A symbol of all-conquering love - what is the true value of palladium wedding rings?

Nowadays it is very rare to find palladium wedding rings on sale. The most common metal for this type of product is gold or silver. This is because many people are not even aware of the existence of palladium. The metal is not very popular, so well-known manufacturers prefer to use it as an alloy alloy for other jewelry.

But over the past year, it is possible to track statistics on the growth in demand for palladium rings. As for other types of jewelry, they have not yet gained sufficient popularity. The products are of the same high quality as gold ones, and also have other advantages.

Advantages

Traditionally, it so happens that most often the bride and groom choose rings made of gold or platinum.
These metals are definitely worthy of adorning your ring fingers. However, palladium can give them a hundred points ahead. Why is he so good? Until now, yellow metal holds the palm in terms of the number of newlyweds who have chosen it. It is valued for its beauty, durability and relatively low cost. Platinum is more expensive, but due to its neutral white color it better emphasizes the beauty of the stones, and is also superior to gold in terms of wear resistance.
Important! Palladium is an alternative option that combines the advantages of both metals.
Let's list the main advantages of palladium.

beauty

Only a specialist can distinguish white metals from each other by appearance. The materials differ by several shades, but a person without artistic ability will not be able to discern the difference.

Thus, palladium, like platinum, is an ideal background for any stone, be it the purest transparent diamond or a mineral of bright, rich color. In addition, palladium itself has sufficient brilliance. And with proper care and regular, even not very frequent, cleaning, it will retain this property for centuries.

Strength

Small scratches and abrasions appear on gold jewelry quite quickly. This is especially noticeable on wedding rings, which are meant to be worn daily. Platinum is more resistant to external damage, and in this it can only compete with palladium.

This is a very durable metal, and modern technologies make it possible to make jewelry from 950-karat alloy. That is, the percentage of additionally used mixtures - ligatures - is very small. It is only 5%, so all the quality characteristics of palladium remain preserved.

Price

Palladium rings are slightly more expensive than gold.

The price per gram of this metal differs slightly from the cost of platinum, but platinum has a much higher density. That is, products of the same size and shape made of platinum and palladium will differ in weight. The latter will be easier and, accordingly, cheaper.

Hypoallergenic

The fewer metals that are included in the alloy, the fewer irritants in the decoration that can provoke allergies.

As mentioned above, very few impurities are added to palladium. So this material is considered one of the cleanest.

Advice! Along with platinum, palladium wedding rings are recommended for those who are prone to allergic reactions.

Where is star metal found?

Our current hero is a rarity. Data on palladium reserves vary: some analysts say that it is 2-3 times more than gold, others are sure that the mineral occurs in nature 20 times less often than gold.

In nature, the formation of palladium (solid solution) in native platinum is frequent. The silvery metal is found in the form of grains in platinum placers.

Minerals of palladium-containing ores:

• kotulskite;
• michenerite;
• merenskyite;
• atokit;
• Zvyagintsevit.

In Russia there are deposits of the “brother of platinum” in the Urals (Nizhny Tagil); the Konder ridge in the Khabarovsk Territory is ready to share silver metal; The Norilsk deposits of the Krasnoyarsk Territory are a complete basket of platinum group metals.

1 gram of palladium at the rate of the Central Bank of Russia costs about 5,200 rubles (as of April 2021). We recommend: SILVER - lunar metal against any evil spirits

We are proud: Russia produces about 60% of stellar platinum.

Goldschmidt's classification classifies the metal as a siderophile.

Where to find the "platinum brother"

Sources of palladium in the world:

1. SOUTH AFRICA. The famous Bushveld complex, there is an unimaginable amount of minerals and ores. Platinum group metals (almost 90% of the world's reserves), chromium, vanadium, iron, titanium... Palladium produces 20% of the world's production here.
2. Australia, New South Wales. Mining is carried out from nickel ores.
3. Zimbabwe. Here, in the Great Dyke, a huge ore-bearing area of ​​chromite and platinum minerals, palladium veins are found.
4. Brazil, Minas Gerais state. Placer deposits.
5. Canada, Ontario. Millions of years ago a huge meteorite fell here, now people collect “gifts” - platinum group metals, nickel. Mining is carried out by open-pit mining.
6. Colombia, Chocó province. Placer platinum, gold, palladium.

Main palladium mining areas

Design

Despite its hardness, palladium is also very flexible. In the hands of a good jeweler, it can take on the most intricate shapes. Palladium headbands are often decorated with all sorts of patterns, giving them non-standard shapes. So, from just a gram of this metal you can make a long thin wire. Moreover, it will be so durable that it can be safely used to create ornaments.

These qualities allow you to make jewelry in a variety of styles. Palladium engagement rings can be elegantly understated or intricately embellished. Palladium rings made in the Art Nouveau style look great. Modernism corresponds to the spirit of metal, suggesting new forms and unusual combinations.

It is important that this material looks equally good on both women's and men's fingers. This allows you to make paired jewelry that emphasizes belonging to the same family.

Classic

White sparkling headbands will be the perfect finishing touch to the bride and groom's looks. They can be of any height and width.

The surface of classic palladium rings is decorated with inscriptions and patterns. Models with grooves and a rotating part are very popular.

With diamonds

Due to their flexibility and strength, stone mounts on palladium rings are especially durable. So, without risk, you can purchase jewelry with both diamonds “recessed” in the bezel and those that completely reveal the stone. In any case, the risk of losing a diamond tends to zero.

The advantage of white metal is also that it will highlight the beauty of not only a completely transparent diamond, but also a diamond with a tint. Palladium helps reveal the color of the stone and demonstrate all the undertones.

With enamel

Young, brave and daring newlyweds can choose a non-standard option: palladium rings with enamel. This is still a rare option, although practice shows that enamel adheres well to this material.

The enamel coating comes in various colors. Black enamel looks great on men's rings. In combination with white palladium, it does not look gloomy, but rather solemn and elegant.

Idea! The combination of palladium, matte light enamel and diamonds or cubic zirconia looks great.

The use of white enamel allows you to play with the difference in structures. With its help, patterns bloom on the rings, which give the product an unusual, but at the same time delicate, unpretentious look.

What kind of light platinum is it?

Place of palladium in group 10 of the periodic table of elements of the periodic table.

Physical properties of metal:

1. Density 12 g/cm3.
2. Of all the platinoids, this is the most fusible metal - 1552 degrees Celsius.
3. The metal color is stable, silver, white.
4. Palladium is a very soft metal, but adding ruthenium or nickel to the alloy significantly increases its hardness.
5. Palladium can accumulate hydrogen in large quantities, especially in a finely divided state.

The lattice structure is face-centered.

The precious metal has a copper structure (Bravai structure).

The chemical properties of palladium are somewhat different from those of the platinoids. Of the entire family, the metal is the most chemically active. It reacts with hot concentrated acids (H2SO4, HNO3 - sulfuric, nitric).

But palladium does not react to dilute alkalis and acids.

According to the characteristics, palladium is close to its neighbors on the periodic table. The luster and color are close to silver; its chemical properties are similar to platinum.

The easiest way to distinguish palladium from platinum is by weight. The densities of these metals differ by almost two times. Outwardly, both metals are similar, like twins.

We recommend: TUNGSTEN is the most refractory metal

Rules of care

Due to the listed properties of palladium, products made from it do not require maintenance. This metal does not darken over time, does not deform, scratches do not appear on it, and is not afraid of corrosion.

If your rings contain expensive stones, it is recommended to visit a jeweler occasionally. Purely to check the fastening.

Otherwise, the recommendations are the same: remove during heavy work to avoid deformation and protect from exposure to high temperatures.

Features of palladium rings

Palladium has been used in engagement rings for almost 100 years. It was known as an inexpensive raw material back in the 1930s. However, it was used mainly as an additive to platinum and gold.

As the price of precious metals rose and reached new records, many jewelers decided to make palladium their equal competitor. Its popularity is constantly growing.

White palladium gold of 500 purity is called “noble” by jewelers (contains 50% palladium, 35% silver and 15% other metals - ruthenium and nickel). It has a much whiter color than platinum, so does not require rhodium plating and contrasts better with yellow gold. Combines with any natural and artificial precious stones, Swarovski crystals and Murano glass.

Sometimes it is covered with multi-colored enamel and applied to the engraving surface. Products made from 950 palladium look more voluminous. They contain 95% palladium and only small amounts of tungsten, copper and ruthenium. Another practical advantage, besides durability, is the ability to adjust the size of the rings even after several years of constant wear.

Who is suitable for palladium rings?

The advantages of palladium once and for all convinced sophisticated connoisseurs of jewelry accessories of the originality and sophistication of collections of products made from it. In many countries, couples try to immortalize their love in palladium rings. They are suitable for those who:

• cannot wear other items made of precious metals due to allergies or darkening;
• looking for high quality jewelry at an affordable price;
• wants to wear the ring without taking it off and combine it with any clothes.

average cost

Palladium is one of four metals that require mandatory hallmarking. In addition, samples are taken for silver, gold and platinum.

Palladium 500 and 850 are most often used to make jewelry. These are fairly cheap materials. Their cost is significantly lower than gold.

However, for wedding rings, material of the maximum 950 standard is often used. In terms of price, such jewelry is catching up with platinum products, but the cost depends on the design, brand and availability of stones.

The simplest palladium rings today can be purchased for 4-5 thousand rubles. These are mass-produced models that look quite decent. More complex and heavy products decorated with stones cost an average of 25-30 thousand rubles.

Leading jewelry houses also paid attention to this metal. A collection of wedding rings from it was created by Tiffany designers. The cost of one copy reached several thousand dollars.

All about the sample

The sample, indicating the content of precious metals in a piece of jewelry, is one of the main characteristics of any jewelry. Therefore, every buyer should have at least a small understanding of samples.

Throughout the history of mankind, in addition to the metric system of samples, which we will discuss below, three more have been used:

* Spool

* Lot

* Carat.

The spool testing system appeared in Russia in 1711, first for silver alloys, and since 1733 for gold alloys. This system relied on the precious metal content based on the number of spools in one pound of alloy.

A zolotnik is a Russian measure of weight equal to approximately 1/96th of a pound. Accordingly, gold in its pure form is 96 samples. For gold in Russia in those days, 56, 72, 92, 94 samples were used.

This measurement system existed until 1926.

Another now defunct sampling system is the lot system. It was common in the Middle Ages in Germany and was used for branding silver items. The content of pure precious metal was determined by the number of lots. The maximum sample of pure silver was 16 lots.

The carat system also has German “roots” (not to be confused with carats for precious stones). Unlike the spool and lot systems, the carat system is still used today. This system is common in the USA, Great Britain, Italy and some other countries.

In this system, pure gold corresponds to a purity of 24 carats. There are the following samples of the karate system: 6 k, 8 k, 10 k, 12 k, 14 k, 18 k, 22 k.

The most common system currently used is the metric system. This is exactly what is used in Russia. In this case, the content of pure precious metal is determined by the number of grams in one kilogram of jewelry alloy. Pure precious metal corresponds to 1000 fineness.

In the metric system, the first two digits indicate the percentage of noble metal in 1000 parts of the alloy. Products of the 750th standard contain 75% pure gold, and products of the 585th standard contain 58.5%, etc.

Within the metric system, the following hallmarks are used for gold: 1000, 958, 900, 750, 585, 500, 375.

Pure gold (1000 purity) is not used in jewelry production: it is too soft and can break. 958 gold alloy is used to create works of art, while 900 gold is most often used to make dentures.

In jewelry you can most often find alloys of 750 and 585 samples. It should be remembered that gold alloys of different grades can be of different colors depending on the quantitative ratio of non-ferrous metals contained in them.

The following standards are used for silver in Russia: 800, 830, 875, 925, 960, 999. The most common alloy is 875 silver. It is used to make decorations and tableware items.

Buyers should take into account that any piece of jewelry produced in Russia must have a state hallmark (assay mark). This is a special mark that is minted on jewelry by state assay inspections.

The absence of a sample means that this is a fake product, the quality of which is in no way guaranteed.

For hallmarking, hallmarks of various shapes and designs are used in various countries. In Russia since 1994, this is a woman’s head in a kokoshnik.

Detailed information about jewelry samples is available in each jewelry showroom of our company. Also, our salespeople will always answer your questions.

Sterling (English: Sterling [silver]) is the name of an alloy of 92.5% or higher silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper (925 silver and higher). Pure .999 silver is too soft for large items, so it is usually alloyed with copper to add strength while maintaining the ductility and beauty of the precious metal.

As an alloy, instead of copper or together with it, attempts were made to use other metals to improve quality - reduce porosity, increase wear resistance, to tint the color, eliminate blackening. For these purposes, germanium, zinc and platinum, titanium, as well as various additions - silicon, boron - were used. However, the de facto standard remains an alloy with added copper.

Symbolic meaning

The history of this metal is short. It was discovered only at the beginning of the 19th century, and the first palladium rings appeared much later. So he didn’t have time to acquire legends.

Although there were bright spots in his biography. Thus, this metal experienced a wave of popularity during the First World War . Despite all its horrors, people continued to live, love and marry. But precious metals were used for military purposes, so there was an acute shortage of rings. Then mass production of palladium wedding rings began to be established.

Interesting! The aura of war times still hangs over palladium. For knowledgeable people, he personifies love that conquers all circumstances.

It should also be remembered that the metal was named after Pallas Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom. In ancient times, figurines of this inhabitant of Olympus were called palladiums. The city in which such sculptures were located was considered impregnable.

You can try to put meaning into the ring through the properties of the metal. Its extraordinary strength promises an equally durable, unaffected marriage. And flexibility symbolizes the ability to adapt to each other and make concessions in order to create a family as beautiful as wedding rings.

Tips for choosing

If the choice is made in favor of palladium rings, it remains to give some advice on selection.

1. Pay attention to the sample! The higher it is, the more clearly all the advantages of this metal will appear. If possible, it is better to purchase 950 rings. This is a guarantee of quality;
2. Choose the “right” headband. It should have a slightly curved shape inside. This position is the most comfortable. The ring will not rub or dig into your fingers, even if they are slightly swollen;
3. Look for your design. Palladium makes it possible to create unique, stunningly beautiful products. You may not be able to buy them at your local jewelry store. Then it’s worth looking at the range of models presented on the Internet. You will definitely find what you need there!

Photo

In terms of quality and appearance, wedding rings made of palladium are not inferior to rings made of gold and platinum, but they also have other advantages. Palladium rings will help save money, but will be able to convey the tenderness and sensuality of the newlyweds’ love.