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How does palladium look over time? Pics please!

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misskiss

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Hi everyone,

I went to my local jeweler and to design a five stone diamond band with 40 point stones, I was quoted $1650 for a platinum setting and $440 for a palladium setting. Because of the large setting, I''m inclined to go with the lighter weight palladium. And I''d rather spend the extra money on the stones than the setting.

The jeweler said palladium is making a big comeback and is every bit as good as platinum - it''s in the same metal family and is actually whiter in color than platinum.

Does anyone have any knowledge or pictures of what palladium looks like over time? Does it dull or show any other signs of wear?

Thanks in advance!
 

gailrmv

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I didn''t know that palladium was making a comeback. I hadn''t heard of it until recently so I thought it was new for using in jewelry! Well, I guess you learn something every day. You might not be getting many replies because I don''t know if anyone on here has a palladium ring that is very old.
 

neatfreak

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When we asked our jeweler about it he said that although it was used in the mid 1900''s as a substitute for platinum, not enough of those pieces survived for him to feel comfortable using it today. Basically, he just was saying that there wasn''t a big enough sample size of old rings for him to feel comfortable using it for something as important as an engagement ring, so he isn''t using it. That was one of the recommended jewelers on PS. We also talked to Richard Wise, who is also known here and happens to be local to us, and he told us a very similar thing. So we went with platinum. HTH.
 

zoebartlett

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Hi misskiss,

If you do a search for palladium here (in the search bar above) you should get a few threads to read through. I''ve heard that those who have palladium rings are very happy. I''m going with platinum for my e-ring, so I can''t comment from personal experience.
 

poptart

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JohnQuixote

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Date: 3/31/2007 11:38:07 PM
Author:misskiss
Hi everyone,

I went to my local jeweler and to design a five stone diamond band with 40 point stones, I was quoted $1650 for a platinum setting and $440 for a palladium setting. Because of the large setting, I'm inclined to go with the lighter weight palladium. And I'd rather spend the extra money on the stones than the setting.

The jeweler said palladium is making a big comeback and is every bit as good as platinum - it's in the same metal family and is actually whiter in color than platinum.

Does anyone have any knowledge or pictures of what palladium looks like over time? Does it dull or show any other signs of wear?

Thanks in advance!
Is the quote is for 18K Palladium White Gold or 950 Palladium?

> 18K Palladium WG is only 75% palladium and is less white than the rhodium plating on standard 18K nickel WG - and platinum.
> 950 Palladium is much more pure, 95% palladium by weight, but is not any whiter than the common platinum alloys.

If the quote was for 18K Palladium WG you should ask the jeweler if it's being rhodium plated. We choose to rhodium-plate our 18K Palladium WG to improve its whiteness (though many don't). Rhodium is the whitest metal after silver.

Here is a picture of (1) 18K Yellow Gold, (2) 18K Rhodium-Plated WG and (3) 18K Palladium WG, unplated.

image002.jpg



If it's 950 palladium (95% palladium by weight) it's usually alloyed with 5% ruthenium. It will look nearly identical to photo B, below. Some people maintain that 950 palladium is grayer but the differences, if any, are extremely slight.

image004.jpg



Like platinum, palladium develops a patina over time. Unplated palladium will need repolishing after a year or two or three (depending on wear) to restore the like-new appearance. If it's rhodium-plated the plating will wear off over time. Like any plated WG it will need re-plating (d.o.w.) to restore it. Both re-polishing and re-plating are simple procedures.

Here is an article with an overview on common alloys.
 

misskiss

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Date: 4/1/2007 10:07:03 AM
Author: poptart
Here are a couple threads from PS that you might find helpful:


First Linky


Second Linky


Third Linky


Fourth Linky


Welcome to PS, by the way! Hope these help.


*M*

Thanks so much for finding these previous threads. As always, there are differing opinions out there - some expert, some experience, which is why this forum is such a great resource.

The fact that palladium is not as popular is probably the biggest impetus for people, which is understandable. Even the name "platinum" implies that it is the best (I have a platinum credit card).

But platinum isn''t perfect, so it''s possible that another metal out there is equal to, or even superior to platinum. And the fact that it is lighter in weight and and on your wallet should appeal to jewelers and consumers alike.

If so, in ten years palladium will be the new platinum! And if not, at least I''ll have some pictures to show others what palladium looks like ten years later!
 

kcoursolle

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I have a palladium RHR and it looks about the same as it did about 9 months ago. I wear it about 3x a week. I''m not sure how it will hold up over the next few years...only time will tell.
 

misskiss

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Date: 4/1/2007 9:33:04 PM
Author: kcoursolle
I have a palladium RHR and it looks about the same as it did about 9 months ago. I wear it about 3x a week. I''m not sure how it will hold up over the next few years...only time will tell.

Thanks, koursolle! I absolutely love your five stone band. It''s platinum, right? I contacted Whiteflash and I think they said they only work in platinum at this time.

Do you know the width of your five stone? Does it feel heavy to you?
 

firebirdgold

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Nov 30, 2005
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Well I can''t say how it''ll wear over time, but my palladium wedding ring is extremely comfortable and attractive. While the patina is different (old vs new) the color matches my antique platinum engagement ring and they look lovely together.
The original w-band at the store was in platinum and was very heavy, I ordered a custom-made copy in palladium for the price. But I really like the lightness of it now that I''ve been wearing 24/7 for the past few weeks.

I''ve worn it during all sorts of activities like snorkeling, and there isn''t a dent or scratch on it yet. My DH''s 14k rosegold and titanium band already has a few scratches and dents!
 

Joolskie

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Nov 26, 2006
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I have a palladium 950 anniversary band that is channel set, a palladium 950 wedding band and a palladium 950 six prong tiffany setting. It has been a couple of months and I have no complaints. The settings are not rhodium plated and I am very happy with of whiteness of the metal. My best friend and I compared my palladium settings to her platinum Tacori setting and the "color" of the metal was identical.

The bottoms of my settings are a bit scratched up. But this is to be expected. I am the mother of two rowdy young boys and live the lifestyle that goes along with them! Yes, my rings helped coach kindergarten t-ball last night.

What I can say is that I am now one of palladium''s biggest fans. It is cost-effective when compared to other options and it does not require rhodium plating. For me, palladium was a well-welcomed option.

All I need are more jewelers who work with it! I contacted WF about the possibility of doing a palladium setting and was told by the rep that they are not using it. John, any chance you guys might consider working with palladium in the future?
 

kcoursolle

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Date: 4/3/2007 11:10:42 AM
Author: misskiss

Date: 4/1/2007 9:33:04 PM
Author: kcoursolle
I have a palladium RHR and it looks about the same as it did about 9 months ago. I wear it about 3x a week. I''m not sure how it will hold up over the next few years...only time will tell.

Thanks, koursolle! I absolutely love your five stone band. It''s platinum, right? I contacted Whiteflash and I think they said they only work in platinum at this time.

Do you know the width of your five stone? Does it feel heavy to you?
Yes, my five-stone is platinum (not palladium). With the shared-prong look it''s probably best to go with WG or platinum. The width where the stones are is about 4.35mm and this slims down to about 2.75mm in the bottom of the ring. The ring itself feels a little hefty when I just hold it in my hand. Platinum definitely has the "feeling" of quality. However, when it''s on my finger the heft doesn''t really bother me at all and I don''t really notice it. I tend to like the heavy feeling of platinum actually.
 
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