Leach & Garner Company

Other

Leachgarner, Inc.

Hallmark Sweet, Inc.

Dwarika P Agarwal

Grigory Raykhtsaum

Laura L Bourguignon

Thomas W Eagar

Rosaire Marcotte

James R Valentine

Randall M German

Ronald E Precourt, Jr

Edwin F Leach, Ii

David J Kinneberg

Michael A Gayton

Marinko Markic

Richard V Carrano

Shaji Faroog

Rose-color and yellow-color gold alloys are formed from a gold-base alloy containing silver and copper. Mining these elements is usually highly detrimental to the environmental. Environmentally friendly alloys are obtained through the use of recycled elements and elements recovered from mines utilizing specific guidelines. Jewelry manufactured from these environmentally friendly alloys may be more receptive to a consumer, resulting in a competitive advantage.

Gold alloy compositions formed by environmentally friendly process

Improved 14-karat rose-colored gold alloy compositions include: about 58.5% gold; about 9.0-12.0% silver; about 0.0-0.2% zinc; about 0.3-0.4% cobalt; about 0.0-0.02% iridium; and about 29.0-33.0% copper. Improved 18-karat rose-colored gold alloy compositions include: about 75.2% gold; about 7.0% silver; about 0.0-0.2% zinc; about 0.3-0.4% cobalt; about 0.0-0.02% iridium; and about 17.0-17.5% copper. The hardness of these compositions are capable of being selectively changed between their respective annealed-hardness and age-hardness values. The color of these compositions is between about 5-7 CieLab a* color units and between about 17-21 CieLab b* color units.

Rose-colored gold alloy compositions with reversible hardness characteristics

A sterling silver alloy composition of exceptional and reversible hardness and enhanced tarnish resistance, consists essentially of the following parts by weight: at least about 92.5% silver; about 4.4% to about 5.25% copper; about 0% to about 1.0% zinc; about 0.85% tin; about 0.05% to about 0.3% lithium; about 0.05% to about 0.5% silicon; about 0% to about 1.2% germanium; and about 0% to about 0.02% boron.

Sterling silver alloy compositions of exceptional and reversible hardness, and enhanced tarnish resistance

A nickel-free white gold alloy composition having selectively reversible hardness characteristics between its annealed- and aged-hardness values, consists essentially of: about 55&#x2013;60% gold; about 6.0&#x2013;10.0% palladium; about 5.0&#x2013;12.0% copper; about 0.1&#x2013;2.0% zinc; and about 20&#x2013;30% silver. A 14-karat nickel-free white gold alloy composition, consists essentially of: about 58.5% gold; about 25.0&#x2013;27.15% silver; about 6.0% palladium; about 5.0&#x2013;12.0% copper; about 0&#x2013;2.0% zinc; about 0&#x2013;0.2% cobalt; about 0&#x2013;0.005% iridium; and about 0&#x2013;0.01% lithium.

Nickel-free white gold alloy compositions with reversible hardness characteristics

A 14-karat gold alloy composition having a desirable yellow color and with reversible hardness contains about 58.65 weight percent gold, about 11.5-25.0 weight percent silver, about 11.85-23.35 weight percent copper, and about 2-7 weight percent zinc. The color of the composition has a value of between about &minus;3.0 to about 0.5 CieLab a* color units, and has a value of between about &plus;20.0 to about 22.0 CieLab b* color units. The alloy has a hardness ratio between about 0.4-2.0, and color ratio of less than about 1.0.

14-karat gold alloy compositions having enhanced yellow color, reversible hardness, and fine grain structure

An improved 18-karat green gold alloy composition comprises about 75.0% gold; about 6.0-7.0% silver; about 9.0-11.7% copper; and about 6.5-9.0% zinc. The improved alloys are capable of being age-hardened to a hardness of about 240 VHN by being heated to about 550&deg; F. for about one hour, and thereafter being permitted to cool in air. The hard-nesses of the alloys are reversible between their aged-hardness and annealed-hardness values. The color of said composition is between about &minus;1.5 to about &minus;3.0 CieLab a* color units, and between about 19 to about 26 CieLab b* color units.

18-karat green gold alloy compositions

A hardenable white gold alloy consists essentially of about 55-60 % gold, about 12-20% silver, about 8-15% copper, about 8-18% palladium, about 0.0-1.0% tin, zinc indium or cobalt, and, optionally, about 0.005-0.02% iridium and/or ruthenium, and also about 0.01-0.03 weight percent lithium. The alloy is nickel-free, but has a pleasing white color similar to that of nickel-containing white gold alloys. The alloy has a fine grain structure, a lower hardness in its annealed condition, but is capable of being hardened to an exceptional hardness value. The hardening procedure is reversible.

Nickel-free white gold alloy with reversible hardness characteristics

An improved bangle closing mechanism (26) is adapted to releasably join two tubular arcuate bangle halves (11, 12). The improved closing mechanism has a keeper bar (28) provided with a proximal portion (29) adapted to be operatively engaged with the first bangle half (11), an intermediate portion (30) extending between the bangle halves and penetrating a narrowed opening (23) in the second bangle half (12), and an enlarged ball-like head portion (31) operatively arranged within the second bangle half. The projected diameter (d.sub.1) of the head portion is greater than the projected diameter (d.sub.2) of the narrowed opening. The head portion prevents the keeper bar from being withdrawn from the second bangle half, and facilitates sliding movement within the second bangle half as to the bangle halves are moved relatively toward or away from one another.

Bangle closing mechanism

A unique hardenable gold based alloy, especially a 14 karat gold alloy containing gold, silver, copper, zinc, cobalt and an alternative alloy additionally containing iridium. The alloy has a fine grained structure, a lower hardness in the soft condition, a nice yellow color and a capability to be hardened to an exceptional hardness value. The alloy contains approximately 58.3% gold (Au), between about 10% to about 14% silver (Ag), between about 2.5% to about 3.0% zinc (Zn), between about 0.2% to about 1.0% cobalt (Co) and the balance of the alloy being copper (Cu) with the special provision that the ratio of the weight percent amounts of copper to, the sum of the silver and two (2) times the zinc amount, [Cu/(Ag+2Zn)], has a value of between about 1.3 to about 2.5. The copper to silver weight percent ratio [Cu/Ag] of between about 2.0 to about 3.8, in combination with the ratio of copper to, silver+2.times.zinc, [Cu/(Ag+2Zn)] results in a gold alloy with a heretofor unachievable combination of a most desirable yellow color and an exceptional degree of reversible hardness. The alloy may also contain a weight percent amount of between about 0.003 to about 0.03 iridium (Ir) which results in a gold alloy with the above characteristics but also provides for an alloy having a very fine grained structure.

Gold alloys of exceptional yellow color and reversible hardness

Gold, copper, silver, palladium or aluminum and their alloys, but preferably gold or gold alloy, which may be in the form of a wire, has deposited thereon or contained within the wire, a material such as metals or metal alloys which diffuse into the gold or into the other listed metals. With the passage of time and exposure to temperature the deposited metal or metal alloy continues to diffuse into the gold forming intermetallics with the gold and thereby causing the resistivity of the gold to increase and causing the gold to become progressively more brittle until such time as the gold wire ruptures at a stress point. At a given temperature, the elapsed time until rupture takes place depends upon the metal or metal alloys deposited on or contained within the gold. Lead, indium, gallium, tin, bismuth and aluminum and the alloys of these metals diffuse into and form intermetallics with the gold. The time rate of embrittlement of the gold and the other soft metals listed is a function of the metal or metal alloy and the temperature. Gold wires so treated with the metal or metal alloys may be used as time temperature dependent fuses. For example such fuses may be useful for the protection of integrated circuits or systems of integrated circuits wherein the gold wires so treated are used as connections within the circuit or system.

Intermetallic time-temperature integration fuse

Gold, copper, silver, palladium or aluminum and their alloys, but preferably gold or gold alloy, which may be in the form a wire, has deposited thereon or contained within the wire, a material such as metals or metal alloys which diffuse into the gold or into the other listed metals. With the passage of time and exposure to temperature the deposited metal or metal alloy continues to diffuse into the gold forming intermetallics with the gold and thereby causing the resistivity of the gold to increase and causing the gold to become progressively more brittle until such time as the gold wire ruptures at a stress point. At a given temperature the elapsed time until rupture takes place depends upon the metal or metal alloys deposited on or contained within the gold. Lead, indium, gallium, tin, bismuth and aluminum and the alloys of these metals diffuse into and form intermetallics with the gold. The time rate of embrittlement of the gold and the other soft metals listed is a function of the metal or metal alloy and the temperature. Gold wires so treated with the metal or metal alloys may be used as time temperature dependent fuses. For example such fuses may be useful for the protection of integrated circuits or systems of integrated circuits wherein the gold wires so treated are used as connections within the circuit or system.

The subject of this invention is the development of new alloys along with new processing approaches for the utilization of the alloys. A particular class of alloys comprises at least one noble metal selected from the group comprising gold, palladium, silver and copper and an amount of between about 0.20 weight percent and about 0.80 weight percent of at least one metalloid selected from the group of metalloids consisting of boron, phosphorous, silicon and lithium. Rapid solidification technology in powder fabrication and the addition of metalloids have been combined to produce a new class of palladium based alloys. The metalloid additions greatly increase the hardness, enhance the fine grain structure and aid sintering densification. Net-shape forming is a benefit derived from the characteristics of the new alloys.

Palladium based powder-metal alloys and method for making same

A unique hardenable silver alloy is provided which is solution annealed and preferably age-hardened to yield a silver alloy of exceptional and reversible hardness. The alloys utilize intermetallic systems comprising; silver, copper, combined with lithium alone or tin alone in varying percent amounts, or silver, copper, lithium and either tin or antimony, or silver, copper, lithium, tin and antimony, or silver, copper, lithium, tin and bismuth, or silver, copper, lithium, tin, bismuth and antimony.

Silver alloys of exceptional and reversible hardness

A unique hardenable silver alloy is provided which is solution annealed and preferably age-hardened to yield a silver alloy of exceptional and reversible hardness. The alloys utilize intermetallic systems comprising silver, copper, combined with lithium alone or tin alone in varying percent amounts, or silver, copper, lithium and either tin or antimony, or silver, copper, lithium and either aluminum or indium or zinc, or silver, copper, antiomony and either aluminum or indium or zinc, or silver, copper, lithium, tin and antimony, or silver, copper, lithium, tin and bismuth, or silver, copper, lithium, tin, bismuth and antimony.

Growing community of inventors

Attleboro, MA, United States of America

Dwarika P Agarwal