geckodanie - how are you liking the palladium?

[laurel25]

I''m kind of torn between white gold and palladium now. I thought that I had my mind made up about wanting white gold for my e-ring until I was playing around with some of my rings last night and was comparing my antique platinum ring and my old platinum w-ring with some of my white gold rings. So, how are you liking the palladium? How does the color compare to platinum in your opinion?

Thanks!

 

[geckodani]

I am LOVING the palladium. It''s crazy shiny, and while I have picked up a few scratches on the bottom of the band, the rest of it looks fine - my WG stuff is half scratched the hell in rather short order.

It''s light. It''s comfy. I don''t have platinum to compare it too, but when I put it next to my WG it looks.... richer, I guess? It has more depth if that makes sense. Um, lemme think.

 

[geckodani]

Um, it's a more uniform color all around than my white gold. Out in the sun it looks whiter than my WG, inside I can't really tell a difference.

I really like the finish on it better than anything else I own.

 

[geckodani]

Here''s my old WG set next to the new Palladium.

 

[geckodani]

It''s so shiny it''s picking up my skin tone, LOL. That may not have been the best pic, LOL.

 

[geckodani]

The only downside: I''m having an interesting time finding pre-made bands that I like. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[laurel25]

Thanks for all the infor and the pictures. I''m just torn right now between which one to go with. I''ve contacted Julian to ask what Ritani''s settings are made with - 950 palladium or an 18K white gold/palladium alloy. I don''t like the way the gold alloy looks at all - it''s just too dark of a grey color for my tastes.

Also, do you remember how wide the Ritani you were consider was? I really don''t want anything over 2.5mm and would prefer to stay around 2mm if possible. One of the things I HATED about my old e-ring setting was how bulky it looked and it never looked right on my hand - made my already short fingers/small hands look even stubbier. I''ve found that thinner bands are much more flattering on me.

P.S. - sorry I spelled your screen name wrong in the title - I didn''t realize it until after I''d submitted it and then it was too late to change.

 

[geckodani]

No worries on the screen name.

Ritani uses 950PD, to my knowledge. The band was 2.5mm, same as mine, but the taper towards the stone is more drastic than mine.

I am really, really liking this metal.

 

[geckodani]

Oh! BTW - I was in the elevator at work, looked down at my hand, and was really struck by how much more depth it has. I was initially surprised, as my WG appeard whiter at first.

 

[geckodani]

Sorry for all the posts, I keep thinking of things. I''m going to see my sister tomorrow and she has platinum. I can take my WG band and try to pry her ring off her finger to take a picture of all 3 side by side, if you like.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Hey guys! I know this has only been between you two so far, but I''d love to know the difference in all 3 compared - I''ve been leaning towards platinum but don''t know much about palladium at all. I''d love to see some pics if you can get them! And if either of you have any advice/preference on why you like one of the 3 better than the other (I know you posted about the color difference, I kind of wonder about durability, scratches, maintenance, etc.) that''d be great.

 

[laurel25]

Date: 10/24/2008 11:43:19 AM
Author: geckodani
Sorry for all the posts, I keep thinking of things. I''m going to see my sister tomorrow and she has platinum. I can take my WG band and try to pry her ring off her finger to take a picture of all 3 side by side, if you like.

That would be awesome, but don''t go to too much trouble. I just want to be sure that the palladium doesn''t look really grey. If I go with the Petite Cathedral I know I''ll get white gold (palladium isn''t offered, unless you do it custom) and that will be fine because there will be less metal on top, so you won''t notice the discoloration as the rhodium wears off nearly as much as you would on a solitaire. That''s why if I go the solitaire route, I think it would have to be palladium because then I ouldn''t have to worry about getting it replated.

 

[geckodani]

I''ll do my best to get the pics!

This is from Julian at Pearlmans, I hope he doesn''t mind me posting it. This was in response to me asking what he thought of Palladium:

"In my honest opinion palladium is a fantastic jewelry metal. From a visual standpoint it looks identical to high carat white gold and
platinum. It is very strong and scratch resistant. The only "drawback" of palladium is that it is extremely lightweight. For some people this
is a turn-off, for others it is a mark in the plus column. Also naturally it is not as rare as Platinum, hence the lower price tag.
Again on the plus side, palladium is naturally white. It does not need to be rhodium dipped or plated over time like white gold and will look
the same way virtually forever.

It is really just a matter of the customers particular likes and dislikes. For people who want the look and color of platinum, palladium
is a very nice, nicely priced alternative. For people who value the traditional feel and rarity of platinum it is not as appealing."

 

[geckodani]

I don't think it's grey at all, honestly. If Pearlmans has anything palladium in stock, they'll send out a sample to you...

ETA: My sister is going to think me completely insane...

 

[Girlrocks]

I don''t want to sound like a downer, but I didn''t like palladium at all. I had a 3 stone ring made in palladium because I was tired of having to replate WG, and while I really like the color and weight, it was beat up! I even bought a palladium 3mm plain band from eweddingbands.com to go with it so the color would match, and that also got totally beat up so even though each ring came from a different manufacturer, they had the same end result. While my WG rings do get scratched, my palladium rings did not patina like platinum, but actually had dents and dings in them, they looked like someone had chewed on them. I went back to WG. Hopefully you''ll have better luck!

 

[geckodani]

I'll have to wait and see how the Palladium fares going forward. I don't like the way platinum patinas, which is another reason I went with Palladium

Aaaaand: I just found out Adwar can do Palladium. So I may get my band a heck of a lot sooner than I thought!

ETA: Here's the old thread I had going on Palladium: Link!!!

 

[laurel25]

Date: 10/24/2008 12:31:58 PM
Author: Girlrocks
I don''t want to sound like a downer, but I didn''t like palladium at all. I had a 3 stone ring made in palladium because I was tired of having to replate WG, and while I really like the color and weight, it was beat up! I even bought a palladium 3mm plain band from eweddingbands.com to go with it so the color would match, and that also got totally beat up so even though each ring came from a different manufacturer, they had the same end result. While my WG rings do get scratched, my palladium rings did not patina like platinum, but actually had dents and dings in them, they looked like someone had chewed on them. I went back to WG. Hopefully you''ll have better luck!

Hmmm... I''ll have to keep that in mind. I don''t want to deal with dents & dings. This is all so frustrating!

 

[Girlrocks]

Date: 10/24/2008 1:07:34 PM
Author: laurel25

Date: 10/24/2008 12:31:58 PM
Author: Girlrocks
I don''t want to sound like a downer, but I didn''t like palladium at all. I had a 3 stone ring made in palladium because I was tired of having to replate WG, and while I really like the color and weight, it was beat up! I even bought a palladium 3mm plain band from eweddingbands.com to go with it so the color would match, and that also got totally beat up so even though each ring came from a different manufacturer, they had the same end result. While my WG rings do get scratched, my palladium rings did not patina like platinum, but actually had dents and dings in them, they looked like someone had chewed on them. I went back to WG. Hopefully you''ll have better luck!

Hmmm... I''ll have to keep that in mind. I don''t want to deal with dents & dings. This is all so frustrating!

Again, you could have much better luck than I did; I am hard on my jewelry and I always get sturdier, wider bands (a minimum of 3mm) because I never take my rings off unless I am in the shower or doing heavy cleaning, but I thought I''d just throw it out there for you to consider. ALso, I had my ring over a year ago, and I couldn''t find any local jewelers to work on palladium so even a polishing was out of the question. I will say, I really do love the color of palladium over WG, it''s a deaper steelier (if that is a word!) color, not as bright white as rhodium plated WG.

Good luck in whichever you choose! Hope your project turns out great!

 

[geckodani]

Date: 10/24/2008 1:21:13 PM
Author: Girlrocks

Date: 10/24/2008 1:07:34 PM
Author: laurel25

Date: 10/24/2008 12:31:58 PM
Author: Girlrocks
I don''t want to sound like a downer, but I didn''t like palladium at all. I had a 3 stone ring made in palladium because I was tired of having to replate WG, and while I really like the color and weight, it was beat up! I even bought a palladium 3mm plain band from eweddingbands.com to go with it so the color would match, and that also got totally beat up so even though each ring came from a different manufacturer, they had the same end result. While my WG rings do get scratched, my palladium rings did not patina like platinum, but actually had dents and dings in them, they looked like someone had chewed on them. I went back to WG. Hopefully you''ll have better luck!

Hmmm... I''ll have to keep that in mind. I don''t want to deal with dents & dings. This is all so frustrating!

Again, you could have much better luck than I did; I am hard on my jewelry and I always get sturdier, wider bands (a minimum of 3mm) because I never take my rings off unless I am in the shower or doing heavy cleaning, but I thought I''d just throw it out there for you to consider. ALso, I had my ring over a year ago, and I couldn''t find any local jewelers to work on palladium so even a polishing was out of the question. I will say, I really do love the color of palladium over WG, it''s a deaper steelier (if that is a word!) color, not as bright white as rhodium plated WG.

Good luck in whichever you choose! Hope your project turns out great!

I take my rings off pretty much as soon as I get home. *shrug* I like it. I hope it holds up. If I have to send it to Pearlman''s once a year to get polished than so be it, LOL.

 

[geckodani]

Psst, Laurel - I noticed that Scott Kay had sent along a poishing cloth. So out of curiosity I flipped my ring over and gave the scratches on the bottom a rub. And - much to my amazement... NO MORE SCRATCHES! I used it on my little band too that had a few teeny scratches - not any more! Now I obviously won''t be doing this every day, but it''s nice to know it''s an option! Just thought you might want to know!

 

[laurel25]

Hmmm.... Interesting... So is it a special polishing cloth or just one of those regular ones that you can buy in the jewelry department at WalMart/Target/department stores? Also, I tend to take my rings off when I get home too and I almost never wear them on the weekend unless we go out because we work on our house (turning an Amish farm English) every weekend. Plus, I work at a desk all day, so all in all I''m not terribly hard on my jewelry, but I am a klutz!

 

[geckodani]

Date: 10/24/2008 5:40:25 PM
Author: laurel25
Hmmm.... Interesting... So is it a special polishing cloth or just one of those regular ones that you can buy in the jewelry department at WalMart/Target/department stores? Also, I tend to take my rings off when I get home too and I almost never wear them on the weekend unless we go out because we work on our house (turning an Amish farm English) every weekend. Plus, I work at a desk all day, so all in all I''m not terribly hard on my jewelry, but I am a klutz!

Wow, you sound like me, LOL. It feels a little different than the silver cloth I have from the store. Honestly, I''m not sure.

I betcha Julian would know though!

 

[rkp2be]

hi... i just happened to see this post and thought i would chime in! i have palladium and i absolutely LOVE it. i will never go back to WG or platinum (as long as palladium is cheaper!). we designed our ring custom, and palladium was 60% cheaper than plat. it has a beautiful deep silver/white color (NOT gray), and would agree it looks "richer" than WG. also, it stays shiny (except for the bottom of the ring - not dented, but is a little scratched, developing into a patina). i''ve had it since for 5 months today(!) and the main part of the ring is just as shiny as it was when i first got it... and all i ever do to it is clean it w/ dish soap and water w/ a soft toothbrush. it''s not too lightweight - the same weight as WG. and when i''ve compared it to friends'' platinum, the only difference in looks is that it''s shinier.

of course it''s harder to work with, so you need a dependable jeweler who can easily work with palladium. we''re having our jeweler custom-make a WB, but i''m starting to see more and more pre-made palladium rings in stores (however i''m sure the selection isn''t near that of WG or plat).

hope this helps!

 

[geckodani]

Well, I got the pics... and left my camera in my Mom''s car, LOL.

In my defense, we''d been in the car for over 10 hours yesterday, and I was TIRED. She''s mailing it to me (she lives over an hour away) and I''ll post the pics as soon as I get them.

rpk2br - I''m so glad to hear that your ring is aging well!

 

[omieluv]

I have tried on palladium settings and I do prefer them to white gold. That said though, palladium is much lighter than platnium. Personally, I do prefer the heft of platnium and do prefer the metal to all three for a wedding set. For those going against platnium solely because it does form a patina over time, just know it can be polished up to look like new by the jeweler. I have a platinum ring from my great grandmother (made in the 1920's), which really had lost its luster over the years. However, a year ago, I had it polished like new and still has its shine.

With all of that said though, I think palladium is a great value if you can find a jeweler willing to work with it and if you are ok wearing a lighter metal in comparison to platinum.

 

[laurel25]

Date: 10/24/2008 9:19:42 PM
Author: rkp2be
hi... i just happened to see this post and thought i would chime in! i have palladium and i absolutely LOVE it. i will never go back to WG or platinum (as long as palladium is cheaper!). we designed our ring custom, and palladium was 60% cheaper than plat. it has a beautiful deep silver/white color (NOT gray), and would agree it looks ''richer'' than WG. also, it stays shiny (except for the bottom of the ring - not dented, but is a little scratched, developing into a patina). i''ve had it since for 5 months today(!) and the main part of the ring is just as shiny as it was when i first got it... and all i ever do to it is clean it w/ dish soap and water w/ a soft toothbrush. it''s not too lightweight - the same weight as WG. and when i''ve compared it to friends'' platinum, the only difference in looks is that it''s shinier.

of course it''s harder to work with, so you need a dependable jeweler who can easily work with palladium. we''re having our jeweler custom-make a WB, but i''m starting to see more and more pre-made palladium rings in stores (however i''m sure the selection isn''t near that of WG or plat).

hope this helps!

That''s great to hear that you like it so much and that it''s shiny than the platinum!

 

[laurel25]

Date: 10/26/2008 10:38:12 AM
Author: geckodani
Well, I got the pics... and left my camera in my Mom''s car, LOL.

In my defense, we''d been in the car for over 10 hours yesterday, and I was TIRED. She''s mailing it to me (she lives over an hour away) and I''ll post the pics as soon as I get them.

rpk2br - I''m so glad to hear that your ring is aging well!

Thanks so much for the pictures, and please, no rush on getting them up. I know how exhausting being in the car is (it''s 14 hours to get home in MI from MN - ick!)!

 

[laurel25]

Date: 10/26/2008 2:57:04 PM
Author: omieluv
I have tried on palladium settings and I do prefer them to white gold. That said though, palladium is much lighter than platnium. Personally, I do prefer the heft of platnium and do prefer the metal to all three for a wedding set. For those going against platnium solely because it does form a patina over time, just know it can be polished up to look like new by the jeweler. I have a platinum ring from my great grandmother (made in the 1920''s), which really had lost its luster over the years. However, a year ago, I had it polished like new and still has its shine.

With all of that said though, I think palladium is a great value if you can find a jeweler willing to work with it and if you are ok wearing a lighter metal in comparison to platinum.

I''ve had platinum, both new (old wedding set) and antique (1920''s engagement ring I inherited) and I''m just not a fan of the patina it gets. I like the heft of it, but since all my other jewelry, antique ring excluded, is gold, it''s not something I''m going to miss I don''t think.

 

[geckodani]

Date: 10/26/2008 9:09:01 PM
Author: laurel25

Date: 10/26/2008 10:38:12 AM
Author: geckodani
Well, I got the pics... and left my camera in my Mom''s car, LOL.

In my defense, we''d been in the car for over 10 hours yesterday, and I was TIRED. She''s mailing it to me (she lives over an hour away) and I''ll post the pics as soon as I get them.

rpk2br - I''m so glad to hear that your ring is aging well!

Thanks so much for the pictures, and please, no rush on getting them up. I know how exhausting being in the car is (it''s 14 hours to get home in MI from MN - ick!)!

I should have them up sometime this week. I live in MI too (Auburn Hills) and drove to Mississauga, Canada to surprise my sister yesterday... and then came home. LOL. Oy.

 

[ficklefaye]

laurel25, i am trying to decide between white gold and palladium as well, i typed in the topic and your name popped up again, seems like i''m a few steps behind you in this ring process, hehe

my original setting is in platinum and i find it rather heavy, the palladium seems like a solution to that although i haven''t seen it in person, i will try to shop around and see if any stores carry it