Palladium is becoming more popular over white gold possibly due to the fact that palladium wedding bands will stay white more or less forever whereas white gold will go dull after some time due to the fact that it is not actually the gold that is white but the rhodium coating applied and which wears away easily.

Palladium weight is very close to a 14k white gold wedding band and is nickel free, making it perfect for those with an allergy to nickel.

Palladium is very durable also and does not tarnish. It is a member of the Platinum family but a softer metal and and some what cheaper to use so is becoming a favorite of jewelers and jewelery makers.

White gold is not a true mental as is palladium. White gold is an alloy of gold and silver and nickel and has a coating on it to make it white. White gold is actually grey and does not look very attractive at all. Rhodium is a hard metal that is very white and used to coat the white gold and give it that white appearance. You don’t actually see the gold in fact, just the rhodium.

Palladium is simply that. Pure 100 percent (or very close to, usually it is given as 99.99 percent) palladium.

Always check with the jeweler when you are buying a ring what the metal is and if you can get palladium it is a good idea to do so.

When it comes to Palladium vs white gold, palladium stands out as being the best, and most durable and not too expensive either!

The Big and Little Bear Constellation Coins Palladium issued by the Canadian Royal Mint was a limited issue of only 1200 coins world wide.

This will make them somewhat of a rarity in the coin enthusiasts world.

As per the Canadian Royal Mint, “Since time immemorial, stars have been a source of inspiration and legend for people throughout the world. In the Northern Hemisphere, early civilizations were mystified by two easily identifiable constellations that astronomers commonly refer to today as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Ancient peoples believed these stars were wagons or plows, chariots or drinking gourds. Despite the fact that many of these cultures were oceans apart, a surprising number of them were sure they saw bears twinkling in the night sky.

Some say the ancient Greeks believed Big Bear (Ursa Major) was actually a beautiful nymph named Callisto, who was turned into a bear by Zeus to shield her from his jealous wife Hera. But one day, as Callisto’s son Arcas was hunting in the woods, Callisto almost became his prey. Zeus, watching from above, acted quickly and turned Arcas into a bear also, and yanked them both up into the sky by their tails, causing the bears’ tails to become stretched forever as they hang in the sky.

As the earth completes its annual orbit around the sun, the positions of Big and Little Bear will change with the seasons, but they are always visible from Canada, ready to fuel the imagination as people gaze towards the night sky.

The Coin Specifications are:

Mintage: 1,200 coins worldwide (4 versions combined)
Composition: 99.95% pure palladium
Finish: specimen (with laser enhancement on the reverse)
Weight (g): 31.16
Diameter (mm): 34
Edge: serrated
Certificate: serialized
Face value: $50
Artist: Colin Mayne

Reverse: Four versions of the coin show the Big Bear and Little Bear constellations above a conceptual Canadian forest in spring, summer, autumn and winter. Each constellation is depicted as it would appear when viewed from the nation’s capital, Ottawa (Ontario).

Obverse: Effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

The Big and Little Bear Constellation Coins Palladium would make an attractive and valuable addition to any coin enthusiasts collection!

A palladium solitaire engagement ring is unusual and perhaps not always easy to come by.

Palladium is a softer metal than platinum although comes from the same family. It has grown increasingly popular of the last few years due to the ease with which jewelers can fashion jewelery with it and the fact that it is less expensive than platinum.

You don’t need to know all about palladium but as with any type of ring buying, a palladium solitaire engagement ring requires a bit of common sense.

Having in mind exactly what you want in terms of style, fashion, what gemstones, if any, you want and basically a clear idea in mind will help you find just the ring you are looking for.

Then doing some patient browsing around both online and in the local jewelers can net some surprising results.

Ensure, if you are talking to a jeweler, that they know about palladium and do not try to fob you off with a platinum or even white gold ring. If they have little knowledge then it is better to find one that understands what you are talking about.

Online there are a variety of dealers who deal in palladium so all you need to do there is ensure they are bona fide and are not just there with a website for a few weeks. Such common sense things as, do they have a fixed address and contactable phone number? Do they have a returns policy? Are they a member of the Better Business Bureau? Do they accept credit card? All these things will ell you they are a proper business and not a fly by night outfit.

With the returns policy you want to be able to return the piece if you find, upon delivery, that it is not suitable or looks quite different to the picture on the screen and is not what you want. You also want to be able to get your money back so ensure their policy includes that.

Be patient and spend some time looking, unless your in a tearing hurry you can find just what you are looking for if you look long and hard enough!

A palladium solitaire engagement ring can be a joy to buy and hold if you use your head as well as your heart when buying it!

Palladium allergy free jewelery is a bit of a misnomer. palladium has a number of advantages over white gold in that it is hypoallergenic and does not cause the same reactions that white gold does.

Gold is a soft malleable metal and generally too soft for jewelery so is alloyed or “mixed” with other metals such as silver, copper and nickel to improve its hardness and durability. Unfortunately this also causes allergy reactions, mostly due to the nickel but also silver and copper can cause allergies in some people. Palladium does not have that problem.

Also although palladium is of the platinum family it is much lighter and very suitable for jewelery to replace white gold. It has the same bright white sparkle platinum has but is less than half the price also. It means heavier gemstones can be worn with it and it looks just as wonderful with gemstones as white gold or platinum does.

Palladium does not take a lot of maintaining either. A clean in warn soapy water, rinsed well and thoroughly dried is all that is needed on a regular basis. Do not use detergents, bleaches or chemicals however as these may have an affect on the palladium.

Palladium is also harder than white gold, even with the highest mix of other metals so is more durable and will last a lot longer.

If you suffer from allergies, then palladium allergy free jewelry will be just the ticket to wear good quality jewelery safe in the knowledge you are not going to come out in a rash or suffer the results of allergies to metals as many often do.

Why should one buy palladium? Palladium is a member of the platinum family of metals, Excellent for jewelery as somewhat cheaper than platinum and easier to work with. Jewelers prefer working with palladium for this reason.

Although it is cheaper than platinum and even gold it is still regarded as a precious metal and is becoming more popular for jewelery and as a future investment.

Palladium was originally discovered in 1803 and usually found with other deposits such as platinum in many parts of the world, most notably Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, Russia and South America as well as South Africa.

Palladium is a white, almost like steel in appearance and does not tarnish in air. It has the lowest density of the platinum family which makes it ideal for jewelry.

As well as in jewelry palladium is also used in the purification of hydrogen and in manufacturing of surgical instruments, electrical contacts and other uses.

Palladium is weight in troy ounces, just as silver, gold and platinum are and palladium bullion bars are available in a wide range of weights and sizes with the one ounce bullion bars from Credit Suisse and PAMP being among the most popular.

Bullion bars, and coins such as produced by the Royal Canadian Mint confirm to the industry standard of being .9995 pure.

Palladium looks like it is set to improve in investment value over the coming years and now is likely to be a good time to buy palladium.

Palladium is a sister metal to platinum with some unique properties including being easier to work with as it is a softer more malleable metal.

Palladium bars are used mostly for trade and investment and companies or mines Due to the popularity and obvious profit available, bullion bars and coins are now made by many mints and palladium coins can be obtained in most countries.

Palladium coins (or rounds) and bars are made to form a physical product that is bought or sold on the basis of the palladium content.

Palladium Coins provides a list of countries that make palladium coins for those that like to collect them.

Native platinum was, in fact, in use in the Spanish colonies and in 1967 Tonga, the island nation issued Palladium coins. Many countries have issued palladium coins since then and they are becoming quite popular.

Some collectors prefer palladium coins and will search high and low for them.

Like any other coin one collects, one needs to ensure that the coins are proof or at least brilliant Uncirculated and properly sealed in their plastic covering.

The same applies to bullion bars of course.

As the value of palladium increase, collecting palladium bars and coins is likely to become more popular both for collectors, hobbyists as well as investors.

Palladium rings are quite unusual and rare but are becoming more popular due to them being easier to work than platinum which is a much harder metal.

Palladium rings are also somewhat cheaper than platinum.

Usually palladium rings are mixed with platinum and silver and palladium rings should have the karat of the palladium demonstrated. 14karat palladium will also contain silver and platinum and even other metals to increase hardness and stability.

Palladium rings are shiny, as is platinum, and it is often hard to distinguish between the two. Palladium will scratch more easily however so one needs to be a bit more careful in the handling of them.

A jeweler can test palladium just as he tests gold or platinum. The test for palladium is similar although it reacts slower. Nitric acid and aqua regia and test needles of a known karat for comparative purposes are used to establish the karat of the piece.

When buying a palladium ring do ensure that it comes with a guarantee of authenticity. Especially the diamonds or gems it comes with if any should have an independent appraisal to establish the quality and value of the gems.

Palladium rings are unique and a great show piece provided they are looked after and maintained. Therefore one should keep them clean. Washing in warm soapy water and rinsing them well on a regular basis is a good idea. Drying them thoroughly and storing them away from diamonds and other hard gems is important so they do not get scratched.

Keeping in mind the above points will ensure you get and keep a palladium ring and enjoy it for many years to come!

Palladium Jewelry is more common than it used to be and is now easier to find than it was. But many jewelers do not deal in it because people confuse it with platinum, despite the much higher value, and also it is a much lighter metal. Many people wearing jewelry want to feel some weight or substantial ‘feel’ which you don’t get with palladium.

Never the less Palladium jewelry is slowly becoming more popular as the high price of platinum (generally around the 1000 plus dollars per ounce) and the lesser price for palladium of only a third of that giving a higher profit margin than most precious metals.

Most palladium jewelry is 95 percent pure and the look is similar to platinum or even white gold. It also does not need to be coated to achieve the white shine as white gold does. It is also half the density of platinum which means that more jewelry can be made from it per ounce weight than platinum.

In addition US stamping laws do not place any restrictions on marketing palladium and as palladium is not recognized in the UK and many European countries as jewelry metal it is not hallmarked.

Palladium is, like gold, a ductile metal and falls between 40 and 44 Vickers annealed or as cast. This means it is not really hard enough for jewelry so a lot of effort is now going into develop compositions with other metals that will improve its hardness for jewelry as well as retain its shine and possibly improve its weight for the consumer.

Currently alloys such as silver, gallium, ruthenium are being trialed

Palladium melts at a higher temperature than gold and so care must be taken when alloying the various metals.

Palladium and Palladium Jewelry look set over the coming years to take a more prominent place in the jewelry field and it might be a good idea to keep a beady eye on this.