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PALLADIUM ENGAGEMENT RINGS
Some of the world's most exclusive Designer Engagement Ring Manufacturers believe Palladium is an excellent alternative to White gold and Platinum, and are now offering it as a leading choice for their new engagement ring lines.
Advantage #1
If you are wondering which precious metal is right for your new engagement ring, you may want to consider Palladium. It has been used as an alternative to white gold and platinum in fine quality jewelry and diamond engagement rings since 1939. This is due in part to it's white properties that occur naturally, which means that there is no need for Rhodium plating. Since Mother Nature only supplies us with gold in a "Yellow Gold" form, It is up to us to make it "White Gold." This requires treatments such as Rhodium Plating. Unfortunately this is not a permanent process and needs to be re-treated every couple of years as part of a routine maintenance program. If you do not “re-rhodium” your white gold engagement ring periodically, it will tend to turn back to it’s “Yellow Gold” color. This is not necessary with Palladium Engagement Rings.
Interesting Palladium Fact
When platinum was declared a strategic government resource during World War 2, many engagement rings and wedding bands were created out of palladium.
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Although Platinum has always been an excellent choice for engagement rings, it tends to be very expensive. Choosing Platinum can tack on an additional cost of anywhere from $300 to as much as $1000 depending upon the style you choose. Engagement rings with thicker style bands will cost more because it requires more Platinum to make them. If you are considering an engagement ring set, you may also want to consider the additional cost of a matching wedding band, if you would like that in Platinum too. This will likely add Hundreds of dollars more to the overall cost. If you are working with a limited budget and would like to have more money to spend on the diamonds in your ring, then you may want to consider Palladium. |
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Interesting Palladium Fact
Palladium is known to be tarnish resistant, electrically stable and resistant to chemical erosion as well as intense heat. Palladium is considered to be a "Sister" metal to Platinum. |
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Advantage #3
Palladium is actually slightly whiter in appearance than Platinum and White Gold. Considering the vast majority of new couples getting married today prefer the “White Gold” look for their engagement ring, Palladium is certainly an option to consider. Take a look at our video of a palladium engagement ring.
Interesting Palladium Fact Similar to gold, palladium can be beaten into a thin leaf form as thin as 100 nm (1/250,000 in) and like Platinum, it will develop a hazy patina over time. |
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Advantage #4
Palladium is 12% harder than Platinum and yet it is still much lighter! It’s weight is much closer to the weight of Gold.Platinum is a very dense metal. Although some couples purchasing an engagement ring may actually like the “Heavy” feel of Platinum, it can be a potential downfall if you are considering an engagement ring with a thicker or more elaborate design. The weight can become pretty overwhelming for some people wearing it.
And although Platinum is very dense, that does not mean that it will be more resistant to everyday wear and tear such as nicks, dents and deep scratches. That type of wear and tear can actually happen to Platinum fairly easily. It can also be more difficult to “Buff or Polish” those everyday wear and tear items out of a Platinum engagement ring.
The extra 12% hardness found in Palladium will almost certainly mean less signs of wear and tear on your diamond engagement ring over the long haul |
Additional Interesting Palladium Facts
*The popularity of Palladium diamond jewelry is expected to grow significantly in 2009.
*The principal use of palladium in jewelry (Prior to 2004) was as an alloy in the manufacture of white gold.
*Palladium is one of only 4 metals that has an ISO currency code. The other 3 metals are gold, silver and platinum.
*Palladium is also hypoallergenic. It's a great option to those who have allergies to gold.
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