Recycled Palladium Wedding Rings
Here is some precious metal scrap from our own shop. Jewelers have been recycling precious metal for thousands of years.
At a Glance
- Palladium is a natural white metal in the platinum family.
- It is slightly whiter and harder than platinum and considerably lighter, but about half the price.
- Faritrade palladium is not yet available.
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Recycled Palladium Wedding Bands: Making recycled palladium wedding bands does not impact palladium mining practices, but shows symbolic concern for the environment.
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Palladium is a naturally lustrous white precious metal that is in the platinum family. It is actually just slightly whiter than platinum, but is much more affordable, and considerably lighter in weight. Palladium will develop a patina over the years, but it will not tarnish. Its natural whiteness means that it is easy to keep brilliant for life.
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Ethics
- Palladium is often found along with deposits of gold and platinum. The mining of palladium often has the same detrimental effect on the environment and communities as all large-scale mining.
As there is no fairtrade palladium available, all of our palladium rings are made with 100% recycled palladium.
As there is no fairtrade palladium available, all of our palladium rings are made with 100% recycled palladium.
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History
- William Hyde Wolaston, who named the metal after the asteroid, Pallas, discovered palladium in platinum ore in South America in 1803. After WWI, it was named a metal of strategic importance due to its military applications.
It was not allowed to be used widely in jewelry until 1939. Most recently, in the jewelry world, it has become popular as an alternative to platinum for wedding rings and as an alloy in the making of white gold. It is thirty times rarer than gold and is mined primarily in just six locations around the world.
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Palladium's Alloying
- Palladium used in our rings is 95% pure. The remaining 5% are alloys that make palladium, which make the metal harder and more durable than 14K gold. As part of the platinum family of metals, palladium is approximately thirty times more rare than gold.