Post updated: May 25, 2020
Palladium is used less often than other precious metals by jewelers to make precious jewelry. The reason for this can largely be attributed to the low popularity of the precious metal among jewelry buyers: most prefer gold, silver and platinum. Palladium as an element of the alloy alloy can be found in products made of white gold and platinum, but not every well-known manufacturer offers jewelry made from the metal itself. In recent years, wedding rings made of palladium have attracted the greatest interest; other types of jewelry are not yet in great demand.
Features of jewelry
Palladium products are made from alloys of the base element with nickel, cobalt and ruthenium. Pure metal is not used by craftsmen because it does not hold its shape. In Russia, 500, 850 and 950 samples of precious metal are accepted. The first two samples are the most common; jewelry made from alloys with this palladium content can be found in jewelry stores most often. The 950 marking is typical for palladium wedding rings, which are valued because they roll out easily when fingers thicken.
Types of marks on palladium products in Russia.
Palladium as a chemical element belongs to the platinum group metals, but, unlike platinum, it has less weight. This feature allows you to create voluminous and lightweight products that, due to their lower cost, can compete with platinum and white gold. It is quite easy to distinguish palladium jewelry: they are characterized by lighter shades and a sparkling appearance.
Compared to silver, products made from this platinum group metal also have several advantages: they are stronger than silver and do not darken over time. The metal is used to make pendants, earrings, cufflinks, signets, and tie clips. Their palladium jewelry is characterized by resistance to scratches and other types of deformation, as well as hypoallergenicity.
Palladium jewelry is created by craftsmen with or without precious and semi-precious stones. To complement the metallic white color of the material, jewelers choose diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, cubic zirconias, garnets, onyxes and amethysts. According to experts, the color and sparkling surface of the palladium frame is ideally combined with the cool brilliance that is inherent in diamonds. High-strength metal eliminates the possibility of stones falling out of jewelry.
Useful tips
To ensure that the jewelry brings pleasure and delights the owner with chic and luxurious shine, choose only new products with spectacular patterns. And, of course, to purchase high-quality jewelry, contact only professionals. Our jewelry salon has been specializing in exclusive platinum and palladium jewelry for more than 20 years.
You can view the catalog of these unique products on our salon website. In addition to standard products, we offer uniquely beautiful cufflinks, watches, eyeglass frames and brooches. If you were unable to choose a worthy piece of jewelry for yourself, Platinor consultants will promptly select for you a product with which your image will become unique.
Types of products
Palladium products presented in modern jewelry stores include all main groups of women's and men's jewelry. To create them, craftsmen use the metal itself, enamel inserts and combinations of precious and semi-precious stones. Among the artistic techniques that make it possible to give a product an unforgettable look, experts note giving the metal surface a texture, which is expressed in a variety of wavy lines.
For the female audience, craftsmen present rings, pendants and earrings made of palladium in combination with various stones. Such jewelry looks sophisticated and elegant on its owner, and thanks to the variety of shapes, it can be used both for an everyday look and as an addition to an evening dress.
Palladium rings remain the most popular metal products. The rather high demand for these products is explained by several advantages of the metal over its precious competitors. Palladium is durable and lightweight, so even a massive ring or ring will not weigh too much. This platinum group element is resistant to air, corrosive processes and mechanical damage in the form of scratches. Thanks to these properties, palladium jewelry retains its beautiful shine and attractive appearance for a long time.
The metal is anti-allergenic, so palladium rings can be worn constantly. It is thanks to this property that wedding jewelry has earned positive reviews from its owners. The white shade of the alloy looks stylish; if necessary, the jewelry can be complemented with other items made from a different material. Since the cost of palladium is lower than the prices of gold and platinum, purchasing earrings or rings from this metal will reduce your costs: at a lower price you will receive an original product that is in no way inferior in beauty to white gold.
Palladium wedding rings are an alternative to rhodium plated gold items. By purchasing jewelry made from platinum group metal, you get a beautiful and durable product at a lower price. Gold rhodium-plated rings wear out when worn constantly: to maintain the top layer of rhodium in its original form, you will have to periodically visit a jewelry maker. Restoring the rhodium finish costs extra money. Palladium rings do not require this treatment.
A palladium chain will be an excellent addition to the image of a business woman. Modern technologies and the experience of craftsmen make it possible to make not only standard chains, but also products woven from thin palladium wire. The result of the master’s painstaking work looks unusual and extremely elegant.
Some experts in the field of jewelry classify palladium as a “masculine” metal, so manufacturers are increasingly including jewelry for men in their collections: signets, tie clips, crosses and cufflinks. Palladium cufflinks are an ideal complement to formal business suits, which is why they have been in demand recently. Considering that men's fashion does not stand still, designers offer not only cufflinks made of this precious metal, but also other products to complement them: the combination of cufflinks on shirt cuffs with a tie clip and ring will not disrupt the overall style of a business man.
Men's jewelry, as well as truly feminine palladium jewelry, is characterized by the use of enamel, textured surfaces and precious stone inserts. Jewelry for the stronger half of humanity is complemented by images of antique signs and other motifs that can emphasize the status of their owner. Men's jewelry made from palladium with diamonds is elegant and indispensable in combination with white shirts and expensive suits. The arrangement of diamonds on a product can be any; photographs of the collections of famous designers show that the stones can be laid out in a row or scattered in a path. Some models feature a diamond in a single precious setting.
How much does a gram of palladium cost?
Previously, the metal was one of the outsiders of the noble four and was only superior in price to silver. But about five years ago, there was a shortage of raw materials in nature. Since then, its value has been growing by leaps and bounds - by 2021 it had increased by 180% . Today, one troy ounce of palladium costs the buyer $2,180. It is valued more expensive than its main competitors, whose similar indicator is:
- gold – 1932 USD;
- platinum – 912 USD;
- silver – 27 USD.
One ounce contains 31 grams. Accordingly, one gram of palladium costs a little more than seventy dollars
The cost of the finished product depends on the sample. The fewer impurities in the alloy, the higher it is. In America and Europe, jewelry is made from 950, 850 and 500 grade metal. Our jewelers work only with the last two varieties, and avoid the most expensive one. Meanwhile, it is 950-carat palladium that is considered the most beautiful and most suitable for jewelry.
Other factors also influence the price: the complexity of the design, the presence of precious stones, and the brand’s eminence. Nowadays, exclusive palladium jewelry is more expensive than gold and platinum jewelry. But experts predict that raw materials will soon become cheaper and more accessible.
Domestic manufacturers
Palladium jewelry is created by both domestic and foreign jewelry craftsmen. Few people work with this metal in Russia; among the manufacturers are Treasure House LTD and Krastsvetmet OJSC.
is engaged not only in the manufacture of jewelry, but also works with metal in other areas: the organization offers consumers palladium in standard ingots containing from 99.95 to 99.98% of the main element and state standard samples of refined metal. OJSC Krastsvetmet is of the opinion that palladium is a more “masculine” metal, therefore it produces jewelry, mostly intended for male consumers. The plant's assortment includes palladium cufflinks, as well as pendants, crosses, rings and signet rings.
Jewelry House is a company that has not only been able to present several collections of palladium jewelry in recent years, but also, together with MMC Norilsk Nickel, to increase interest in the metal among consumers. Despite the fact that buyers are most often only interested in palladium rings, companies have managed to develop interest in other products.
is a member of the American alliance of palladium jewelry manufacturers Palladium Alliance International and regularly presents its collections at world exhibition venues. In addition to palladium wedding rings, the Jewelry House collections include exquisite palladium earrings, pendants, rings and other products. On the Russian market, Jewelry House promotes its jewelry under the Palladium Brilliant brand.
Specialists of the Jewelry House note among the features of their products the presence of unusual combinations of metal with precious stones and colored enamel, the diamond shine of the frame, durability and light weight. The company's collections include bridal jewelry, men's jewelry, office jewelry, as well as jewelry with colored stones and colored enamel.
Consumers of different groups can easily find a product for themselves: for future newlyweds there is a large selection of wedding rings made of palladium, for the female audience - exquisite rings and earrings with stones, for business men - rings and cufflinks made of palladium, for the young and active - jewelry with colored enamel.
How to choose?
Before you start choosing a ring model, you need to decide on the width of the product. It depends not on a person’s preferences, but on the length of his fingers. For those with long, narrow fingers, narrow rings with a width of up to 4 mm, and very wide rings with a width of over 8 mm are suitable.
When the fingers are long but dense, then wide rings - 6-8 mm - look beautiful.
For fingers of medium length of different densities, you need to select medium rings - 4-6 mm. Short fingers of different sizes are adorned only with narrow products.
Medium, and especially wide, jewelry will visually shorten your fingers even more. Having determined the range of the optimal width of the product, you can begin choosing a design. With this approach, the ring will look harmonious on your hand.
Attention of foreign designers
Experts admit that palladium is only gaining popularity in the jewelry industry. Famous fashion designers are also helping to increase the demand for jewelry made from this metal. Among the first to include palladium products in her collections was Vivienne Westwood, known for her extravagance. Her exclusive collection was designed to draw attention to the natural world and environmental issues.
Another English jeweler, Stephen Webster, known for his creations in Gothic and Victorian styles, used palladium as an experimental material. In his opinion, the metal is universal, so standard palladium rings are a small part of what jewelers can make. The Stephen Webster brand focused on unusual women's jewelry and directed its efforts to creating unique brooches and women's cufflinks that are part of modern fashion.
The Italian company Antonini also produced asymmetric pendants and rings made of palladium. Photos from fashion shows confirm the interest in such jewelry from world famous stars. The company's designers in their collection relied on a combination of two precious metals: palladium became a symbol of new times, and gold – the traditions of past years.
The David Alan company, which creates traditional jewelry with precious metals, has also become a fan of metal. In the company's collections you can find earrings for every taste: the base of the product is palladium surrounding a diamond. The House of Cartier offers its clients men's accessories made of palladium: watches, key rings, lighters and pens.
The popularity of palladium in jewelry is not great, but experts agree that the time for this metal has not yet come. Nowadays such jewelry is considered something unusual, but at the same time elegant and modern. Jewelers believe that very soon, wedding rings made of palladium will become commonplace, and the demand for other products made from the precious metal will increase along with its value.
