said tubular conduit extends a predetermined distance into said channel to function as a pinch point between said lower body portion and said upper body portion to prevent said removable jewelry setting from sliding along said elongated member when positioned within said channel. 
     
     
         6 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 1  wherein said lower body includes a length that is longer than said upper body portion, a portion of said lower body extending outward with respect to each end of said upper body portion. 
     
     
         7 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 6  wherein each said outward extending portion of said lower body portion includes a stabilizer member, each said stabilizer member arranged substantially perpendicular with respect to said channel, each said stabilizer member including at least one surface constructed and arranged to cooperate with an elongated member positioned in said channel to prevent rotation of said removable jewelry setting about said elongated member. 
     
     
         8 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 6  wherein each said outward extending portion of said lower body portion includes a stabilizer member, each said stabilizer member arranged substantially perpendicular with respect to said channel, each said stabilizer member including at least one surface that is constructed and arranged to cooperate with an elongated object to which said removable jewelry setting is attached to prevent rotation of said removable jewelry. 
     
     
         9 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 6  wherein said stabilizer members are removable and replaceable. 
     
     
         10 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 6  wherein said elongated member may be routed over or under each said stabilizer member and through said channel for different appearances. 
     
     
         11 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 1  wherein said mounting is constructed and arranged to retain at least one cabochon stone. 
     
     
         12 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 1  wherein said mounting is constructed and arranged to retain at least one faceted stone. 
     
     
         13 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 12  wherein said mounting is selected from the group consisting of a claw setting, a bezel setting, a pave setting, a burnish setting, a prong setting, a v-prong setting, a channel setting, a tension setting, a bar setting, a cane setting, a bead setting, a rub over setting, an invisible setting or a semi mount. 
     
     
         14 . The removable jewelry setting of  claim 1  wherein said lower body portion and said upper body portion include a curve extending between the distal ends thereof.