IN JEWELLERY, some folks love the warmth of yellow gold, while others swear by cool white metals. And when it comes to the latter, it is usually down to white gold or platinum.

At German jeweller Charlotte (Ehinger-Schwarz 1876), however, a less commonly used white metal is becoming the current 'hot' metal of choice - and apparently for all the right reasons.

Made for each other: Tahitian pearl necklace mounted on palladium from Charlotte

The material in question is palladium, more often used in luxury watches, for technical applications like catalytic converters in cars, or even as buckles on handbags made by high-end fashion houses.

Palladium is a soft, silver-white metal that resembles and belongs to the platinum group.

'It is malleable, strong and is a pure white metal,' explains Florence Neo, Charlotte Singapore's director. 'It is even rarer than platinum, but it is still not widely known.'

Whereas platinum and palladium are cool and white like silver, white gold is produced by adding nickel (or palladium) to yellow gold to make it grey before finishing with rhodium for lustre and shine. As such, the whiteness wears off over time and discolouration appears.

And that would not be ideal for Charlotte since Wolf-Peter Schwarz - the jewellery house's fourth-generation designer - prefers to work with natural coloured metals, just as he prefers using natural coloured gems and not those that have been colour-treated.

On the other hand, platinum is an ideal white metal as it is pure, but its rarity makes it expensive and the metal is often double the price of gold, says Ms Neo. Palladium, however, offers the benefits of a pure metal like platinum - at the price of gold.

'But as gold prices continue to rise, palladium could become more affordable than gold,' Ms Neo adds.

Recognising these advantages, Charlotte has been using palladium in its jewellery for over 20 years. Currently, 25 per cent of its jewellery is made with sterling silver, 10 per cent with steel, 30 per cent with yellow gold, 20 per cent with platinum and 15 per cent with palladium.

In Singapore, palladium has been made available since early this year in its wedding collection. It was so well-received that Charlotte is now launching its palladium interchangeable jewellery line here as well.

'For wedding bands, people like it in palladium because it is not as heavy as platinum and gold. Yet it is a pure material, which makes it more durable. All these are important considerations, especially for wedding bands which are worn every day.'

Well matched: Two Charlotte rings in palladium, with diamonds. Apart from wedding bands and interchangeable jewellery, Charlotte will in future also be launching its diamond solitaire rings in palladium

While the man in the street may be more familiar with white gold or platinum as the white metals of choice in jewellery-making, Ms Neo says it has not been difficult educating customers about the advantages of palladium.

'People who buy luxury watches and handbags are familiar with it, and these are also the people who buy our wedding bands,' she explains. 'For the layman, we explain its properties, they feel the material and they accept it quite easily. After all, if the definition of preciousness is purity, then it is actually more precious than white gold, which is an alloy. And the purer the metal, the more stable it is.'

Apart from wedding bands and interchangeable jewellery, Charlotte will in future also be launching its diamond solitaire rings in palladium.

'Solitaire diamond rings in palladium are likely to be very popular as people have to wear these rings daily and palladium is extremely rare and durable, ensuring maximum comfort, wearability and prestige.'