Palladium is not completely new in the jewelry industry; indeed back in 1939 it is known to have been used in jewelry manufacture.  Palladium is part of the Platinum Group Metals (or PGM’s) and is mined and extracted from the same mineral deposits as platinum and sometimes even gold.

Being part of the PGM’s, palladium bears a remarkable resemblance to platinum, both physically and chemically.  Like platinum, palladium has a lustrous silver-white colour and it is ideal for use in jewelry.  As palladium jewelry is manufactured from 95 – 100% pure palladium, the jewelry is hypoallergenic.  This means that it is the ideal metal for people with sensitive or irritable skin.

There are some significant differences between platinum and palladium however, advantages that are causing jewelry manufacturers to incorporate palladium into their engagement and wedding ring designs.

Palladium is a very hard metal; in fact, it is 12% harder than platinum.  It is also 40% lighter than platinum, a statistic that translates into a significant saving when it comes to purchasing palladium jewelry.  Jewelry is priced not only according to the labour that is involved in manufacturing an item of jewelry (particularly in the case of hand-made jewelry) but also according to the weight of metal used.  Therefore, when compared to an identically designed platinum ring, a palladium ring will weigh significantly less and will thus cost less.

Additionally, the price of palladium is a fraction of the price of platinum.  Currently (August 2009), the palladium price is a quarter of the price of platinum and a third of the price of gold.  Not only is palladium cheaper per ounce than gold, it also has a variety of other advantages over gold.

Gold, in its natural form, is a metallic yellow colour.  Thus, to create white gold, gold must be alloyed with a number of white metals such as palladium, nickel and silver.  However, with 18ct white gold being 75% gold and 25% alloy (palladium, nickel and silver), it is impossible to turn gold a pure white colour.  Thus, all white gold is electro-plated with Rhodium (another Platinum Group Metal) resulting in the bright metallic white colour we know so well.  Over time however, this rhodium-plating wears off, leading customers to believe their gold has “tarnished”.  Because palladium is a naturally white metal, there is no need to rhodium-plate it and palladium jewelry will keep it’s colour over time.

Palladium is thus a cost-effective, yet valuable metal ideally suited to engagement rings and wedding bands and what better time to invest in a ring than now, when the prices are low and palladium rings are still unique.

Clare Appleyard is a Technical Diamond Specialist and co-found of Katannuta Diamonds, a South African jewelry and gemstone company specialising in quality, bespoke, hand-made items of jewelry and placing a strong emphasis on consumer education.  For more information on palladium jewelry, diamonds and other gemstones, please feel free to visit http://www.katannutadiamonds.co.za where you can download your free report and subscribe to our monthly newsletter.