Jewelry

[songbird]

This evening I saw jewelry set in two tone.  18K and Palladium.  Dont' know much about this metal.  Had to look it up.  It's a close cousin to Platinum. Malleable like gold, but stronger.  And like gold & platinum it doesn't react to the air or element around.  It shines like silver and it's rarer then platinum.  All the jewelry were precious gems and set in diamonds.  So it was hard to judge how valuable it is by itself.  This was on Gem Shopping and all of the jewelry started at $7,900.00. So it's reasonable to assume it has intrinsic value.  I think some shopping channels had offered jewelry set in silver,  plated over in Palladium.  But this is the first time I've seen it set as a solid metal.  Looks just like silver!

[Kachina624]

@songbird.  Michael Vallatuti who sells on Evine under the name of Gems en Vogue, uses an alloy of silver and palladium in all of his jewelry.  This prevents it from ever tarnishing.  Much of it is layered with gold which I've never head anyone say  rubbed off.

[sunshine 919]

I have several of Gems En Vogue pieces, in fact he is my favorite designer.  The silver never tarnishes and the gold does not rub off.

[songbird]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@songbird.  Michael Vallatuti who sells on Evine under the name of Gems en Vogue, uses an alloy of silver and palladium in all of his jewelry.  This prevents it from ever tarnishing.  Much of it is layered with gold which I've never head anyone say  rubbed off.

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This is different.  It's solid Palladium.  It's set as two tone.  18K & the white part is Palladium.  It've never seen it that way.  You normally see it layered on another metal to prevent tarnishing.  Instead of dimaond set in platinum, it's set in Palladium.  The norm at Gem shopping network is 18K or Platinum.

[BirkiLady]

@songbird  That would be a great ring. Palladium is a very hard, beautiful metal and has been used in jewel for decades. I've inherited several pieces in Palladium and have worn one on a daily basis since the early 1980's as a right hand ring. It has a large diamond and smaller diamonds, a lot of milgrain work. The ring was almost 80 years old when I received it . . . and shines brightly without any special care. It's a stunning piece! Have a feeling it will be appraised at more than the $7900 if the stone is actually what they are saying it is!  That metal is a very precious metal. Try it. Hope you like it and enjoy it for many decades to come. 

[songbird]

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@BirkiLady wrote:

@songbird  That would be a great ring. Palladium is a very hard, beautiful metal and has been used in jewel for decades. I've inherited several pieces in Palladium and have worn one on a daily basis since the early 1980's as a right hand ring. It has a large diamond and smaller diamonds, a lot of milgrain work. The ring was almost 80 years old when I received it . . . and shines brightly without any special care. It's a stunning piece! Have a feeling it will be appraised at more than the $7900 if the stone is actually what they are saying it is!  That metal is a very precious metal. Try it. Hope you like it and enjoy it for many decades to come. 

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Paladium is very costly.  Years ago, it was used more often then platinum.  Now it's reversed.  You see more platinum.  Paladium you normally see layered over silver.  Yuk!! they do that to prevent tarnish on silver.  (I really hate silver). I will have to try and see it at a jewelry store.  If it really looks like silver.  Platinum is my "gold" though.  It's the forever metal. On the show last night, the gold part was 18K rose!  So pretty!

[Kachina624]

@songbird. Michael Vallatuti's jewelry is not plated with palladium; it's an alloy mixed with silver.  It's a practical adaptation since it's appearance is that of palladium without the cost.  This alloy is made by a company in New York State.

[songbird]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@songbird. Michael Vallatuti's jewelry is not plated with palladium; it's an alloy mixed with silver.  It's a practical adaptation since it's appearance is that of palladium without the cost.  This alloy is made by a company in New York State.

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I only buy gemstones with real  diamonds. It wouldn't make any difference to me, but most gems with diamonds are set with the pure solid metal.  I wouldn't care so long as it's 18K, or Platinum or anything precious. So long as it has a solid metal. I consider the setting as important as the gem.  I don't like anything mixed in with silver with topaz thrown in etc. in place of diamonds. It maybe cheaper, but It cheapens the value of the whole piece of jewelry.  Vallatuti is probably like other jewelers that go on a shopping network that caters to a certain audience.  He may offer all silver and white topaz  on one network, but also offer diamonds and platinum on another network.  I'd rather have the "good" stuff.  I guess I don't like jewelry that cuts corners. And I don't like things hidden.

[SANNA]

There is no jewelry set in pure palladium. It is always the alloy. The palladium is used in the white gold alloys, silver alloy ( Michael V. )  and also in dentistry If the crowns are based on noble metal.

[BirkiLady]

@SANNA  Sorry to differ with you. I am wearing a gorgeous large center diamond ring in pure palladium on my right hand right now. Have been wearing it since the early 1980's. It is beautiful with my platinum wedding rings on my left hand which I've worn since 1969. I also have other pure palladium rings, pins and broaches. They are not mixed with any other metals . . . that's not the way to set find stones IMO.

Most of my jewelry is either 18K (white or yellow) or platinum. None of it is mixed metals.

If I want to wear sterling silver, it's simply sterling silver . . . no jewels set in that metal ever.