Hi Gary
Thanks for your question on Palladium Wedding Rings. All indications from the assay office are that palladium will receive a hallmark at sometime soon. Many leading quality jewellers in the UK are now stocking palladium as part of there ranges and we are keeping ahead with what I beleive is one of the largest selections of palladium wedding bands in the UK.
I have copied some details from our website
http://www.palladiumweddingrings.co.ukWhy Palladium instead of White Gold? The weight of 950 palladium wedding bands is very close to that of 14k white gold wedding bands. However, palladium wedding bands will stay white forever, never needing the “renewed whitening” from rhodium plating that white gold requires. Palladium wedding bands are the perfect choice for those with sensitivity to nickel because they are nickel free and hypoallergenic - unlike white gold wedding bands. Palladium is an extremely rare metal, much more so than gold. It is one of the whitest of all metals and consequently yields wedding bands of extraordinary and uncommon beauty. Plus, palladium wedding bands are incredibly durable and virtually tarnish proof.
White gold is not a true white metal like platinum or palladium. It is made by mixing pure yellow gold with other white metals like zinc and nickel to change its colour to white. As a result, it usually has a slight yellowish tint. To enhance the whiteness of white gold jewellery it is electroplated with another precious metal called rhodium. Rhodium is very white, reflective, extremely hard and virtually tarnish free, so it's the perfect protective coating for a white gold ring. However, rhodium coatings wear off gradually. Many people choose to have their rings re-plated with rhodium. Others love their rings with the natural not-quite-white look of white gold.
Hope this helps
Martin
