Palladium

[Jonathan the Jeweler]

I am seeing more rings being made in Palladium. In my store, the entry level diamonds are set in basic palladium mountings, as white gold is frowned upon for diamond rings in my company, as it requires too much refinishing when subjected to constant wear, though I admit it has some benefits as discussed in other threads. This metal is a more economical choice than platinum, and it has almost all of the same desirable properties. Is PD here to stay or is it merely a passing fad?

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 12/21/2007 6:15:40 PM
Author:Jonathan the Jeweler
I am seeing more rings being made in Palladium. In my store, the entry level diamonds are set in basic palladium mountings, as white gold is frowned upon for diamond rings in my company, as it requires too much refinishing when subjected to constant wear, though I admit it has some benefits as discussed in other threads. This metal is a more economical choice than platinum, and it has almost all of the same desirable properties. Is PD here to stay or is it merely a passing fad?

The high cost of platinum has increased the presence of palladium - although the alloys must be worked nearly the same way so labor and tool costs are similar. The drawback for consumers is that not nearly as many craftsmen are working in pd as in gold and pt. This means if you buy and move somewhere remote it may be hard to find someone to work on the piece. That may change in time; at the 07 JCK show it was pretty evident that palladium is making a move.

White gold alloys that don't require plating, like Stuller's new X1, are also becoming more competitive. Nothing has the whiteness of rhodium plating - and Plat-Iridium is hard to beat after that - but high quality alloys in Pt, Pd and WG have become very similar, especially when not compared head to head. As for what is best for a piece, it depends on the style, complexity, application and preference of the craftsman. One may swear by XYZ alloy for piece 123. Another may prefer WXY for the same piece.

You can type Palladium in the search bar for some discussions that may be of interest.

 

[Steel]

Date: 12/21/2007 6:15:40 PM
Author:Jonathan the Jeweler
I am seeing more rings being made in Palladium. In my store, the entry level diamonds are set in basic palladium mountings, as white gold is frowned upon for diamond rings in my company, as it requires too much refinishing when subjected to constant wear, though I admit it has some benefits as discussed in other threads. This metal is a more economical choice than platinum, and it has almost all of the same desirable properties. Is PD here to stay or is it merely a passing fad?

Passing fad.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 12/21/2007 8:09:45 PM
Author: Steel

Passing fad.

Hey Steel, do you know when it was that Palladium made a historic surge before...and why?

 

[Steel]

Date: 12/21/2007 8:32:03 PM
Author: JohnQuixote

Date: 12/21/2007 8:09:45 PM
Author: Steel

Passing fad.

Hey Steel, do you know when it was that Palladium made a historic surge before...and why?

No, silly! I was joking, same as the OP was not so long ago in another thread...

We all love a gag don''t we?

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 12/21/2007 9:19:37 PM
Author: Steel

Date: 12/21/2007 8:32:03 PM
Author: JohnQuixote

Date: 12/21/2007 8:09:45 PM
Author: Steel

Passing fad.

Hey Steel, do you know when it was that Palladium made a historic surge before...and why?

No, silly! I was joking, same as the OP was not so long ago in another thread...

We all love a gag don't we?

Yes, unless it accompanies a blindfold.

I asked because it was a fad once before: During World War II platinum was restricted to military use. Palladium surged and became popular then. After the war it diminished and became little-used except among craft jewelers. Now platinum's price has skyrocketed - thanks in large part to automakers who found out how well it works in catalytic converters - and palladium has a new opportunity to become popular.

Nice rabbit by the way.

 

[DiamanteBlu]

I was surprised to see the diference in price for palladium vs. other metals. Platinum closed at a bid price of $1523 and Palladium''s last trade was at $353 [gold spot [bid] closed at $811.70].

 

[Steel]

Date: 12/21/2007 9:46:31 PM
Author: JohnQuixote
Yes, unless it accompanies a blindfold.

I asked because it was a fad once before: During World War II platinum was restricted to military use. Palladium surged and became popular then. After the war it diminished and became little-used except among craft jewelers. Now platinum''s price has skyrocketed - thanks in large part to automakers who found out how well it works in catalytic converters - and palladium has a new opportunity to become popular.

Nice rabbit by the way.

Oh stop it! You make me blush...

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 12/21/2007 9:46:31 PM
Author: JohnQuixote

Yes, unless it accompanies a blindfold.

I asked because it was a fad once before: During World War II platinum was restricted to military use. Palladium surged and became popular then. After the war it diminished and became little-used except among craft jewelers. Now platinum''s price has skyrocketed - thanks in large part to automakers who found out how well it works in catalytic converters - and palladium has a new opportunity to become popular.

Nice rabbit by the way.

new cats have no plat
mostly anyway by the middle of next year likely none of them will.
Its also being replaced on spark plugs.
The epa was the hold up but finaly approved replacements.

 

[strmrdr]

btw I think its a fad the high prices of Gold and Plat isn''t sustainable.