What Is Palladium Gold? Benefits, Color, and Health
Palladium white gold is an alloy of 75% gold and 25% palladium (18k), using palladium as the whitening agent instead of nickel. It is hypoallergenic, naturally white without rhodium plating, and classified as a noble-metal alloy because both gold and palladium are precious metals. Standard nickel white gold uses one precious metal plus an industrial whitener.
LACES RING | Palladium Gold
What is Palladium Gold?
Curious how palladium's rarity compares to the rarest jewelry metal of all? Explore our deep dive on osmium in fine jewelry — a metal so dense and scarce that working it remains a craft mostly outside commercial fine jewelry.
Palladium white gold is a noble metal alloy that combines two precious metals: gold and palladium. Palladium, a member of the platinum group, replaces nickel as the whitening agent. The result is a metal that is cleaner in colour, more stable over time, and more comfortable against the skin.
Pure gold is yellow and soft. Every white gold on the market is a compromise between purity and performance. The real question is not whether to alloy.
It is what you alloy with.
Two precious metals. Not one plus a cheap fix.
Most white gold sold at retail contains nickel, an industrial metal added purely to bleach gold's natural yellow colour. Nickel is not a precious metal.
It is a workaround.
Palladium white gold takes a different position. When you replace nickel with palladium, the alloy now contains two genuinely precious metals: gold and palladium. The piece becomes more valuable in composition, not just in appearance.
The family of noble gold alloys
"The alloy is not a background decision. It is part of the design. The metal carries the stone, touches the skin, and holds the form for decades. Getting it right is the whole point." Valeriy Gromov, founder
The problem with nickel
Nickel is not harmless. It is the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis in the developed world, and jewellery is one of its primary delivery routes. The reaction ranges from a persistent skin rash to open sores and scarring in severe cases. Once the allergy develops, it is lifelong. There is no cure.
Nickel contact dermatitis from a ring
Nickel reaction around an ear piercing
Sources: Ahlström MG, Thyssen JP et al. "Nickel allergy and allergic contact dermatitis: A clinical review." Contact Dermatitis, 2019. Thyssen JP et al. "The epidemiology of contact allergy in the general population." Contact Dermatitis, 2007.
EU Regulation on Nickel in Jewellery
The European Union has formally restricted the use of nickel in jewellery under REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, Annex XVII, Entry 27, which replaced the EU Nickel Directive (94/27/EC). Under this regulation, products in direct and prolonged contact with skin must not release more than 0.5 µg of nickel per cm² per week. For pierced jewellery, the limit is stricter: 0.2 µg/cm²/week. The regulation exists because the EU considers nickel a proven health risk, not a theoretical one.
None of this applies to palladium white gold. Palladium is a platinum-group metal with no known sensitisation risk of this kind. The result is genuinely hypoallergenic white gold: nickel-free jewellery that does not compromise on colour, durability, or craft. For anyone looking for a nickel-free engagement ring or nickel-free white gold in any form, palladium white gold is the direct answer.
No rhodium. No illusions.
Rhodium plating is a common finish applied to white gold to make it appear whiter and more reflective. It works, briefly. But rhodium is a coating. It wears off. The ring returns to the jeweller every few years for replating, because the base metal underneath cannot hold its own.
This is the fast fashion approach to precious metal. A quick surface effect instead of a thoughtful material decision.
There is another problem. In nickel-based white gold, rhodium plating does not solve the nickel issue. It merely delays it. As the coating wears through with daily use, the underlying nickel alloy is gradually exposed and returns to direct contact with the skin. The jewellery loses its pristine appearance and simultaneously becomes a health risk again. The two problems arrive together.
Palladium white gold does not need this correction. The base alloy is already clean, already cool, already precise. What you see is the actual metal, not a film over something lesser.
Front view
Architectural profile
Four reasons it matters
Whether you are choosing a palladium white gold engagement ring, a daily-wear band, or a statement pendant, the alloy behind the metal defines the experience over time.
A material for heritage pieces
Every piece we create in palladium white gold is made to order, shaped by hand in the studio. The material deserves that level of attention.
FAQ
Palladium Gold Earrings: The Hypoallergenic Choice
Earrings sit in direct contact with pierced tissue. The EU restricts nickel release in piercing jewelry to 0.2 µg/cm²/week precisely because the skin around a piercing is more reactive than intact skin. Standard white gold earrings - almost universally made with nickel alloys - frequently cause reactions in sensitive ears.
Palladium white gold earrings contain no nickel. The metal is naturally hypoallergenic, which makes it one of the safest choices for pierced ears across all precious metals. If you or someone you are buying for has experienced irritation from white gold earrings, switching to palladium gold is not a compromise - it is an upgrade in both material quality and wearability.
GROMOV diamond stud earrings and gemstone earrings are made in nickel-free palladium white gold as standard. No rhodium plating required. The colour holds, the metal performs, and the skin stays comfortable. Explore earrings in palladium white gold.
WHAT IS PALLADIUM WHITE GOLD MADE OF?
Palladium white gold is a white gold composition that combines pure gold with palladium and typically silver and copper. The exact ratio depends on the karat: 18k contains 75% gold, 14k contains 58.5% gold. Palladium serves as the whitening agent, replacing nickel used in conventional white gold alloys.
DOES WHITE GOLD HAVE NICKEL?
Standard white gold often does. Most commercial white gold relies on nickel as the primary bleaching agent. Nickel-free white gold uses palladium instead, achieving the same whitening effect without the skin risks. If you are looking for nickel-free jewellery, palladium white gold is the correct choice.
IS PALLADIUM WHITE GOLD HYPOALLERGENIC?
Yes. Because it contains no nickel, palladium white gold is considered hypoallergenic gold jewellery. It is one of the few white metal alloys suitable for people with nickel allergy and those with sensitive skin who want to wear fine jewellery without compromise.
IS PALLADIUM BETTER THAN PLATINUM?
Both are platinum-group metals with a cool white appearance, but they behave differently. Platinum is whiter and denser, yet softer on the surface - it scratches more easily and is noticeably heavier on the hand. Palladium white gold is lighter and harder, which makes it better suited for intricate, detailed designs. In terms of price, finished pieces in platinum and palladium white gold fall into a similar range. The real difference is in craft: many complex designs - fine openwork, delicate settings, architectural forms - are difficult or impossible to execute in platinum but work beautifully in palladium white gold. The choice depends on the piece. For bold, minimal forms, platinum works. For detailed jewellery with precision and comfort, palladium white gold is the stronger option.
14K VS 18K PALLADIUM WHITE GOLD: WHICH TO CHOOSE?
14k palladium white gold contains 58.5% pure gold and is harder and more scratch-resistant. 18k palladium white gold contains 75% pure gold with a richer tone and a more prestigious hallmark. For everyday wear, 14k offers better durability. For fine jewellery and palladium white gold engagement rings, 18k is the preferred choice. See also: Why Unique Engagement Rings Matter.
IS PALLADIUM WHITE GOLD REAL GOLD?
Yes. The gold content is defined by the karat or fineness of the alloy. Palladium is added as an alloying metal to adjust colour and performance. An 18k palladium white gold ring contains 75% pure gold.
DOES PALLADIUM WHITE GOLD NEED RHODIUM PLATING?
Not necessarily. Palladium white gold is naturally whiter than nickel-based white gold alloys. Some pieces may still receive a rhodium finish for additional brightness, but the underlying alloy already holds a clean, cool tone of its own.
IS PALLADIUM WHITE GOLD SAFE FOR PIERCED EARS?
Yes. Pierced ears are especially vulnerable to nickel because the metal sits inside a wound channel with direct tissue contact. The EU sets a stricter nickel release limit for piercing jewellery (0.2 µg/cm²/week) precisely for this reason. Palladium white gold contains no nickel at all, making it one of the safest precious metal choices for earrings for sensitive ears and healed piercings. For initial healing, consult your piercer on implant-grade options; for healed piercings, palladium white gold is an excellent long-term choice.
WHY DO SOME GOLD EARRINGS CAUSE IRRITATION?
The gold itself is not the problem. Most reactions come from nickel hidden in the alloy, particularly in white gold and lower-karat pieces. Standard white gold uses nickel as a whitening agent, and even with rhodium plating, the nickel is gradually exposed through daily wear. Palladium white gold eliminates this risk entirely. If you have experienced irritation from white gold earrings in the past, the cause was almost certainly the nickel in the alloy, not the gold.
DOES PALLADIUM WHITE GOLD TAKE LONGER TO MAKE?
Yes. Palladium white gold has a higher melting point and different flow characteristics compared to standard nickel-based white gold. Casting, soldering and finishing all require more precise temperature control and adjusted techniques. In practice, production typically takes around 30% longer than the same piece in conventional white gold. This is a material that rewards patience in the workshop - and the result is a cleaner, more stable piece that does not need the shortcuts built into nickel alloys.
Nickel-free palladium gold jewelry. Handcrafted to order.
Production time: 7-10 days. Worldwide shipping.