Palladium
Palladium is a platinum family metal. It is nearly identical to platinum in color and therefore does not require any plating to be very white. Also like platinum, palladium is non-reactive and hypoallergenic, and is a good option for people who have allergies to white gold alloys. The most noticeable differences between palladium and platinum are that it is lighter (it weighs about the same as 14K white gold) and that it is less expensive. Palladium is considered as durable as platinum and is rated as 15% more durable than white gold (by metals manufacturer Hoover and Strong). I am using an alloy called 950 Palladium, which is 95% pure palladium.
Moissanite
Moissanite is a laboratory-grown gemstone made of silicon carbide (SiC). It was originally discovered in its natural state in the Canyon Diablo meteor crater in Arizona, and although it does not occur naturally in large enough quantities to be used for jewelry, it can be laboratory-grown into gem quality crystals. It is highly refractive (sparkly) with a refractive index of 2.65-2.69, as compared to a diamond, which has an RI of 2.42. Moissanite is also very hard and has a Mohs scale rating of 9.25, as compared to a diamond (10 on the Mohs scale) or ruby/sapphire (9 on the Mohs scale). Because it is lab-grown, it does not have the natural flaws or inclusions that a diamond has. Moissanite is available in clear and bright green. (The clear color in the larger stones has a very slight yellowish tint, not noticeable in smaller stones.) Each stone comes with a limited lifetime warranty from the manufacturer, Charles and Colvard.
