Why Select A Palladium Wedding Band?

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 mens palladium wedding rings are 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 around the world to incorporate palladium into their men's palladium wedding bands design. 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.

Palladium rings have a much longer lasting glitter as white gold and platinum have to be refinished periodically to bring back the original shine, which adds to the cost of the ring over time. It also costs the most to refinish and the process is more tedious as it takes more time. Being that men's palladium wedding ring are less expensive, it is the best option if you like the symbolic purity of the white metal to represent your everlasting bond in marriage.

Palladium versus White Gold: Why is palladium more desirable? Unfortunately, white gold jewelry is manufactured using alloys containing nickel and up to 10% of the population experiences an allergic reaction to contact with nickel. Palladium is hypoallergenic so there are not the allergy concerns that plague white gold. Also, palladium is harder than white gold making it more durable and less likely to mar. Durability is an issue particularly when it comes to mountings. If a gem stone is set using mountings made with a softer metal, the likelihood that one of the prongs could fail and the stone could fall out is higher. Often jewelers will use a harder metal in a ring setting to combat this but with palladium the entire jewelry piece can be made with the same metal.

As a platinum group metal, palladium offers customers a host of benefits that white gold and platinum can't touch. Are customers ready for a white metal that is less expensive than platinum and hypoallergenic unlike white gold? Many jewelers and jewelry stores are banking on it. Palladium's steel-white appearance makes it an attractive jewelry alternative to white gold and platinum. However, palladium was difficult to cast with and had not been fit for jewelry casting until recently. Innovations in developing a castable palladium alloy produced 950 palladium, which is ideal for jewelry. It is expected that, within the coming months, consumers will begin to hear more about palladium and its benefits; and palladium could very well be the next revolution in jewelry. Much of this relies on the fact that palladium is in the platinum group of metals and shares many of the same attributes as platinum - high purity, good luster, and white appearance.