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Here''s some info that may be of help: LINK |
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Belle, I''d be interested to hear more about your setting. Do you feel that it will be fine without rhodium plating? |
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If you do a search on palladium, there have been a couple of threads recently discussing the issue. I have a pure palladium (not a wg mix) and LOVE it! Honestly, with this alternative, I''m really not sure why people would pay such a premium for platinum. The only reason i can think of is that they like the heft of platinum. The weight of palladium is closer to the feel of gold - which I actually prefer because I''m typing all day & thus never feel my ring on my finger. Also, here''s a link to a picture of my ring. As you can see, you really can''t tell a difference from platinum (doesn''t need to be plated ever).
http://www.pricescope.com/forum/show-me-the-ring/i-think-i-m-in-love-t43736.html= |
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Don't be fooled that palladium is the perfect metal (no metal is as they all have some sort of disadvantage relative to others).
If you did a Google search on "disadvantages of palladium jewelry" you'll be referred to a site such as this: http://www.professionaljeweler.com/archives/articles/2000/jun00/0600v.html Which also states the following:
Likewise, platinum has some drawbacks as well: its heaviness (although I personally love the feel of it's luxurious weight) and its soft malleability (easily scratched). In my opinion I would take platinum over palladium as I love the look of platinum (which is brighter than palladium) and platinum also doesn't become dull over time. You can also polish your platinum jewelry over and over and over again without ever losing the metal, as the ring is clay-like. |
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i haven''t had any problems so far, but i think i am in the minority sometimes. one thing i would absolutely recommend is to not mix metals. wearing another metal next to wg will cause it to yellow very quickly. i am one of those (whacky?) people that prefers wg to platinum and am fortuante that i have never needed to replate any of it. after many years, my jewelry is still very bright and shiney.
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i went ahead and got the palladium...I think over all it will be fine...my gf is not around any crazy acid...and while we do live arizona and its hot it doesnt quite reach 2830.82 °F the melting point of palladium if i get it and i dont like it then i have 30 days.
Btw Ive been working with Jeff over at uniondiamond...Super guy. |
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Well independent research found the following:
71% of women would prefer platinum as their first choice for a engagement ring and 89% consider platinum the highest quality metal. The metals are all different in wear ability, durability, and appearance. Personally we see no tail off in the platinum e-ring demand and have not had calls for palladium but the trade is certainly giving it a lot of press. Personally I''m a platinum lover. |
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i would attribute most of that to great marketing. ![]() enjoy your ring zikronix! please post pics when you get it! |
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great marketing true. added with the fact that designers like Leon Mege and Mark Morrell will only work with platinum and 18K YG sending a message that it''s the best. I''m sure there are other reasons than the Platinum Guild that makes it''s so popular amoung designers today. It will be interesting to see if palladium will be able to make a real impact decreasing plat. requests and sales. |
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I''m positive he will introduce it in a big way at the up coming Vegas jewelry show next week. One of our trade mags had a add on to the front cover for a palladium facts and he is a speaker on the seminar. Everybody is looking for the next "big" trend and he likes to lead the way. I don''t think you will see the "couture" (handmade) designers moving into palladium though. There are new breakthroughs in the alloying of white gold so you will not see white gold fade into the sunset. Just more choices. |
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thanks Bill. Will the line be priced accordingly? |
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Yep! Your right belle. It''s mostly about marketing. Look at diamonds for they have the largest marketing budget in the industry. Handbags are what really amazes me
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I have not a clue Mrs S. I''m still a traditionalist and it''s gold or platinum for me. I will look at the palladium while I''m in LV next week and report back if nobody else does on the appearance and qualities I see with the metal. I''m sure there is a market for it but not having experience with it I would have trouble telling anyone how it wears. |
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There is probably nothing wrong with palladium. It was used a lot in WW II due to the shortage of platinum as it had military use; and was discontinued more for marketing reasons than anything else after WW II.
It is probably supperior to White Gold for a setting (and weighs about the same as white gold - so it will not actually feel light). As far as the "disadvantages" mentioned above. I don''t have the link handy - but I belive some of those issues have been dealt with by changing what it was alloyed with from what it had been alloyed with in WW II (the brittleness issue I think has been greatly reduced or solved); and I thought that the new alloys take a better polish than the WW II alloy. I am sure that you have noticed that you don''t get a 100% gold ring, a 100% silver ring, a 100% platinum ring - or 100% of anything. That is because most of these pure metals do not have the mechanical properties needed for most things. By alloying them with other metals they become very usefull. By chosing which metals they are alloyed with different things can be done with the metal. Anyway - best of luck with this. Perry |
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Both of my kids had palladium class rings. It was much cheaper at the time, but I think it's value has risen a lot lately, too. I didn't want to buy gold HS rings because I knew they'd only wear them a year or so and then put then in a drawer, so palladium was a good solution then. Palladium won't feel cheap. Gold certainly doesn't feel cheap. I think the uncertainty with palladium is how it will look in a few years. |
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Blodthecat:
There''s just one thing wrong with Palladium....it''s not PLATINUM!!!!!! No contest! Marketing at it purest, marketing fullfilled ![]() Now why does anyone need a platinum ring: simply because we have been told that it is the "ideal" ring material (incidently - it''s the one with the highest profit potential as well: no wonder the jewelers like to sell it...) Perry |
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When getting a custom made setting in platinum can the Jeweler do anything that might make it like platinum when its really not for them to save on costs. Is there any test that I can do to make sure that I''m getting what I paid for which is a platinum setting ?? Or any questions I should ask the jeweler ?? And can anyone explain the process involved in making a custom platinum setting ?? |