Articles of jewelry with provision for magnetic interaction

Abstract

An article of jewelry, e.g. necklace, bracelet or the like, comprising a flexible strand and one or more ornaments shaped, configured and dimensioned to be slidably retainable on the strand; one or more spaced apart magnetic components associated with (e.g. embedded) inside the strand; and a magnetic insert embedded in at least one of the ornament or ornaments which magnetic insert is attractable to the magnet components, whereby the one or more ornaments can be releasably retained on the strand by the force of magnetic attraction. Some examples of the strand can also have no ornaments and be stackable together using the force of magnetic attraction, and also a magnetic connector assembly comprising a first part coupled to a first end of the strand, and a second part coupled to a second end of the strand, each part having a magnetic component attractive to each other, the first and second parts being adapted to releasably connect together to form the strand into an endless loop.

1 . An article of jewelry comprising a strand for encircling a body part of a wearer, and a magnetic component associated with the strand, for use in connecting the strand to another article of jewelry comprising its own magnetic component. 
     
     
         2 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 2 , wherein the strand is in the form of an endless loop. 
     
     
         3 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic component is embedded wholly inside the strand. 
     
     
         4 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 3 , wherein the strand is flexible and has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the article of jewelry further comprising a magnetic connector assembly comprising a first part coupled to the first end of the strand, and a second part coupled to the second end of the strand, each part having a magnetic component attractive and being adapted to releasably connect together to form the strand into an endless loop. 
     
     
         5 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 4 , further comprising an ornament shaped, configured and dimensioned to be slidably retainable on the strand, the ornament comprising a magnetic component attractive to the magnetic component of the strand, whereby the ornament can be maintained in a selected position on the strand. 
     
     
         6 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 3 , wherein the strand comprises a plurality of spaced apart magnetic components. 
     
     
         7 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 6 , comprising a plurality of ornaments, each ornament comprising a magnetic component attractable to a magnetic component of the strand. 
     
     
         8 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 3 , wherein the magnetic component of the strand is a magnet. 
     
     
         9 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 5 , wherein the ornament comprises a bore dimensioned and shaped to slidably receive the strand therethrough. 
     
     
         10 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 5 , wherein the ornament comprises a hook defining a hook opening that is shaped and dimensioned to receive the strand therethrough. 
     
     
         11 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 9 , wherein the ornament further comprises a magnetic insert adjacent to the bore. 
     
     
         12 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 10 , wherein the ornament further comprises a magnetic insert adjacent to the hook opening. 
     
     
         13 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 5 , wherein the ornament comprises two halves which together define the bore, each half incorporating a magnetic component attractive to each other for connecting the two halves together to form a whole, whereby the ornament can be attached to the strand when it is formed as an endless loop by prying the two halves apart and connecting them together around the strand using the force of magnetic attraction. 
     
     
         14 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 3 , further comprising a magnetic component releasably or fixedly attached to an external surface of the strand for use in attracting a magnetic component of another article of jewelry. 
     
     
         15 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 4 , wherein the first part of the connector assembly comprises first and second members, the first member being coupled to the first end of the strand and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the bore of the ornament such that the ornament can be slid over the first member onto the strand, the second member being releasably attachable to the first member and having a diameter greater than the diameter of the bore, whereby the second member can act as a stop to prevent the ornament from sliding off the first end of the strand. 
     
     
         16 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 15 , wherein the first member has an externally threaded shaft, and the second member has a complementary internally threaded bore whereby the second member can be screwed onto the first member. 
     
     
         17 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 4 , wherein the second part has an outer diameter that is greater than the diameter of the bore of the ornament to prevent the ornament from sliding off the strand at the second end. 
     
     
         18 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 4 , wherein the first and second parts have a mutually complementary, interlocking shape, and are configured to be movable between unlocked and locked positions, whereby in the locked position, the parts cannot be pulled axially apart or rotated axially relative to one another. 
     
     
         19 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 18 , wherein the first part has a longitudinally extending tongue and groove, and the second part has a complementary longitudinally extending groove and a tongue that mate with the tongue and groove of the first part when the first and second parts are moved transversely together. 
     
     
         20 . An article of jewelry comprising:
 a. a flexible strand having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;   b. a magnetic connector assembly comprising a first part coupled to the first end of the strand, and a second part coupled to the second end of the strand, each part having a magnetic component attractive to each other, the first and second parts being adapted to releasably connect together to form the strand into an endless loop;   c. an ornament shaped, configured and dimensioned to be slidably retainable on the strand;   d. a plurality of spaced apart magnets embedded inside the strand; and   e. a magnetic insert embedded in the ornament and attractable to the magnets, whereby the ornament can be releasably retained on the strand in one of a plurality of positions by the force of magnetic attraction between the magnetic insert and a selected magnet in the strand.   
     
     
         21 . An article of jewelry according to  claim 20 , wherein the first part has a longitudinally extending tongue and groove, and the second part has a complementary longitudinally extending groove and a tongue that mate with the tongue and groove of the first part, and wherein the first and second parts are movable transversely together into a locked in which the tongue and groove of the first part is mated with the groove and tongue of the second part such that the first and second parts cannot be pulled axially apart or rotated axially relative to one another.