Over at DiamondReview.com, a consumer that is going from a medical profession to becoming a rancher’s wife needs assistance with picking out the right metal or her engagement ring. Here’s what she’s posted:
"I have picked out an engagement ring and am now trying to decide on which metal. I was planning on going with white gold since platinum is out of our price range. However I have been reading more and more about palladium. Does anyone have a palladium ring, and how do you like it? Also what are the recommendations?"
Here are some of the responses:
“High nickel white gold alloys can be considerably harder, and thus more scratch resistant - however they can cause rashes in about 10% of the population, and may be hard to find… As an alternative - could you perhaps consider a 'working' ring in something like tungsten carbide? That would be extremely wear resistant. (This answer then links to an alternative metal wedding ring website - http://www.titanium-jewelry.com/tr-2127wc-d.html).”
“There's also the desirability over the long term- where gold, and platinum have proved to stand the test of time. A lot of those in the trade feel that palladium is rather a 'flash in the pan.'
That does not mean you should not buy it, but only our experience. I'd be interested in other's experiences that have bought it.”
I disagree with palladium being labeled as a “flash in the pan.” First detailed findings of palladium date back to 1805, and palladium usage took off in the 70s for use in the automotive industry. And wherever platinum is mined, there can be palladium; it's not like palladium was just invevnted.
“I have a 3 carat radiant cut bezel set in palladium. I do construction for a living and my ring still looks great. I even use my ring as a bottle opener. The palladium has held up great for me. Just my $.02…”
“1) Palladium is almost the same price as 14kt white gold”
Now this is true, but it also may depend on the manufacturer or type of merchandise.
“2) Palladium has virtually no scrap value, as opposed to white gold, which does.”
Precious metals have intrinsic value, so I disagree with this statement 100%. Of course, due to it metal price, the intrinsic value of palladium is lower than that of gold or platinum. If you know the weight of a piece of jewelry, you can calculate its scrap value here - http://www.silverrecyclers.com/. You can see how much difference in value platinum, palladium and gold are.
“My wife and I both have platinum rings, but not after doing a hefty amount of research on what precious metal is best out of the several top choices out there. I was in the same kind of boat that you are in, looking at other precious metal options for our rings… but I ended up splurging on platinum. It's worth every penny - and you can simply pay it off over time if you're really worried about the cost.”
I agree 100% that platinum is worth its price, and platinum’s price is not all that much more than white gold right now. You pay for platinum’s benefits, much like you pay for the benefits of a higher-end car, or a house with a pool and central air.
“Can you elaborate on what it means to 'restore' a platinum ring, and what the differences would be compared to restoring a gold ring? By that I mean, what kind of wear or damage is repaired when a ring is 'restored,' who would perform this restoration, and by what method is it restored? Does this simply mean that it's easier to polish back to an original look than other metals, or is there some other process applied that does something else to 'restore' the metal?”
“Considering 'restoration possibilities' is quite misleading. A gold ring can be restored to look brand new. Platinum does wear better- in other words: if we are comparing two rings of the same style- one 14 ( or 18)kt gold, the other platinum- and these rings are worn for many years, the platinum will show a lot less wear- but the gold one could be restored, no problem.”
“One thing to know (and I am surprised so many jewelers leave this out . . .) platinum AND palladium are softer than 14k white gold. Therefore they WILL scratch easier and develop what is often called a patina, or thousands of itty-bitty scratches. It kind of gives the ring a dull, antique look. I personally prefer 14k white gold because it is harder and in my opinion and experience stays shinnier longer. Yes, it has to be rhodium plated, but then again, a platinum ring needs to be repolished to look new too. All metals require some maintenance to stay looking new. But I would guess most jewelers would charge less to rhodium plate than to repolish a platinum ring given the time consuming nature of polishing platinum.”
Restoring can also be called refinishing. When you refinish gold, metal mass can be lost. Just as when you scratch gold, you scratch metal off the ring. There is less metal loss with platinum and palladium.
“White gold is alloyed to be white, which is really more a dingy white, which is why it is routinely plated with Rhodium, which is also in the platinum family, to make it whiter. The Rhodium will wear and need to be polished and reapplied. Platinum and Palladium both scratch easily, which means that it'll lose the shiny white look and start to take on a steely-grey look, which some people prefer.”
I am also glad that someone has mentioned rhodium plating. Rhodium does wear off over time, though.
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