Found a setting: Platinum vs. Palladium

Do you have a Bailey Banks and Biddle in the mall?  you can go check out the Scott Kay rings there.  SK is in a lot of stores, I think.

I looked at the setting, and it looks very nice based upon the on-line picture.  As far as whether to go with platinum or palladium, you might want to look at the discussion in the threads below:

http://www.pricescope.com/forum/rockytalky/setting-question-palladium-t41944.html

http://www.pricescope.com/forum/rockytalky/which-metal-t45636.html

For your info 950 palladium will weigh almost exactly the same as 14K, it''s just a hair less. So if you like the feel of 14K you''ll like the feel of palladium as far as weight goes.

Depends on your budget.  The platinum is over twice the cost.  Ya know for Paris Hilton it definately would be worth it for the Platinum.  Me, I went with Palladium. 

Now here's the interesting part: my appraiser didn't even know it was palladium until I told him.  He was weighing it and trying to figure out how much platinum was in the ring and was running into trouble when I told him.  He said he would've figured it out on his own eventually, and I believe him because he'd pretty good but that should tell you something when a GIA Graduate Gemologist who's been doing appraisals for over ten years and before that worked in the jewelry business for many more doesn't know the difference by looking at it.

MeddlingKids,

I don''t know if this''ll help, but I found two similar settings (the second of which I have and ADORE) that are $658 and $1075 in Platinum. I say this only because it was important to me to have platinum but I can see the hesitance over the higher cost.

WF Sleek Lines Solitaire $658 in platinum

WF Fine Line Solitaire $975-$1275 (depending on size of center stone)

I''m not sure if you can really see it in the photos, but the Fine Line has a beautiful taper in the middle (and it looks as though the Sleek Lines does as well).

I had IGI appraise 2 rings and they "tested it" on their gold tester and concluded it was 18K white gold. I had to correct them and get them to print out new reports. To be fair I didn''t stamp them and so I can understand why they were confused. I had planned to stamp them later after getting them sized/engraved. So yes I''ve found many appraisers and even jewelers are still new to the whole palladium thing.

Date: 2/1/2007 2:27:43 PM
Author: EBree
MeddlingKids,

I don''t know if this''ll help, but I found two similar settings (the second of which I have and ADORE) that are $658 and $1075 in Platinum. I say this only because it was important to me to have platinum but I can see the hesitance over the higher cost.

WF Sleek Lines Solitaire $658 in platinum

WF Fine Line Solitaire $975-$1275 (depending on size of center stone)

I''m not sure if you can really see it in the photos, but the Fine Line has a beautiful taper in the middle (and it looks as though the Sleek Lines does as well).

Yeah, the one he''s looking at is a Scott Kay, which will be very expensive because it''s a very respected brand.  It''s supposedly the most requested brand and they make some really nice stuff.  He''ll be able to find something similar in platinum for about the price of the palladium, and since it''s a pretty simple band maybe that might be a better way to go.

Thank you for the suggestions, but she wants a setting with those two surprise diamonds under the main setting.

I keep getting mixed information on Palladium vs. Platinum, depending upon where I go. I''m trying to evaluate how they compare in various aspects. Here''s what I''ve found so far, according to a few sites:

Weight: Platinum heavier than Palladium
Density: Platinum more dense than Palladium
Color: Same
Susceptibility to Damage: Same
Fading: Platinum more susceptible to fading than Palladium
Brittleness: Palladium more brittle than Platinum

I know my girlfriend wants to save money and all, but I don''t want to get her a ring that looks dark compared to the whiteness of the diamond. I also don''t want something that will fade or be prone to breakage. If the only valid difference between the two is the weight, I would just get the palladium.

Man, the more research I do, the further from a solution I am.

If I were you I''d go with the palladium. I guess I really just don''t understand what the big deal is here....lol.
It says the colors are the same, platinum is more susceptible to fading but they both have the same durability.

So palladium seems to be the winner. Your girlfriend WANTS it, and it''s WAY cheaper to boot!



Spend the extra cash on a bigger diamond and stop worrying about it so much!!! Get palladium while it''s still cheap! Odds are the price will increase once it catches on.

Hi MK.  

Something you might want to ask:  When advertising “palladium” are they referring to 950 Palladium or 18K Palladium WG (assuming it’s one of these common “palladium” alloys?).

> 18K Palladium white gold is 75% gold combined with 25% palladium. It is more workable than nickel wg and wonderful for gemstone setting so benchmen love it. It doesn’t cause irritation; a problem with nickel wg and people with skin conditions.  It is noticeably grayer than rhodium-plated wg though.  For that reason some choose to rhodium plate palladium wg pieces as well as standard 18K wg so they appear as 'white' as possible.

> 950 Palladium is more pure, like a platinum alloy; it’s 95% Palladium alloyed with 5% Ruthenium by weight. However, not many people work in 950 Palladium.  Though technically not quite as white as Platinum/Iridium most people would need to look hard to see any difference.

2.  Either way, if it’s one of the above, that's a pretty big price difference for the palladium vs platinum.  Often the difference isn’t just based on commensurate market prices for precious metals.  Currently palladium casting alloys are in the mid $30s per dwt and common platinum alloys are in the high $50s, but palladium & platinum pieces often cost nearly the same; far above common gold/wg alloys.  This is because they both melt at higher temperatures than gold and require different equipment, different processes and specialized labor skills, both casting and at the bench. Either there is quite a premium for the platinum version or the company manufactures in quantities high enough to separate the price points.

Regarding appearance:  When the craftsmanship is top quality any of the common ‘white’ alloys look great and show equally well, but for the extremely picky (not that we have ANY of those people on PS of course ), there are very subtle differences:

>The rhodium plating used on WG is very white (rhodium is the whitest precious metal after silver). 
>Platinum-iridium alloys are nearest. 
>950 platinum-ru & 950 Palladium are both alloyed with ruthenium.  Technically next in whiteness, most people would notice only if they were scrutinized side-by-side. 
>18K Palladium White Gold (75% gold, 25% palladium) is notably more gray unless rhodium plated, in which case it shoots back to the top.

Here is a link to an article with some photos.

http://journal.pricescope.com/Articles/47/1/An-Overview-Of-Common-Alloys-Used-In-Jewelry.aspx

Enjoy the journey.

I really like the Platinum, but I think that you have to be able to get a better deal.It really goes back to what you prefer?

Everything John says I pretty much agree with except the whiteness factor. I've read the whiteness is higher more with palladium then platinum:

http://www.stillwaterpalladium.com/jewelry.html
That's what stillwater has to say, then again they sell palladium so...

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=173730
That's a press release issued by LuxuryPaladium.com, so again it's somewhat biased. But I don't think it's terribly incorrect.

Based on my personal observation, the two are pretty much indistinguishable. I've seen more variations based on how it's manufacturered. For example I have 2 different style chains manufactured by Hoover and Strong, and one is somewhat darker then the other. Palladium can oxidize if heated above 800 degrees and not quenched, and when left oxidized it does look darker. You'd need to polish it out to get it back to it's natural white state.

Both palladium and platinum will definately appear darker then pure silver which is the whitest of all metals I believe, rhodium being right behind it. If you want your palladium or platinum ring to be super bright white just rhodium plate it. It will look the same as white gold and when it wears it will just appear slightly darker, it won't take on a yellow tint.

I have both plat and palladium. I love my paladium ring because it is lighter and more comfortable than the patinum, but is indistinguishable to my eyes. It doesnt get dinged quite as easily. I love it...and the price was definitely right.

I have a palladium ring and looooove it!!  It''s not as heavy as platinum, but it''s worn as well and looks just as lovely.  I love that I don''t need to rhodium plate it. 

Hi Yosef.

I think it's important to distinguish between 18K Palladium wg and 950 Palladium.

We cast in all of these metals and just so we're on the same page, I want to be sure you know that 18K Palladium WG (75/25 G/P) is definitely more gray than platinum if not plated.

1. 18K yellow gold
2. 18K white gold, rhodium plated
3. 18K palladium white gold, unplated




As I said above, 950 Palladium-Ru (like Pt950/Ru) is virtually indistinguishable from 900 and 950 Palladium-Iridium - and 950 Palladium-Cobalt, for that matter.

950 Palladium-Ru appears like the center photo, 950 Platinum-Ru.

A.  Platinum-iridium
B.  Platinum-ruthenium
C.  Platinum-cobalt

Oh well I thought we were comparing 950 Palladium to 950 Platinum. Comparing those two it should be virtually the same whiteness. Comparing either 950PD or 950PT to anything rhodium plated will look darker of course.

Date: 2/3/2007 1:25:42 AM
Author: Adylon
Oh well I thought we were comparing 950 Palladium to 950 Platinum. Comparing those two it should be virtually the same whiteness. Comparing either 950PD or 950PT to anything rhodium plated will look darker of course.

Especially as we see a patina develop over time.  Fortunately repolish for the platinum family metals and replating for white gold is quick and painless when done correctly by a reputable jeweler.

My local jeweler carries palladium settings and they looked really dark and gray to me, not even comparing them side by side to the other settings.  Too bad, because it''s a whole lot less expensive than platinum and supposedly doesn''t need to be plated.  I opted for white gold (well, two tone) even though I know I''m going to have to maintain it by having it plated regularly.

If I had the budget for platinum and wanted a simple, solitaire setting, I''d go for platinum.  It will last a life time.

**Question for John:  If someone wanted Plat 900/Ir 100, could you cast that at Whiteflash as well?  Just curious.

Date: 2/3/2007 1:11:07 AM
Author: JohnQuixote

We cast in all of these metals and just so we''re on the same page, I want to be sure you know that 18K Palladium WG (75/25 G/P) is definitely more gray than platinum if not plated.

John, those photos and the information above are extremely helpful.  Thanks for posting them.  I had a question, though, about the greyness of 18K palladium white gold when not plated.  My ring has 18K palladium white gold.  However, my jeweler told me that every 18K gold is going to look yellow, so he rhodium-plated it.  Indeed, now that the rhodium plating seems to be wearing off, the shank looks a tad yellower than my platinum prongs.  From your post, it seems like it should look greyer, not yellower.  Should 18K palladium white gold look yellow at all?  I just want to be sure my ring''s not doing something it isn''t supposed to.

Date: 2/3/2007 1:45:18 AM
Author: lumpkin
My local jeweler carries palladium settings and they looked really dark and gray to me, not even comparing them side by side to the other settings. Too bad, because it''s a whole lot less expensive than platinum and supposedly doesn''t need to be plated. I opted for white gold (well, two tone) even though I know I''m going to have to maintain it by having it plated regularly.

If I had the budget for platinum and wanted a simple, solitaire setting, I''d go for platinum. It will last a life time.

**Question for John: If someone wanted Plat 900/Ir 100, could you cast that at Whiteflash as well? Just curious.

Lumpkin, we don’t use 900 casting grain because we ship overseas & the global standard is 95%, but we think highly of both.

Date: 2/3/2007 2:53:30 AM
Author: Kim N

Date: 2/3/2007 1:11:07 AM
Author: JohnQuixote

We cast in all of these metals and just so we're on the same page, I want to be sure you know that 18K Palladium WG (75/25 G/P) is definitely more gray than platinum if not plated.

John, those photos and the information above are extremely helpful. Thanks for posting them. I had a question, though, about the greyness of 18K palladium white gold when not plated. My ring has 18K palladium white gold. However, my jeweler told me that every 18K gold is going to look yellow, so he rhodium-plated it. Indeed, now that the rhodium plating seems to be wearing off, the shank looks a tad yellower than my platinum prongs. From your post, it seems like it should look greyer, not yellower. Should 18K palladium white gold look yellow at all? I just want to be sure my ring's not doing something it isn't supposed to.

Kim, It’s hard to say without seeing the piece.  Rhodium is extremely white so as it wears off the metal underneath may look yellowish by contrast (remember that palladium WG still contains 25% gold).  If what you’re seeing is gray with a touch of yellow maybe that's the case.  If it’s yellow-yellow you can take it to an independent jeweler or appraiser of pedigree and get an expert opinion.