The Rise of Palladium in the Jewelry Business

When it comes to jewelry making, palladium is used as a precious metal. Its rise in popularity among jewelry makers is due to some of its traits that make it more desirable than other metals. In fact, it is one of the three most common metals used in making white gold alloys. Some white gold includes nickel which is known to cause allergies, so palladium is a great choice if the wearer is looking for something hypoallergenic. With palladium already having white qualities there is no need for it to be rhodium plated.

As popular as platinum is, palladium is pushing forward, surpassing it. Not only is it a little whiter than platinum and costs much less, it is also 12% harder than platinum and fairly lighter. Jewelers especially love the weight aspect of it. Most metals that jewelry is cast from are fairly heavy and can cause noticeable changes to the wearer. Earrings in particular that are fairly big have been known to stretch out the wearer’s earlobes. With palladium being a lighter metal, the earrings or other jewelry can be made with the same heavy jewels but will not weigh down the person wearing it. Rings also benefit from being made of it. Traditionally, they are made with softer metals which can be a problem; the prongs holding the stones in place may bend causing you to lose the stones and ruin your ring. Now, your whole ring can be made of palladium and the likelihood of you losing a stone is almost next to impossible!