QuestionI inherited a 3-stone ring that has imprint "PD 925" in it. Local jeweler cleaned it today and said it was CZ and sterling silver; that PD was probably just makers stamp. I was looking up PD online and found Palladium. What do you think? Are all jewelers familiar with PD? Or should I have someone else look at it? Thank you for all your help!
AnswerDear Carlie, jewelers are aware of palladium in the jewelry industry. Since the introduction a few years ago as a platinum family metal which provides a much less costly alternative to platinum, palladium has gained a so-so acceptance by the consumer market. It is a good jewelry metal and manufacturers have finally learned it must be manufactured somewhat differently than platinum and gold metals.
Palladium has been mixed with other metals to make essentially tarnish free jewelry gold which is pretty much hypoallergenic. This is a white gold using palladium instead of nickel to make the gold white. Palladium white gold has a slightly darker, bluish or grayish tint compared to nickel white golds. However, it does not cause skin sensitivity issues as is occasionally encountered with nickel white gold.
The question is about your ring and is it a silver/palladium metal mix or normal sterling. Some experimental metals using palladium and silver have been made but I doubt yours is a sterling made with palladium. That sort of alloy has been rumored but I have not seen it in the marketplace. To be sterling silver, the silver content is by law 92.5% of the weight of the metal. The remaining 7.5% has traditonally been copper but other mixes are on the market today, designed to tarnish less than normal sterling. The 925 refers to the silver content, a direct reference to 925/1000 parts pure silver, the standard for the 925 numerical marking for sterling.
Some jewelry items made in China have been marked PD and 925 but these are not sterling + palladium. The PD appears to be a makers mark, possibly a little deceptive in the way the mark is read. This would be a makers mark in those cases.
While jewelers are often hard pressed to keep up with some of the newer metals being introduced to take the place of very costly gold and platinum, most are aware of palladium and generally will have a few items in stock made of palladium. Bench jewelers are not overall happy with palladium because working it for sizing, etc. is sometimes not so neat and excellent as can be done with silver, gold or platinum.
Do you know anymore about the ring? A palladium sterling ring would be much more costly than normal sterling silver. If it has much age, perhaps over 5 years or so old, it is pretty certainly not a palladium mix but is sterling only. At this point and not having the ring in my hands to examine, I have to go with the opinion the jeweler has given you unless someone can verify the origination of the ring and provide more information.
Carlie, thanks for the question. I do hope this adds some clarity to the situation.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
