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Platinum vs White Gold discussion from 2006. And still going in 2010!

Wow! A message board discussion that started in 2006 comes alive in 2010? Pretty funny.

Over on Pricescope.com, the discussion starts as a white gold against platinum comparison, and then moves into a chat about a polishing cloth that helps to almost refinish jewelry. This polishing cloth sounds very cool.

I will say this – I find it surprising that even in 2006 (when the thread started), there was still a white gold vs. platinum debate. Hopefully the industry has come a long way towards educating the consumer even more. If not, here’s a free brochure that will help with choosing the right metal for your wedding ring or wedding band. And in 2010, I have found that the consumer makes decisions based upon design, and then hopefully that design is available in the metal that’s best for them.

Raed the Platinum vs White Gold thread on Pricescope.

Palladium rings – what’s the deal?

 

While analyzing my web traffic for some of my blogs, I noticed that a consumer stumbled upon one after typing in the phrase “palladium rings – what’s the deal?” into the Google search box. Though not quite what I would consider a typical approach to searching for palladium facts, I thought that I’d take a moment to help explain what the “deal” is with palladium. Ready? Good. Because here we go!

Palladium is a naturally white metal that is in the platinum group metal family. It is generally found in many of the same places that platinum is found, but it is NOT the same as platinum. Can it be considered similar? Sure. It is naturally white, durable and will not turn yellow over time like white gold. And at one time, the price of palladium was more than platinum. But is it the same? No. But I will stand by my claim that it is similar, and definitely a better choice over white gold if platinum is not an option. However, it is no longer is the same league value-wise as platinum. As I have always believed – if you want the best white metal available for wedding bands and wedding rings, then platinum is your metal.

Go ahead – scratch your platinum wedding band or wedding ring. The metal moves around a bit, and it appears that the ring is scratched. But very little metal is actually scratched off. So as times goes on, you can have your platinum wedding band or wedding ring finished over and over again without losing much mass. In theory, a platinum wedding band or wedding ring should last beyond your lifetime. It can be passed down to your children and then down to their children.

But palladium also has its place in the wedding band and wedding ring industry. It currently fits into a nice price point while still being a naturally white metal. I do like the metal quite a bit, although as I mentioned before that I am a “premium” kind of guy – hence my love for platinum. However, it’s also important to understand the differences between all the metals that can be used for wedding bands and wedding rings so you can correctly weigh the benefits and make the decision that’s right for you. After all, an educated consumer should be the jewelry industry’s best customer. And unfortunately, the right information about palladium seems to currently be lacking in the jewelry industry as a whole.

So – for the individual that typed “palladium rings – what’s the deal?” – I hope this has helped.

By the way, another blogger’s experience with palladium is missing a little bit of expertise on the jeweler’s end. And if a reputable jeweler can be confused with some of the facts, then ANYONE can! So please – research as much as possible before traveling to your local jewelry store.

Palladium and its current place in the wedding band and wedding ring marketplace

Have you thought of purchasing a palladium wedding band or wedding ring, but are not sure what palladium is or why you should buy it? Well, maybe the following article can help. Novell’s Marketing and Advertising Director Rick Mulholland was recently asked by MJSA Journal for his thoughts on palladium, and its place in the bridal market. Although it has mainly a jewelry industry trade slant, a lot of what is being said can be used to help enlightened the average wedding band consumer about palladium as a choice for wedding bands and wedding rings. Read on, and if you have any further questions about choosing palladium for your wedding band or wedding ring, please feel free to e-mail Rick direct at rick (at)novelldesignstudio(dot)com.

Q: Can you comment about some of the trends you are seeing in palladium bridal designs, and how you at Novell are approaching bridal with this metal?

A: Novell's approach to introducing palladium to consumers has been pretty simple - we position it as a better choice over white gold if platinum is not an option. When Novell first started working with palladium, it was more because the feeling was that it makes great jewelry regardless of the market value. The fact that it currently costs less than platinum and gold is an attractive feature, but not necessarily the first benefit that is mentioned. The American way of life has been built on choices, so another precious metal option for wedding bands and engagement rings is always a good thing. However, it’s important to also illustrate that palladium is NOT strictly a lower cost substitute for platinum if the consumer is looking for a naturally white metal. Novell has always been a platinum first company, but we do offer palladium as choice for our wedding bands.

A problem that I have noticed is that while consumer interest in palladium is slowly starting to rise, they now have fewer places to go to in order to learn about the latest trends, newest products and even the basic facts about palladium in general. It’s a shame that Palladium Alliance International is no longer around. Palladium really needs proper positioning in the bridal market, and positioning is always an ongoing process. A few years ago, some other major manufacturers promoted palladium, but it looks like many have since been less frequent with their message or even stopped. Like with many new products or trends, the “buzz” about palladium has been slow to spread in general. However, creating momentum for any metal or product cannot be a stop and start process. If both retailers and consumers take a moment to learn about all of their metal options and the benefits of each, then retailers can have a stronger product presentation and consumers can make a decision that’s truly right for them overall. Online trends point to the fact that today’s jewelry buyer is more comparison conscious. And like with automobiles, there’s an individual that’s a fit for almost any category or price point. Therefore, Novell decided to create our “Choosing the Right Metal for Your Bridal Jewelry” brochure to help assist in properly illustrating the benefits of the popular metal choices out there today. After all, an educated consumer can be the jewelry industry’s best customer.

From early on, Novell has literally been able to master the manufacturing of our palladium wedding bands, so the products that we can offer are nearly endless. We started with a plain band program that included just a handful of basic shapes, but now nearly all of our designs can be created in palladium at a very reasonable price. The future of palladium for Novell is pretty easy to define – if we make a wedding band in platinum or gold, then we can most likely create it in palladium as well. And with our Wright & Lato division, we created a collection of affordable wedding bands with both platinum and palladium. This allows us to keep the two metals in the consumer’s wedding band equation even at a reduced price point. In my opinion, if you remind each wave of bridal consumers that palladium is out there, then they will respond and make smarter buying decisions. They may even upgrade their metal choice as well.

Learn more about palladium (from Novell's wedding band and wedding ring website).