Security blister pack for precious stones, with an opening for performing authenticity tests

Abstract

The invention is an anti-counterfeiting blister pack (100, 101, 102, 103) for precious stones, comprising a support (200, 201, 310, 311) provided with at least one cavity or seat (210, 211, 320, 322) suited to house at least one stone, said seat (210, 211, 320, 322) having an opening with faces towards the outside and on which an at least partially transparent covering layer (230, 232, 320, 330) intended to make it possible to view the interior of the seat (210, 211, 320, 322) and the stone is placed, and wherein said covering layer (230, 232, 320, 330) is configured to allow authenticity tests to be performed on the stone through it, as it comprises at least one part that allows UV rays to pass therethrough without generating reflection.

Description

[0001] SECURITY BLISTER PACK FOR PRECIOUS STONES, WITH AN OPENING FOR PERFORMING AUTHENTICITY TESTS

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The present patent relates to anti-counterfeiting blister packs for diamonds and precious stones and concerns a new anti-counterfeiting blister pack provided with an opening that allows authenticity tests to be carried out.

[0004] Natural diamonds, which are the result of geological processes, and synthetic (lab- grown) diamonds, produced through technological processes, are known. Synthetic diamonds, in particular, are also known as HPHT (“High Pressure High Temperature”) diamonds, that is, produced through a high-pressure, high-temperature synthesis process, or as CVD (“Chemical Vapor Deposition”) diamonds, that is, produced through a chemical vapour deposition process.

[0005] Synthetic diamonds are chemically, physically and optically identical to natural diamonds and can be distinguished from them only through laboratory tests such as spectroscopy in the infrared, ultraviolet or X-ray wavelengths.

[0006] The so-called simulant stones are also known, which look like natural precious stones, but have a chemical and crystalline structure which is different from that of the gems they imitate and, in the specific case, are therefore fake diamonds.

[0007] There are laboratories that certify precious stones, in particular colourless or coloured diamonds, where the stones are subjected to tests intended to determine the quality of the stone, so as to distinguish, for example, a natural diamond from a synthetic diamond or a natural stone from a simulant stone.

[0008] The known testing procedures include the use of ultraviolet light to examine the fluorescence and phosphorescence of a stone in order to distinguish natural diamonds from synthetic diamonds and simulants thanks to the analysis of the light radiation returned by the stone.

[0009] These laboratories issue a certificate stating the results and the parameters that determine the quality of the stone which, at the owner's request, is sealed inside an anti-counterfeiting blister pack, thus exclusively associating the latter with the analysed stone and its certificate.

[0010] The anti-counterfeiting blister packs used at present generally consist of a plastic casing into which the stone is inserted, thus being visible from the outside through an opening made of various types of plastic or transparent Plexiglas. The casing contains the data certifying the authenticity of the diamond and is also uniquely identified by a code.

[0011] Said blister packs are sealed in such a way that any opening, tampering or attempted opening can be detected.

[0012] Therefore, once the stone has been analysed, associated with its certificate and sealed in the blister pack, it will no longer be possible to take it out of the blister pack without invalidating its certificate of authenticity.

[0013] Thus, if the stone is taken out of the blister pack, the analysis must necessarily be repeated, and a new certificate issued.

[0014] Furthermore, if a buyer wants to purchase a stone which has already been sealed in a blister pack, they will not be able to independently verify its authenticity if not by breaking the blister pack, since to date there are no blister packs that can be used to directly test the sealed stone. In addition, in the case where the buyer opens the blister pack to analyse the stone and this turns out to be different from what is declared in the certificate, they run the risk that the seller, lying, may not recognize the stone as sold by them, accusing the buyer of changing the stone itself.

[0015] In order to overcome all the above-mentioned drawbacks, a new type of anticounterfeiting blister pack for precious stones has been designed and manufactured, which, by means of special openings, makes it possible to analyse the stone directly from the blister pack without opening it.

[0016] In particular, the new blister pack is provided with at least one opening through which it is possible to perform fluorescence and phosphorescence tests under ultraviolet light. Said opening can be conveniently made of special materials, be it glass or plastic, with high UV transmittance across the entire spectrum, from long waves to short waves, such as fused quartz glass or synthetic fused silica glass or other plastic material such as FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), ACF, PTFE, NFEP, etc., in any case all materials with high UV transmittance.

[0017] According to the invention, as an alternative to or in combination with the use of said special glass, said opening can be provided with a through hole with diameter smaller than the stone contained in the blister pack, for example a hole with diameter in the order of 1 mm, for the insertion of one or more analysis probes. Said probes can analyse various characteristics of the stone, such as its electrical conductivity and / or thermal conductivity, or analyse the waves returned by the stone when UV light is emitted, thus making it possible to identify the stone.

[0018] Thanks to the new blister pack, it will thus be possible to seal the verified and certified stone in the blister pack itself, and it will be possible to perform a further authenticity test at any time, with no need to open the blister pack and thus without invalidating the sealing.

[0019] The characteristics of the new anti-counterfeiting blister pack are better clarified in the following description, making reference to the drawings, which are attached by way of non-limiting example.

[0020] Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a first embodiment of the new blister pack (100) consisting of a support (200) in which at least one seat (210) suited to house at least one stone and its mount has been created, wherein said mount will be coupled with a first flat bottom layer (220) and a second covering layer (230) made of a special material at the top. The new blister pack (100) can be produced in two variants that differ for the structure of the covering layer (230, 230').

[0021] Variant la (Figure la) has a continuous covering layer (230) made of special glass or plastic, while variant lb (of which a sectional view is shown in Figure lb, and a three- dimensional view is shown in Figure 1c) differs from the former due to the presence of a hole (231) in the covering layer (230') for the use of contact probes.

[0022] The bottom (220) can be made of various materials, such as glass, PET, polycarbonate, PVC, polystyrene, methacrylate (Plexiglas) and other materials.

[0023] The support (200) is preferably made of a rigid material of any type such as, for example, methacrylate (Plexiglas), PET, polycarbonate, PVC, polystyrene, and other materials.

[0024] The covering layer (230, 230') defines an opening at the seat (210) and will be conveniently made of special materials, be it glass or plastic materials, with high UV transmittance across the entire spectrum, from long waves to short waves. For example, it can be made of fused quartz glass or synthetic fused silica glass or other plastic material such as FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), ACF, PTFE, NFEP, etc., in any case all materials with high UV transmittance.

[0025] The mount on which the stone is positioned is possibly and preferably placed inside the seat (210), said mount being made of a material capable of absorbing UV rays, so as not to affect the fluorescence analysis performed on the stone. According to the invention, for example, it is possible to use a stone mount made of a foam material such as EPDM, EVA, PE, or other materials.

[0026] Figure 2 shows a three-dimensional view of a second embodiment of the new blister pack (101), comprising a support (201) in which at least one seat (211) suited to house at least one stone and its mount has been created, wherein said support (201) is coupled with a first flat bottom layer (220) and a second smaller covering layer (232) which covers only the seat (211), and an upper part (240) protecting the covering layer (232) so as to completely close the blister pack, except for an opening or window (241) at the level of said partial covering layer (232) and said cavity (211). The new blister pack (101) can be produced in two variants that differ for the structure of the covering layer (232, 232').

[0027] Variant 2a (Figure 2a) has a partial covering layer (232) whose size is equal to that of the seat (211) made of special glass or plastic, while variant 2b (of which a sectional view is shown in Figure 2b and a three-dimensional view is shown in Figure 2c) differs from the former due to the presence of a hole (231) in the covering layer (232') for the use of contact probes.

[0028] The bottom (220) can be made of various materials, such as glass, PET, polycarbonate, PVC, polystyrene, methacrylate (Plexiglas), and other materials.

[0029] The support (201) is preferably made of a rigid material of any type such as, for example, methacrylate (Plexiglas), PET, polycarbonate, PVC, polystyrene, and other materials.

[0030] The covering layer (232, 232’) defines an opening at the level of the seat (211), conveniently made of special materials, be it glass or plastic materials, with high UV transmittance across the entire spectrum, from long waves to short waves, for example fused quartz glass or synthetic fused silica glass or other plastic material such as FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), ACF, PTFE, NFEP, etc., in any case all materials with high UV transmittance.

[0031] The mount on which the stone is positioned is possibly and preferably placed inside the seat (211), said mount being made of a material capable of absorbing UV rays, so as not to affect the fluorescence analysis performed on the stone. According to the invention, for example, it is possible to use a stone mount made of a foam material such as EPDM, EVA, PE, or other materials.

[0032] Figure 3 shows a three-dimensional view of a third embodiment of the new blister pack (102) which, unlike the above-mentioned blister packs 100 and 101, as to its main component, consists of a thermoformed support (310) made of a special plastic, in which a shaped projecting portion (320) is obtained, which defines a cavity suited to house at least one stone and its mount.

[0033] Said support (310) is coupled with a first flat bottom layer (300). The new blister pack (102) can be produced in two variants that differ for the structure of the projecting portion (320, 320'). Variant 3a (Figure 3a) has a continuous covering layer (310) with a shaped projecting portion (320) made of a special plastic and housing the stone and its mount, while variant 3b (of which a sectional view is shown in Figure 3b and a three-dimensional view is shown in Figure 3c) differs from the former due to the presence of a hole (321) in the shaped projecting portion (320') for the use of contact probes.

[0034] The bottom (300) can be made of various materials, such as glass, PET, polycarbonate, PVC, polystyrene, methacrylate (Plexiglas), and other materials.

[0035] The thermoformed support (310), in which the shaped projecting portion (320, 320') is obtained, is made of special plastic materials with high UV transmittance across the entire spectrum, from long waves to short waves, such as FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), ACF, PTFE, NFEP, etc., in any case all materials with high UV transmittance.

[0036] The mount on which the stone is positioned is placed in the projecting portion (320, 320’), said mount being made of a material capable of absorbing UV rays, so as not to affect the fluorescence analysis performed on the stone. According to the invention, for example, it is possible to use a stone mount made of a foam material such as EPDM, EVA, PE, or other materials.

[0037] Figure 4 shows a three-dimensional view of a fourth embodiment of the new blister pack (103) which, unlike the above-mentioned blister packs 100 and 101, as to its main component, consists of a thermoformed support (311) in common plastic, in which a shaped projecting portion (322) is obtained, in which a disc (330) made of special glass or plastic is inserted, on the stone and its mount. The thermoformed support is then coupled with a flat bottom layer (300). The new blister pack (103) can be produced in two variants that differ for the structure of the disc (330, 330') made of a special material.

[0038] Variant 4a (Figure 4a) has a partial support (311) with a shaped projecting portion (322) made of common plastic and drilled at the top so as to obtain an opening (323) in the projecting portion (322), where it houses a disc (330) made of special glass or plastic which is in contact with the stone, while variant 4b (of which a sectional view is shown in Figure 4b and a three-dimensional view is shown in Figure 4c) differs from the former due to the presence of a hole (331) made in the disc (330') in special glass or plastic for the use of contact probes.

[0039] The bottom (300) can be made of various materials, such as glass, PET, polycarbonate, PVC, polystyrene, methacrylate (Plexiglas) and other materials.

[0040] The thermoformed support (311) in which the shaped projecting portion (322) is obtained is made of common thermoformable plastic materials.

[0041] The disc (330, 330’) is made of materials such as glass or plastic with high UV transmittance across the entire spectrum, from long waves to short waves, for example fused quartz glass or synthetic fused silica glass or other plastic material such as FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), ACF, PTFE, NFEP, etc., in any case all materials with high UV transmittance.

[0042] The mount on which the stone is positioned is possibly and preferably placed in the projecting portion (322), said mount being made of a material capable of absorbing UV rays, so as not to affect the fluorescence analysis performed on the stone. According to the invention, for example, it is possible to use a stone mount made of a foam material such as EPDM, EVA, PE, or other materials.

[0043] Therefore, with reference to the above description and the attached drawings, the following claims are made.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Anti-counterfeiting blister pack (100, 101, 102, 103) for precious stones, comprising a support (200, 201, 310, 311) provided with at least one cavity or seat (210, 211, 320, 322) suited to house at least one stone, said seat (210, 211, 320, 322) having an opening which faces towards the outside and on which an at least partially transparent covering layer (230, 232, 320, 330) intended to make it possible to view the interior of the seat (210, 211, 320, 322) and the stone is placed, characterized in that said covering layer (230, 232, 320, 330) is configured to allow authenticity tests to be performed on the stone through it, as it comprises at least one part that allows UV rays to pass therethrough without generating reflection.

2. Blister pack (100, 101, 102, 103) according to claim 1, characterized in that said covering layer (230, 232, 320, 330) is completely or partially made of materials such as glass or plastic with high UV transmittance across the entire spectrum, from long waves to short waves, such as fused quartz glass or synthetic fused silica glass or other plastic material such as FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), ACF, PTFE, NFEP, etc.

3. Blister pack (100, 101, 102, 103) according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a support (200, 201) in which a seat (210, 211) for housing at least one stone and its mount has been created, wherein said mount will be coupled with a first flat bottom layer (220) and a second covering layer made of a special material (230, 232) at the top.

4. Blister pack (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that said covering layer (230) covers the entirety of said support (200).

5. Blister pack (101) according to claim 3, characterized in that the dimensions of said covering layer (232) are smaller than those of the support (201), but still sufficient to cover said seat (211).

6. Blister pack (101) according to claim 5, characterized in that said covering layer (232) is in turn positioned in an annular recess created in the edge of the seat(211) in order to make it possible to correctly position and fix the covering layer (232) itself.

7. Blister pack (101) according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a further covering layer (240) made of any material, for example Plexiglas, placed so as to cover said covering layer (230, 232), and wherein said covering layer (240) is provided with at least one opening (241) made at the level of said seat (210, 211) in the support (200, 201).

8. Blister pack (102) according to claims 1, 2, characterized in that it comprises a shaped support (310) in which a shaped projecting portion (320) is obtained, which defines a cavity suited to house at least one stone, said support being coupled with a bottom (300), and wherein at least part of said projecting portion (320) is made of said material, such as glass or plastic, with high UV transmittance across the entire spectrum, from long waves to short waves, so as to form said covering layer.

9. Blister pack (103) according to claims 1, 2, characterized in that it comprises a shaped support (311) in which a shaped projecting portion (322) is obtained, which defines a cavity suited to house at least one stone, said support being coupled with a bottom (300), and wherein said projecting portion (322) is provided with an opening (323) forming an opening where a disc (330) is housed, wherein said disc (330) is made of said material, such as glass or plastic, with high UV transmittance across the entire spectrum, from long waves to short waves, so as to form said covering layer.

10. Blister pack (100) according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said bottom (220, 300) is made of glass, PET, polycarbonate, PVC, polystyrene, methacrylate (Plexiglas), and other materials.

11. Blister pack (100, 101, 102, 103) according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said covering layer (230’, 232’, 320’, 330’) comprises at least one hole (231, 321, 331) for the insertion of a contact probe.

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