[Jewelry making - Article 01666] - Re: [Orchid] Palladium alloy for 18K white

[Neilthejeweler]

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    One thing I would consider is what is the customer's motivation in
    wanting platinum? There are different reasons...some choose plat just
    because its in vogue, some want it because its most expensive, some
    like the look, some like the heft, some want the durability. 

    Someone earlier suggested Hoover and Strong's palladium white gold.
    This is an excellent alloy particularly in the 18K. It's very
    workable which makes it good for some of the more delicate stones or
    shapes. But because of this it also might not be as sturdy in those
    situations where the ring is subject to unusual or ongoing
    stress(like in bridal jewelry). Compared to traditional white gold
    the Pall White is soft and flexible. This may or may not be a
    consideration depending on the 'delicacy' of the design. 

    Palladium was mentioned and its a good choice too, but be aware it
    does not have the heft of platinum. Hold two identical rings, one
    palladium one platinum and the difference is quite marked. Customers
    can get a feeling of receiving more value in a heavier object. 

    Now, the word palladium sounds very similar to platinum. The
    customer may have an expectation that palladium and 18KPD, are
    therefore nearly the same as platinum. And there are similarities...
    high fineness, white color, abrasion resistance. But if your customer
    is made aware of the differences also, their ultimate choice would
    hopefully please them for a long time. (read that as no returns to
    you). 

    So if they want platinum because its chic and exotic palladium is a
    good lower cost choice. If they want the feel of platinum 18Kpall
    white would be my suggestion. H&S has such a wide variety of wires 
and
    grains you'd save yourself the aggravation of trying to learn how to
    alloy the gold and palladium. As far as color...I find the PD-Gold
    alloys to be somewhat greyish. But that's what rhodium is for.
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