QuestionQUESTION: I am looking into purchasing a wedding band that is 1/3 carat princess cut and is stamped 500 Platinum / 490 Palladium. I was wondering if it will look different next to my 950PT engagement ring? I was also wondering if local jewelers will be able to resize the ring as it is a 5 and I need to go to an 8 and half. Is this a wise choice to purchase the ring, I am worried about the mix of platinum and palladium together and the long term effects, i.e. will it need to be cleaned more often, will it be more likely to dull or to show scratches? Thank you very much for your response :)
ANSWER: G'day Dawn and many thanks for your query.
As you may know, the numbers on the ring show the quality in parts per thousand. So in your engagement ring it is 950 parts Platinum while the other 50 parts are a mixture of other metals such as copper or Iridium etc.
The wedding band you are looking at is only 500 parts Platinum mixed with 490 parts of Palladium and 10 parts of other metals.
But they really don't go together as one will eventually wear the other one away. It takes many years - but it will happen.
Plus I don't see why your local FRIENDLY jeweler can't get you one in your size anyway? Most manufacturing jewelers supply all sizes, so why should you have to pay extra and have something resized?
I think they are just trying to sell you a ring they have in stock. Go somewhere else and get better service, after all - this is your wedding band we are talking about. Apart from being 'Special' it should also be perfect.
Oh and by the way - Congratulations!
You might also like to add this query to my blog at http://online-jewelry-appraisals.com/ as other may have had a similar problem. Can't hurt anyway and who knows what answers you may get.
Hope this helps...
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I am still a little confused, let me clarify by stating that I am thinking of purchasing the ring online, to save money.
You wrote, "But they really don't go together as one will eventually wear the other one away. It takes many years - but it will happen."
Do you mean that my engagement ring and the wedding band will wear the other one away or that the half platinum and half palladium ring will dull or wear away?
What are the down sides to having a wedding band that is not 950 parts Paltinum and only 500 part Platinum and 490 parts palladium? Thank you again for your help :)
AnswerG'day Dawn and many thanks for your follow-up question.
While I am a great advocate of purchasing items online, I am always a little concerned when it comes to buying jewelry which has to MATCH.
Please make sure that you have a 'Returns' policy available in the event that the item proves to be NOT suitable. You have to see the two rings together to be sure.
The two metals (Platinum and Palladium) work very well together in one item, but when you have two items sitting next to each other, the harder metal will eventually wear the softer metal away. This happens all the time where 9ct gold sits next to an 18ct gold band. The same thing will happen to a Platinum vs Plat and Pall mix (which is harder).
As long as you have the ability to return any item if it is not suitable - then go ahead.
You might also like to add this query to my Jewelry Forum as other may have had a similar problem.
Can't hurt anyway and who knows what answers you may get.
Hope this helps...
