Production of metallic beads

Abstract

A method of forming a metallic bead includes forming a metallic cylinder including a closed lower end and an open upper end in an aperture in a die by pressing a metallic sheet into the aperture in the die and swaging the open upper end of the metallic cylinder to form a swaged upper end by applying a concave lower surface of a punch to the open upper end of the metallic cylinder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of producing a metallic bead, the method comprising:
 forming a metallic cylinder including a closed lower end and an open upper end in an aperture in a die by pressing a metallic sheet into the aperture in the die; and   coning the open upper end of the metallic cylinder to form a swaged upper end by applying a concave lower surface of a first punch to the open upper end of the metallic cylinder.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming an aperture in the closed lower end of the metallic cylinder while the metallic cylinder is present in the aperture in the die. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising thinning the metallic sheet to a thickness substantially similar to a wall thickness of the metallic bead prior to pressing the metallic sheet into the aperture in the die. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming the metallic sheet by rolling a starting material stack including a precious metal bonded to a base metal having a strength greater than the precious metal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein producing the metallic bead comprises producing a gold filled bead. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the metallic cylinder comprises forming the closed lower end with into a substantially hemispherical shape. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein pressing the metallic sheet into the aperture in the die comprises pressing the metallic sheet into the aperture in the die with a convex lower end of a second punch. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the swaged upper end comprises forming the swaged upper end with a substantially hemispherical shape. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming an aperture in the swaged upper end. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein producing the metallic bead comprises producing a substantially spherical metallic bead. 
     
     
         11 . A method of producing a jewelry item, the method comprising:
 forming a metallic cylinder having a closed lower end by punching a portion of a metallic sheet into an aperture in a die, the aperture having a concave lower surface; and   coning an upper end of the metallic cylinder by applying a first punch to the upper end of the metallic cylinder.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein punching a portion of a metallic sheet into the aperture in the die comprises applying a convex lower surface of a second punch to the metallic sheet. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising forming the metallic sheet by rolling a starting material stack including a precious metal bonded to a base metal having a strength greater than the precious metal. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein swaging the upper end of the metallic cylinder comprises substantially closing the upper end of the metallic cylinder. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising forming an aperture in the upper end of the metallic cylinder while the metallic cylinder is disposed in the aperture in the die. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein swaging the upper end of the metallic cylinder comprises applying a concave lower surface of the first punch to the upper end of the metallic cylinder. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising forming an aperture in the closed lower end while the metallic cylinder is disposed in the aperture in the die. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein producing the jewelry item comprises producing a gold filled bead. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein producing the jewelry item comprises producing the gold filled bead with a substantially circular cross section. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , producing the jewelry item comprises producing the gold filled bead with a substantially spherical shape.