Platinum who? Palladium has been deemed the next cool kid on the block, dethroning platinum for the title. Initially an underdog in the jewelry world, Palladium is predicted to be driven by designers beyond just bridal and men’s categories, where it has slowly been gaining converts over the past several years. Despite containing 95 percent pure metal, jewelers remained disinclined to feature it in their stores for fear of consumers’ unfamiliarity of the precious metal.
A sure sign of its rise to fame came at the 2009 American Gem Trade Association Spectrum Awards where they announced that Palladium is finally gaining more acceptance in the designer world. Many designers including Tenthio, Sasha Primak, and Michael Sugarman will be developing an entire palladium collection in conjunction with high-karat gold and platinum lines. Additionally, retailers can expect to see an increase in palladium pieces at the summer trade shows. Solidifying the trend, some of the most highly acclaimed names in the design world will also be adopting the metal, including Robert Lee Morris, Paul Morelli, Zoltan David, Alishan, Michael Bondanza, and Barry Kronen.
But like with all things, the economy plays a role in the rising popularity of Palladium...
The struggling economy also has designers eyeing palladium as the metal of choice because of its affordability despite its beauty and strength. Its $198 an ounce price tag is comparable to gold’s $962 and platinum’s $1,041 price. This large gap in price makes the precious metal the ideal option for pendants, earrings, and bracelets, chiefly when designing large scaled pieces.
Another main factor in its upcoming popularity is the Palladium Alliance International’s (PAI) marketing and promoting in 2008 into this year when it planned to make its forceful consumer 
push. Their upcoming public relations tactic will be the launch of a consumer Web site this spring for palladium jewelry, which will direct site visitors to retailers who offer dazzling pieces in palladium.
The main goal for PAI is to raise awareness of the metal by getting retailers to feature it more commonly in stores. The plan is to create pieces that will grab the customer’s attention, thus prompting them to ask of what the metal is made. Including palladium in top brands also doesn’t hurt; Fendi, Salvatore, Ferragamo and Gucci have been using pure palladium hardware on their accessories as opposed to their prior use on just handbags and belts.
Photo Credit: Palladium Price, Stillwater Palladium
