STONES- DESCRIPTION

The present invention refers, in general, to a process for the realization of decorations. More particularly, the present invention refers to a process for the realization of decorations by using natural and/or synthetic, transparent and/or semitransparent precious stones, for example diamonds.

According to prior art, for the realization of a decoration made up of differently coloured figures by using diamonds, it is necessary to use diamonds of different colours and fix them accurately and selectively in certain support portions in order to obtain a decoration with the desired image and shapes.

Besides, it is necessary to make a collet or to proceed with manual resining and finishing techniques in order to encapsulate the diamonds and protect them from external agents.

Consequently, the realization of a colourful and robust decoration according to the prior art involves rather long times and the use of highly specialized personnel.

An object of the invention is to overcome the above mentioned problems and more through the implementation of a process for the realization of decorations by using natural and/or synthetic precious stones, which are difficult to set.

Another object of the invention is to obtain a process for the realization of decorations, which allows to avoid a long manual process for the positioning of the precious stones, for example various diamonds, differently colored.

Another object of the invention is to implement a process which allows to obtain an article which is aesthetically pleasant and decorated with granules of precious stones, in particular diamonds.

Another object of the process according to the invention is to provide a process which allows to obtain a decoration with a strong protection ensuring a high mechanical resistance to the outer surface of the decoration itself.

The above mentioned objects and other objects are achieved according to the invention through a process for obtaining an article decorated with an image and made with a type of granules of natural and/or synthetic, transparent and/or semitransparent precious stones such as diamonds and the like.

In particular, the process according to the invention is characterized by comprising the following phases:

- laying precious stones of grain size less than 0.8 mm, typically at least 0.1 mm, preferably between 0.1 and 0.3 mm, on an adhesive support;

- applying colored material reproducing the desired image on the surface of precious stones currently exposed;

- once the at least one layer of previously applied material has hardened, removing the decorated article hitherto realized and formed by the precious stones together with what is applied on them from the original adhesive support.

The colored material forms the desired image and can give a thickness to the whole article. Such colored material is applied in an only layer or in more layers. In the latter case, the colored material is applied typically in two to ten layers.

Advantageously, after applying the layer of colored material, at least one resin layer is applied on the exposed surface of the same layer of colored material. Through the process according to the invention it is possible to create an image protected by precious stones, in particular diamonds, the image being further strengthened by at least one layer of resin which supports the layer forming the image. Typically, from two to six layers of resin are applied.

Thus, by taking advantage of the transparency of the precious stones and fixing the color to the precious stones in the back part of the exposed part, it is possible to perceive the desired image outside.

Another advantage obtained by the present invention in comparison with the prior art consists in a high mechanical resistance of the outer surface of the decoration, obtained through a strengthening achieved with resins that are applied immediately below the image. In this way, it is possible to build, layer by layer, a thickness of resin through which it is possible to create even an article or an insert whose surface is a diamond surface.

The process according to the invention allows to give any desired color to the precious stones by taking advantage of the transparency or semi-transparency of the precious stones.

Besides, the process according to the invention allows to create support and reinforcement of the surface entirely by machine.

Advantageously, after laying the precious stones of grain size less than 0.8 mm on the adhesive surface, the so-obtained decoration may be covered evenly with precious stones of a finer grain size than that of the precious stones joined initially to the support so that there are no empty spaces between one stone and another.

To this end, the grain size of the precious stones used to cover the decoration is typically between 0.05 and 0.15 mm. Moreover, it is possible to insert also tissues such as carbon fiber, glass, kevlar and the like between the various resin layers so as to greatly improve the technical properties of the article and give the desired consistence to the workpiece. In this way, it is possible to create real technical fabrics, for example by using a diamond as stone so as to take advantage of the properties of thermal dissipation and hardness of the diamond.

Since the layer of precious stones, which will be visible by the user, adheres to the adhesive support, the image to be printed can be oriented specularly with respect to the normal.

Besides, the decoration of the layer of precious stones can be done by UV resin molding or by other techniques such as serigraphy, laser printing, spray paint, oil technique, etc.

Advantageously, after the removal of the decorated article from the adhesive support, a cleaning of the exposed surface of the precious stones can be done to remove the most superficial residues of resin and increase the reflectance of the precious stones arranged on the surface.

Such cleaning can be done by one or more associated techniques, for example with detergents, sandblasting, ultrasounds, brushing.

Further features and details of the invention can be better understood from the following specification that is given by way of a non-restricting embodiment as well as from the annexed drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a decoration carried out through a first process according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a decoration carried out through a second process according to the invention. A process according to a first mode of implementation of the invention allows to obtain an article, shown in Figure 1 , decorated with diamonds or possibly other transparent and/or semi-transparent, natural and/or synthetic precious stones.

The various stages of a production mode of the process according to the invention are described below. In particular, the following production mode is described through the use of diamonds but it is to be intended that the invention can be implemented even by using transparent and/or semitransparent, natural and/or synthetic precious stones of other typology.

At first, the process consists in laying diamonds of grain size less than 0.8 mm on an adhesive support so as to cover the whole area affected by the decoration to be obtained.

In particular, the preferred granulometry is the one between 0.1 and 0.3 mm.

Then, it is possible to evenly cover the previously placed diamonds with diamonds of a very fine granulometry so that there are no empty spaces between one diamond and another.

In this case, the granulometry of the diamonds to be used for this operation is typically between 0.05 and 0.15 mm.

Then, the adhesive support covered with diamonds is inserted into a UV resin printer and an image, previously chosen, is printed on the surface of the diamonds currently exposed, namely on the surface of the diamonds opposite to the one fixed to the adhesive support.

Since the surface of the diamonds, which will be visible by the user, adheres to the adhesive support, the image to be printed must be oriented specularly with respect to the normal.

Once the image has been printed with UV resins, additional resin layers are deposited until the decorated article has reached the desired thickness. This is done manually or through the use of special machines such as those used for 3D printing.

In this way, as shown in Figure 1 , it is possible to obtain a decorated article 10 which consists of:

- a first layer 12 of precious stones including diamonds 14, 16 of various granulometry between 0.1 and 0.3 mm,

- a second layer 18 in UV resin which comprises the printed image and is visible through the first layer 12 of diamonds;

- a third layer 20 of resin which gives thickness to the same article 10.

In addition to the printing with UV resins, the phase of application of the image on the free surface of the diamonds can be performed even with other techniques such as serigraphy, laser, oil, spray paint, etc.

Once the resin of the third layer 20 has hardened, the layer 12 of diamonds remains stably fixed to the second layer 18 of resin with a greater force that that of adhesion of the diamonds to the initial adhesive support. Then, it is possible to remove the decorated article from the originally used adhesive support by using a suitable solvent and clean the decorated item from any glue residues remained on the surface of the diamonds which are in sight now.

In fact, to eliminate the most superficial residues of adhesive substances and increase the reflectance of the precious stones placed on the surface, it is good to clean the surface with suitable detergents or by sandblasting.

According to an embodiment variant of the process according to the invention, in addition to the so-described phases, to obtain the decorated item 1 10 shown in Figure 2, fibrous tissues are inserted to improve the physical properties of the decorated article.

In fact, once the image has been printed on the surface of the diamonds, resin layers and fabric layers in reinforcing material such as carbon fiber and the like are overlapped alternately.

In this way, the technical properties of the decorated article are greatly improved also giving the desired consistency.

According to this implementation mode of the article, it is possible to create real technical diamond fabrics taking advantage of the properties of thermal dissipation and hardness of the diamond.

Besides, according to the consistency to be given to the support of the decoration, it is possible to use even resins of variable hardness.

Thus it is possible to obtain a decorated article 1 10 as shown in Figure 2, which comprises:

- a first layer 1 12 of precious stones, comprising diamonds 1 14, 116 of various granulometry between 0.1 and 0.3 mm,

- a second layer 1 18 in UV resin which includes the image printed and visible through the first layer 112 of diamonds;

- an alternation of resin layers 120 and reinforcing fabric layers 122 to reinforce and give thickness to the same article 110.

The process according to the invention, in both the first embodiment mode and the second embodiment mode, allows to overcome the limits of the prior art, reducing costs and production times, taking advantage of the latest printing technologies with UV resins in combination with some precious stones, in particular diamond, with unique physical properties.

The invention provides, therefore, that a decorated article is created to show an image protected by precious stones, for example diamonds: the desired image is printed directly on a layer of precious stones, preferably diamonds, and precisely, the image is printed on their surface that is not exposed.

Then, the reinforcement of the decoration, previously realized through the continuous deposition of resin layers by machine, is formed.

The diamonds are transparent and let glimpse the colors printed on them and generate the effect of a very complex decoration; said decoration is also reinforced with additional resin, deposited accurately by a machine or manually, so as to generate inserts with precise dimensions.

It will be possible to modulate the rigidity of the reinforcement by using more or less soft resins and/or intermediating materials such as carbon fibers, glass, kevlar, etc. to the resin layers. These materials add physical properties to the product, almost to create a real technical fabric including fiber and diamond.

A technician of the sector can provide changes or variants that are to be considered as included in the scope of protection of the present invention.