Palladium

Over the past few years, men's bridal jewelry styles began to appear using lower value metals like titanium and tungsten steel. Some manufacturers and designers in the jewelry industry embraced them as a lower cost alternative to platinum. One problem with that viewpoint is that while platinum is precious, pure, rare, and eternal, these other alternative metals are not. Sure - all are considered "metals" and jewelry can be created from them. But their core characteristics are very different. In fact, the intrinsic value (actual scrap market value) of a titanium or tungsten ring is insignificant. Therefore, when applying simple rules of economy, platinum offers a better dollar value for the consumer even though it is much more expensive. Its color, durability and hypo-allergenic qualities make it the superior metal choice on the market today.

But what happens when platinum is not an option? The alternative might very well be palladium. Palladium, a relative to platinum itself, makes superb bridal jewelry. It stays white, is durable, and innovative jewelry applications for this metal are always on the horizon. It is mined in some of the same places as platinum (most notably South Africa, Russia, and North America) and shares similar scientific qualities with the other metals in this group. Yet, the most exciting thing about palladium is that it is also precious, pure, rare, and eternal, so you can make a fair comparison of its relation to platinum. When you are choosing your wedding rings, want white metal and have ruled out platinum, you may want to jump on the palladium wedding ring wagon.

Here are some additional palladium facts to help you make up your mind:

• Palladium is one of the earth's great white precious metals.
• Palladium jewelry offers some of the finer qualities of platinum yet currently costs less.
• While platinum will always remain the hallmark for white metal jewelry, palladium is a close relative that can step in and get the job done.
• Palladium is hypo-allergenic.
• Palladium is naturally white, whereby rhodium plating is not necessary.
• Palladium is durable: wedding bands made of palladium will stand the test of time.
• Palladium's purity and preciousness make it an extremely attractive value when compared to the lesser non-precious jewelry metals like the titanium and tungsten steel that are available on the market day.