ALLOYS AND SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS AND PRODUCTS CONTAINING SAME

Abstract

Described includes an alloy consisting of at least 33 wt. % to at most 75.5 wt. % gold, at least 1.5 wt. % to at most 45 wt. % silver, at least 8 wt. % to at most 45 wt. % copper, the remainder being zinc. The invention also relates to a semi-finished product made from such an alloy, a piece of jewelry having at least one such semi-finished product, and a method for producing such a semi-finished product.

Claims

1. A semi-finished product (1) in the form of a slotted tube, comprising an alloy consisting of: 33 wt. % to 75.5 wt. % gold, 1.5 wt. % to 45 wt. % silver, 8 wt. % to 45 wt. % copper, and the remainder being zinc; wherein the semi-finished product (1) is formed from a sheet metal (3) elongated in a first direction, which is shaped in a circular shape; and wherein the semi-finished product (1) has a spring constant from 1500 N/m to 2200 N/m.

2. The semi-finished product (1) of claim 1, wherein the alloy has a copper content from 20.6 wt. % to 42 wt. %.

3. The semi-finished product (1) of claim 1, wherein the alloy has a silver content from 2.5 wt. % to 10 wt. %.

4. The semi-finished product (1) of claim 1, wherein the alloy has a copper content from 20.6 wt. % to 27 wt. %.

5. The semi-finished product (1) of claim 1, wherein the alloy has a silver content from 3.5 wt. % to 10 wt. %.

6. A piece of jewelry (5), comprising at least one semi-finished product (1) of claim 1, which is wound at least partially along a longitudinal direction.

7. The piece of jewelry (5) of claim 6, wherein the piece of jewelry (5) has at least two semi-finished products (1) wound parallel to one another along the respective longitudinal direction.

8. The piece of jewelry (5) of claim 6, wherein the at least one semi-finished product (1) of the piece of jewelry (5) is wrapped around its periphery with a noble metal wire (7).

9. The piece of jewelry (5) of claim 6, wherein the piece of jewelry (5) is designed as a bracelet (11).

10. A method for producing the semi-finished product (1) of claim 1, comprising: providing a sheet metal (3) elongated in a first direction; forming the sheet metal (3) into a slotted tube (2); curing the slotted tube (2) at a specific curing temperature of at least 100? C. to at most 400? C. for a specific curing time from at least 2 hours to at most 8 hours, and receiving the semi-finished product (1).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the semi-finished product (1) is wound up helically along the first direction.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the semi-finished product (1) is wrapped around its circumference with a noble metal wire (7).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawing. In the drawings:

[0051] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a semi-finished product, and

[0052] FIG. 2 is an embodiment of a piece of jewelry.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of an embodiment of a semi-finished product 1. The semi-finished product has the shape of a slotted tube 2 which extends along a longitudinal direction which is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1. The longitudinal direction is also referred to as the first direction. The semi-finished product 1 is formed from a sheet metal 3 elongated in the first direction or longitudinal direction, which is formed so as to be circular in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction, in particular in the shape of a segment of a circle, preferably by drawing the sheet 3 through a round drawing die.

[0054] The semi-finished product consists of an alloy. The alloy consists in particular of at least 33 wt. % to at most 75.5 wt. % gold, 1.5 wt. % to at most 45 wt. % silver, from at least 8 wt. % to at most 45 wt. % copper, the remainder being zinc.

[0055] The copper content of the alloy is preferably from at least 9 wt. % to at most 42 wt. %, preferably from at least 17 wt. % to at most 27 wt. %.

[0056] The silver content of the alloy is preferably from at least 2.5 wt. % to at most 39 wt. %, preferably from at least 3.5 wt. % to at most 27.5 wt. %.

[0057] The semi-finished product 1 preferably has an outside diameter D1 which is at least 0.3 mm to at most 5.0 mm. An inside diameter D2 of the semi-finished product 1 is preferably from at least 0.03 mm to at most 4.5 mm. The smallest distance A in the region of the slot of the semi-finished product 1 is preferably from at least 0.02 mm to at most 1.0 mm.

[0058] The semi-finished product 1 preferably has a spring constant from at least 1500 N/m to at most 2200 N/m, preferably from at least 1600 N/m to at most 2100 N/m, measured perpendicular to the longitudinal extension, in particular measured at a distance of 15 mm from a clamping, preferably from at least 1700 N/m to at most 2050 N/m.

[0059] The semi-finished product 1 is preferably produced by providing the elongated sheet metal 3 made from the alloy, in particular by casting and rolling. The sheet metal is then formed into the slotted tube 2, in particular by drawing it through a round drawing die. The slotted tube 2 is then preferably cured at a curing temperature from at least 100? C. to at most 400? C. for a curing time from at least 2 hours to at most 8 hours. In this way, the semi-finished product 1 is finally obtained.

[0060] The semi-finished product 1 is preferably wound up helically, in particular in order to obtain a piece of jewelry. The semi-finished product 1 is preferably wrapped in the circumferential direction, in FIG. 1 in the direction of an arrow P or in the opposite direction, with a noble metal wire, in particular gold wire or platinum wire, or another noble metal wire, in particular yellow gold wire or white gold wire.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows an illustration of an embodiment of a piece of jewelry 5, the piece of jewelry 5 having at least one semi-finished product 1 according to FIG. 1 wound at least in regions along the first direction. In particular, the piece of jewelry 5 has in this case two such semi-finished products 1, which are wound up parallel to one another along the respective longitudinal direction. In particular, the semi-finished products 1 are wound up helically to form a double strand. In other embodiments, however, the piece of jewelry 5 can also have precisely one semi-finished product 1 wound up along the first direction, or more than two semi-finished products 1 wound parallel next to one another along the respective longitudinal direction.

[0062] In FIG. 2, it can also be seen that the semi-finished products 1 are each wrapped around the circumference with a noble metal wire 7, so that the actual semi-finished products 1 are no longer visible to the observer.

[0063] At least one end of the semi-finished products 1 is an end piece 9, preferably in a manner not shown in the form of a setting for at least one gemstone. In particular, the two semi-finished products 1 are mechanically connected to the end piece 9, preferably welded or glued.

[0064] In a preferred embodiment, each of the semi-finished products 1 has such an end piece 9 at both ends.

[0065] The piece of jewelry 5 is designed in particular as a bracelet 11.