Palladium rings

Although palladium has been used in jewellery making for some time, it was only recently that it gained popularity as a stand-alone precious metal. Since it comes from the same family of metals as platinum, it does tend to have a similar look and feel and shares a number of similar qualities, making it an ideal choice for fine jewellery making. It did take some time for palladium to become such a popular choice.

Discovered in 1802 by William Wollaston, palladium is considered one of the four precious metals, along with gold, silver, and platinum. On its own, palladium was very difficult to work with and, at the time, extremely costly in comparison to other precious metals which deterred many jewellers from trying to use it. During the early 1900's, it did gain some popularity as an alloy metal, commonly mixed with yellow gold to create white gold.

During World War II, when platinum became a much needed resource for military applications, some jewellers did attempt to turn to palladium as a replacement, but continued difficulties in casting the metal still heeded its widespread use.

In the early 2000's, however, new techniques in casting palladium led many of China's top jewellery producers to begin using the palladium in its pure form for fine jewellery applications. Their techniques quickly spread, as did the demand for palladium jewellery, leading it to become the top seller it is today.

Like platinum, palladium jewellery is extremely resistant to tarnish and oxidation. Palladium rings bear the same beautiful white lustre of platinum, though they are slightly lighter in colour. While platinum jewellery tends to be fairly heavy, palladium has a lower density, giving it a lighter feel which many consumers, particularly women, find appealing.

This is especially true for jewellery designed for daily or long term wear, such as wedding rings and engagement rings. Palladium is considered to by hypo-allergenic, making it the perfect choice for those with allergies or sensitivities to other metals, and the ability to use it in its pure form eliminates the need for the addition of alloy metals to enhance it strength or colour.

Purely Diamonds offers a wide range of palladium rings for both men and women in both plain and diamond set designs. From eternity rings to engagement rings, wedding rings to cocktail rings, they have a vast assortment of styles to choose from.

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