Palladium Engagement Rings: Durability & Wear - What You Need to Know

Question
Hello,

I am recently engaged and choose to have my engagement ring made with the metal palladium. I was told palladium had many great features of platinum and white gold.However after wearing my ring for two months, I am starting to wonder about the wear tear of the metal. The information I am finding online is a bit sketchy, when finding different answers and reviews for the metal. I wanted to know about the wear and tear of palladium with every day use/wear. I do not think I am tough on my rings, especially since wearing my engagement I try to be extra careful. I also wanted to know how easy or hard it is to damage palladium, as after I having it for two months I already see scratches and can feel little nicks on the edge of the band portion of the ring. In addition, I wanted to know if palladium is easy to nick, such as I hit it accidentally on my desk etc... Also, if you have any advice or care instructions for the palladium it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

Answer
Hi Cherie,
Any precious metal, be it palladium, platinum or gold when subjected to constant contact with hard surfaces, is going to show scratches over the long haul since none of these metals is scratch resistant. Palladium however,when compared to platinum, gold or sterling silver is more resistant to wear and scratches (tungsten carbide however is harder than palladium.) As for taking care of your palladium ring, I advise to remove it before washing your hands or showering and just avoiding constant contact with the ring and liquids (even lotion) and also before doing anything where it could potentially be subjected to a lot of scratching. It is also good to have it cleaned at least once a year. Hope that helps.