I've been reading a lot about palladium and platinum rings...
Does anyone have experience in these metals together - I know that they are from the same 'ium' family and look so similar, but would they live together well on the finger without damaging one another? I have a platinum engagement ring, and we are just looking at the different possibilities of ring choices... any tips or hints would be very much appreciated!
xx
CommentAuthorsmooch
edited
Hi BarbieBride
I can tell you loads about Palladium - but I'll start with your main query - how do they work together?
The answer is they are fine together. They are of a similar hardness when made into rings so they won't wear on each other. They also look very similar in colour and can be finished in exactly the same way - highly polished, matt finish, sand blasted and other textures.
Palladium is very tough but is a bit lighter than Platinum. However on your finger you won't notice the difference.
The main advantage (and its a very important one these days) is than Palladium rings cost less than half the price of Platinum! In some cases it can be a much as 60% cheaper. Palladium also has the advantage of never needing to be replated like White Gold.
Hope that helps
CommentAuthorBarbieBride
Thank you Smooch :) And this sounds like a *really* silly question, but I'm going to go ahead and ask it anyway - Can you have diamonds embedded into a palladium ring? xx
CommentAuthorsmooch
Its not a silly question at all! Its okay for experts like us to assume everyone knows about jewellery but if you haven't seen it or bought it before, how would you know?
Palladium is PEFECT for setting diamonds and other stones. This is because Palladium how what is called a 'low spring back' rate. This means that when you set the diamond and 'push' the palladium over it to hold it in place - it stays there.
CommentAuthorBarbieBride
:D Thank you so much - you have been really helpful! xx
sorry to steal the thread a bit but if you put them together with palladium being a tougher metal will it rub away the platinum?? i got told that i cant even have 9ct white gold to go with my 18ct white gold engagement ring cos it will rub it away! is this true cos iv had lots of different jewelers telling me lots of different things and would i be able to mix palladium and white gold?? because my ring needs re-dipping after about 3 months and its expensive to do!! not to mention annoying!! xx
i cannot wait to marry my best friend
i love you ry!!!
engaged midnight 2009
Mrs Ryan Sheader (to be) lol :D
CommentAuthorsmooch
Hi Krazykitty I'm sorry but this is going to get a bit technical. I hope I don't confuse anyone but there is almost no difference in the amount of wear if you have two same metals together and two different metals together.
In their pure 'bullion' form there is a difference in the hardness but once they have been made into a ring - with hammering, heating, bending, turning and all the other proocesses they go through, you can end up with gold that is harder than platinum and vice versa!
We've had discussions with our bullion suppliers, the Assay office (which is responsible for certifying the purity of the precious metals), our own craftsmen and many others but we can't find a proven link that shows that different metals will wear away faster then the same metals.
Theoretically 18 carat gold is harder than 9 carat - but in practice thats not necessarily true because different workshops use different methods to craft the ring.
Our opinion, based on decades in jewellery and all of the knowledge we have shared with other professionals in the business is - don't worry about it - the differences are too small to see. You can mix metals without any worry.
If your white gold ring needs redipping every 3 months now it will probably last just as long with a ring of a different metal next to it. In any case its very common for an 18 carat engagment ring to be harder than and 18 carat wedding ring because of the different tchniques used to make them.
Our advice is - buy the best ring you can afford and buy it from a jewller that gives a lifetime guarantee - that way you won't have to worry about re-dippping etc.
CommentAuthorkrazykitty
thank you x it just gewts confusing haveing one person say one thing and another saying another! lol so basically it will need redipping the same no matter what ring i get! xx ta
i cannot wait to marry my best friend
i love you ry!!!
engaged midnight 2009
Mrs Ryan Sheader (to be) lol :D
CommentAuthorlilolill
hi barbiebride were having palladiumq and ive got a platinum engagment ring it looks fine together really happy with it x
is very excited for our special day!!
CommentAuthorBarbieBride
Oooh, fabulous, thanxx lilolill! The idea of palladium is very interesting and we are definitely considering it for our wedding rings...
And I know what you mean krazykitty, I kept hearing different things about materials from different people, it gets confusing! It's great to have smooch here to help :D
xx
CommentAuthorkrazykitty
definitely agree!! i have seen a lot of gorgeous rings but we dont have a huge budget for them so was terrified at the thought of having to get an 18ct one for me especially cos i want some stones in it too but if it not gonna matter either way then i can get the 9ct one or even a palladium one and just have to worry about the engagement ring having to be re dipped every couple of months!! xx ta smooch! xx
i cannot wait to marry my best friend
i love you ry!!!
engaged midnight 2009
Mrs Ryan Sheader (to be) lol :D
CommentAuthorsuzky123
hi, sorry to be a pain but we have been to god knows how many jewelers and they are all saying the same thing, dont mix platinum with anything else, be that gold or palladium????
Also h2b is unsure. He has been told not to get platinum as this scratches too easily and white gold will be cheaper for him (they will re-coat for free every year) and harder wearing due to what it is alloyed with and it will scratch less. I must admit my platinum e.ring scratches a fair bit. h2b is worried though as with platinum, when polished you lose no atoms, just move them around. With gold, you do wear small amounts of it away. Any help here for him please.
cant wait to be Mrs Evans less than 3 weeks woooo
start weight 10st 1.5 lbs
weight now 8st 4.5 lbs
total loss to date: 24.5 lbs now need to maintain!
CommentAuthorsmooch
Hi Suzky123
I sympathise with your predicament because there are lots of 'opinions' out there about mixing metals.
First point I want to make is that ALL JEWELLERY METALS SCRATCH. Even titanium which is VERY hard and durable will scratch.
However, if you have a soft alloy the scratches will 'fade' quickly because the metal is gradually worn into a smooth finish again - washing your hands putting your hands in a pocket - lots of things have a slight poilishing effect. However if you have a harder alloy - and Platinum rings do tend to be slightly harder, the scratches will not polish out so easily. But if you buy from a jeweller that offers a free lifetime polishing service as part of the guarantee this will not be a problem. Nobody can say for certain that a white gold ring will be softer or harder than platinum - it all depends on the way that ring was made. Pure gold is softer than pure platinum - but no jewellery is made from pure metals - it is always mixed (or alloyed) with other metals. But its the way they are made that decides how hard they are. Every time you heat metal it becomes harder but we use a special technique to soften the metal agaian so we can continue to shape and craft it.
As I mentioned above there is no general rule regarding how hard the metal in your ring will be compared with any other metal.
However if you have a platinum engagement ring it is in the jewellers interest to sell you a platinum wedding ring - because it will be twice the price, so that may influence their advice. I'm not saying they all do that but as I said earlier we talk to the government assay office and they agree with our view that mising metals is not a problem.
The amount of metal lost in polishing is TINY - it takes decades to see any wear on a platinum ring or palladium ring.
In the end you have to go with your instincts but I am absolutely confident that ther is no problem mxing the metals
CommentAuthorFaeth
And just a little "real life" evidence to back up what Smooch are saying about there being no hard and fast way to tell how hard metals are, my Mum had a 9ct gold ring next to an 18ct gold wedding ring, and although in *theory* the 9ct gold one would be the harder metal, it was actually that ring that wore thin, and not the wedding ring.
"Of course I'm not wedding obsessed!!"
CommentAuthorsuzky123
thanks smooch i will let h2b know. hes in a real predicament whether to get platinum or white gold.
cant wait to be Mrs Evans less than 3 weeks woooo
start weight 10st 1.5 lbs
weight now 8st 4.5 lbs
total loss to date: 24.5 lbs now need to maintain!
CommentAuthorsmooch
To be honest Suzky123 I would recomend Palladium. It has all the benefits of Platinum (durable, doesn't yellow, ages well) but is less than half the cost, as I said earlier. Its definitely worth a look!
CommentAuthorsuzky123
edited
h2b is just dubious about the quality and the cheapness of it... hes not impressed that he has been advised to go for white gold instead of platinum so I think pushing him towards palladium may push him over the edge hehe. Of the two which do you think will be better... he owns a fishing tackle shop so not too manual. he wants a high quality ring and money for him with the rings is no object as his attitude is that this lasts after the wedding
cant wait to be Mrs Evans less than 3 weeks woooo
start weight 10st 1.5 lbs
weight now 8st 4.5 lbs
total loss to date: 24.5 lbs now need to maintain!
CommentAuthorsmooch
edited
Hello again Suzky123.
Okay - as far as quality goes Palladium is just as good s Platinum - they are from the same family of metals and are both hallmarked 950 which means they are 95% pure, with just a small amount of other metals added to help them in the manufacturing process.
They are very similar in their physical characteristics. Platinum is more dense, so if you compared a palladium ring with a platinum ring of the same design the palladium ring would not feel quite so heavy. Palladium is just as rare as Platinum. The only reason its less expensive at the moment is that it is not marketed so cleverly as platinum - which had been used in jewellery for nearly a hundred years wheras palladium has only really been used for the last 10 years.
However if you are thinking about either White Gold or Platinum it comes down to budget because Platinum wins every time over White Gold in terms of durability. Even the best quality 18 carat white gold (like we use at smooch) may need to be replated eventually. Standard quality 18 ct White Gold, like that you find in most high street stores, will need to be replated every few months. If you choose 9ct White gold it will need replating every few months as it always yellows
So if he's not convinced about Palladium I would go for Platinum. If he really wants white gold make sure you go for 18 carat and ask the jeweller to confirm its a 'high palladium content' white gold that will not need to be replated every few months.
I'm sorry if this is all a bit confusing and I hope my answer will help you both to reach a decision now that you have a little more information.
CommentAuthorkrazykitty
sorry to ask again but if i got a palladium ring then it wouldnt affect my white gold ring as it would still need re dipping every month or so anyway?? just so i know x ta am trying to talk to h2b bout it all but am getting confused again! (probs cos tired haha) x
i cannot wait to marry my best friend
i love you ry!!!
engaged midnight 2009
Mrs Ryan Sheader (to be) lol :D
CommentAuthorsmooch
KrazyKitty - The Palladium wouldn't affect your white gold ring but if you currently have to re-dip your white gold ring every few months you would still need to have it re-dipped as often as it does now.
CommentAuthorMariephiz
I have a palladium engagement ring (which Ive heard is not adviseable) but I absolutely love it! I wanted platinum purely because I'm not the sort of person who will get it re-plated or polished etc. I think h2b spent around £500 which is about what I wanted him to spend, I dont wear jewellry and didnt want something that I was too scared to wear. Palladium is perfect for me, with practicality, affordable-ness and generally being beautiful! I cant wait to design my palladium wedding ring now!
CommentAuthorKaya
Suzky.... I been told not to mix plat and palladium as well but all the jewellers we've seen. Some have said you can mix them if you want, but there's no long term evidence you can wear the together. All sooooo confusing!!
Now Mrs Cobb!!!!!! :-D
CommentAuthorsmooch
edited
Mariephiz.
I don't know who told you that it wasn't adisable to have a wedding ring made from Palladium but they couldn't be more wrong. Palladium is perfect for setting large stones as it is very stable and the stones are less likely to become loose. In addition, as you said, it never needs to be replated. Best of all its MUCH cheaper than Platinum and cheaper than 18ct white gold.
However - now its been 'discovered' by the ring buying public its started to go up in price quite quikly and will probably go above white gold soon and mych closer to platinum in price. So not only is it beautiful but it will be a good investment.
sales of palladium are growing every month with no sign of any problems.
CommentAuthorsuzky123
we got told by one jeweller to make the ring harder to use 14 carat gold if going for a gold band. Not sure how we feel about this???
cant wait to be Mrs Evans less than 3 weeks woooo
start weight 10st 1.5 lbs
weight now 8st 4.5 lbs
total loss to date: 24.5 lbs now need to maintain!
CommentAuthorMariephiz
Thanks smooch! Just told h2b that we need to buy our rings very soon to get the most value for our money!
CommentAuthordee
My original engagement ring was white gold, within the first year i had it replated 4 times, we then decided to get a higher quality ring and were originally looking at platinum. After much discussion and mainly for financial reasons we opted for palladium over platinum. I am so glad that we did, i love my ring. it is really hard wearing and always looks great. We have ordered and received our wedding rings in palladium too, which are also gorgeous, really glad we made the decision that we did. Palladium all the way !!!
Can't wait to become Mrs Hardwicke. . .
CommentAuthorMariephiz
Love it, cant believe its so under-used in wedding jewellry! I love the fact noone else I know has a palladium ring too, though I know that will change!
CommentAuthorExcited_bride_to_be
My husband to be and I chose our rings the other week. They are both made out of palladium. They're coming tomorrow, I cannot wait! :) Xxx
CommentAuthorKimi
My engagement ring is platinum and my wedding band is shaped (to fit round my engagement ring) palladium with diamonds. Perfect for me especially with the bargain price in comparison to the platinum variation.
Shop around and ask if they can do palladium if that's what you want. It worked for me and I'm super-happy with what I got. Just over 4 months and I'll be wearing it. Woot!
The days are flying by, can't wait :)
CommentAuthorBarbieBride
Thank you for all the advice everyone! It has really helped xx
CommentAuthorJilly17
bump
CommentAuthorsam73
Ok my h2b has a palladium ring and I have platinum I was worrie when I ordered it that they wouldn't look the same as we wanted matching colour however I could not have been more assurered when I went to see one and matched my E ring with it, you would never know as there is no difference. You can get palladium shiny or matt so as long as you get the shiny one it will match. Hope this helps x
CommentAuthorOfficially Mrs M
i've got a white gold engagement ring and i've been told that i can wear a palladium wedding band next to it without damaging each other, i'm not so sure really do i'm going to try a few different jewellers to see what they say i get the feeling this particular shop just wanted me to buy them!
any advice smooch?
8th September 2012 I married my best friend
1st September 2014 our little family grew by one
Women are made to be loved, not understood. - Oscar Wilde
CommentAuthorAli
I've got an 18k white gold engagment ring and my wedding ring is Palladium, and together they look perfect (thanks again smooch)
Happy to be Mrs Holt, love my husband and love the memories
of our wedding day
CommentAuthorsmooch
edited
Hi Mrs Mann - This is always a hot topic on UKB.
The simple answer is that (as Ali says above) they look fine together. Palladium will always look bright, white and shiny - it never yellows. Your White Gold engagement ring may go a bit yellow from time to time but if you have it redipped it will be bright, white and shiny again - just like Palladium. Palladium doesn't cost as much so most customers spend what they save on additional diamonds!
Hope that helps
CommentAuthorx~Hails~x
Bug ger i forgot to phone smooch lol
UKBride moderator both on here and on facebook
For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart
It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.
CommentAuthorOfficially Mrs M
sent you a message smooch!
8th September 2012 I married my best friend
1st September 2014 our little family grew by one
Women are made to be loved, not understood. - Oscar Wilde
CommentAuthorsmooch
Mrs Mann - Didn't get a message can you call our customer service line. The number is on the bottom left of our website home page. Thanks!
CommentAuthorkrazykitty
Smooch I need help I have had my engagement ring for about 2.5 years now and I have lost a stone twice! Along with the having to be re dipped all the time!! The people in the shop we got it from are acting as if this is normal and are going to charge for it to be sorted out! Is it normal for this to happen?? I am getting fed up with it now!! Grr
i cannot wait to marry my best friend
i love you ry!!!
engaged midnight 2009
Mrs Ryan Sheader (to be) lol :D
CommentAuthorsmooch
edited
Hi KrazyKitty
Sorry for the slow response - its a bit busy in our neck of the woods. Now - to answer your questions....
Unfortunately diamonds do come out of rings sometimes and there's very little that can be done to prevent it from ever happening. However it should be a fairly rare occurrence.
DIamonds come out for a variety of reasons.
It can be because you may have (unknowingly) knocked the ring and caused the diamond to crack or split and the broken pieces have fallen out. Although diamonds are VERY hard if they are knocked in just the right (wrong) place they can shatter. But this shouldn't happen again and again.
It could be that the setting is not good enough or the design is poor - then the diamonds will keep coming out. Even if its out of its guarantee the retailer should repair it.
Whatever the reason, if it keeps happening, you should stand your ground and demand that they do the repair free of sharge or replace the ring because it is clearly not fit for purpose. Its like a shoe retailer refusing to replace faulty shows because you've worn them. We guarantee our rings for life and will replace diamonds free of charge if they ever come out
I'm assuming the ring is white gold. Unfortunately if this is the case you will have to have the ring 'dipped' fairly often. 9 carat white gold is more likely to 'tarnish' than 18 carat but all white gold has to be re-plated with Rhodium on a regular basis to keep it that beautiful silvery white colour. Better quality 18 carat white gold contains a lot of palladium and stays whiter for longer.
Some retailers will do this free of charge during the guarantee period. A small number will do it free of charge for life.
One option is to have the stones reset on a palladium band because this will never yellow and you'll save the £30 - £50 that replating costs each time you do it. This soon adds up.
