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.
Palladium 950 is an ideal replacement for white gold.
Palladium is one of the metals of the platinum group, which also contains iridium, osmium, palladium, platinum, rhodium and ruthenium. These metals are also sometimes called "noble" metals due to their resistance to corrosion. Among these metals, palladium has the lowest density and melting point. Palladium is found in the Earth 30 times less frequently than gold.Palladium has similar physical characteristics to platinum, including strength, luster, and a similar silvery-white color. But there are also differences that make this metal more attractive to jewelers and consumers. Palladium is more malleable and 40% lighter than platinum, so jewelers can make jewelry from palladium in larger sizes and more complex shapes. The lighter weight of palladium to the consumer also means that jewelry made from it will be cheaper. In addition, since palladium is naturally white, restoring its shiny surface is much easier and cheaper. In other words, palladium preserves the appearance of platinum while addressing two issues that have put platinum out of reach for many consumers—weight and price.
At room temperatures, pure palladium has the unusual property of absorbing 900 times its weight in hydrogen, forming the compound Pd2H. Therefore, palladium was originally and primarily used for gas purification, including in automobile catalysts, which help reduce emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. As a catalyst, palladium converts these emissions into less toxic compounds such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen.
Innovative developments made palladium more susceptible to casting and use in jewelry only in the late 2000s. Although palladium was first used in jewelry back in 1939, due to problems in obtaining the metal on an industrial scale and with the desired properties, it was not particularly widespread. The jewelry alloy used throughout the world, unlike in Russia, is known as Palladium 950 (Pd950). It contains 95% palladium, about 5% ruthenium and a small amount of gallium. In some cases, titanium is used instead of ruthenium. Alloys with ruthenium are ideal for casting ordinary jewelry; alloys with titanium are used for the production of wedding rings processed on turning and milling machines. Palladium, which is usually soft and ductile (it can be rolled out to a thickness of 0.00001m), after annealing (quenching) becomes 35-40% harder.
In Russia, unfortunately, palladium is not widely used in jewelry due to the lack of special vacuum furnaces, processing centers and technologies. The fact is that palladium, when heated to 800 degrees (at its own melting point of 1554 degrees Celsius), reacts with oxygen and crumbles into black powder. Therefore, casting requires vacuum furnaces with inert gases as a combustion medium. In addition, 850 grade copper is used, which makes the alloys extremely soft and darkens over time.
Many types of jewelry contain palladium, usually as an alloy to give the gold its white color. Previously in Europe, and now in Russia and other developing countries, to reduce the cost of the process and the cost of the alloy, nickel is used as a bleaching agent. However, the high incidence of allergic reactions to nickel has forced a large number of jewelers to switch to palladium alloys (especially in Europe, which has placed restrictions on the use of nickel in jewelry). Due to its anti-allergenic properties and hardness, palladium is also widely used in dentistry. Its ductility makes it ideal for the manufacture of crowns, bridges and implants where the palladium content is at least 20%. Palladium is also used in medical instruments, electrical contacts and in watchmaking.
Today, scientists are getting even more benefits from palladium. The white metal plays a particularly important role in fuel cell research. Fuel cells are an exciting new technology: a device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat and water, with virtually no pollution. Fuel cells promise to completely transform modern society, and palladium plays an important role in modern research.
Palladium production sources are very limited. More than 80% of the world's palladium production is concentrated in just two countries: Russia and South Africa. The Russian Federation alone accounts for almost half of the total palladium supply. Outside Russia, another significant palladium mining site is the Bushveld mine in South Africa, where platinum group metals are mined as primary products by open-pit mining. Palladium is also mined in small deposits in South and North America, Ethiopia and Australia.
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.
Types of palladium rings
At first, jewelers considered palladium an exclusively masculine metal and made jewelry from it for representatives of the stronger half of humanity.
With the increasing popularity of jewelry made of light and hypoallergenic metal, men's, women's and couples collections of marriage symbols began to be developed.
The following types of rings are in greatest demand among newlyweds:
- Classic model, inlaid with one stone. It can be recessed into the metal or held in place by fasteners of various shapes. Jewelers decorate items with various precious and semi-precious stones, but most often use colorless diamonds. Palladium is similar in appearance to high-status platinum and expensive white gold, and its strength ensures reliable fastening of stones. Therefore, palladium rings with diamonds are a good alternative to expensive jewelry.
- Original models with stones. Rings with a gap into which a stone of the same width as the rim of the product is inserted are popular. Rectangular or round stones with different types of cuts are used.
- With a relief surface. The most popular models among newlyweds are those with waves of different shapes applied to the surface.
- With inserts made of jewelry enamel or completely covered with it. Such jewelry is one of the fashion trends of recent years.
- With external engraving in the form of fingerprints or a cardiogram of the other half. This is another fashion trend. According to experts, it will gain popularity in the coming years. An unusual design gives wedding rings individuality and makes them original.
The advantage of palladium rings is that over time, unlike gold and silver products, they will not fade or change their appearance.
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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.
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.
