STYLE

WITH Dorothée Rosen designer goldsmith

Palladium White Gold

While yellow gold certainly has been making a huge comeback, I want to introduce you to an alternative: 18kt palladium white gold. This intriguing precious metal is one of the best-kept secrets in the modern jewellery connoisseur’s tool bag. It’s a metal so elegant and alluring — yet so durable — it’s hard to pass by, yet few know about it.

Regular White Gold

First, let’s consider regular white gold. Since 24kt gold would be too soft to wear as is, gold in jewellery is always alloyed with other metals in order to strengthen it. This creates 18kt or 14kt golds, whereby 18 or 14 parts out of 24, respectively, indicate the pure gold content.

To make regular white gold, the whitening alloy is typically nickel. Nickel does provide added durability, but unfortunately is a common metal allergen. It also wears microscopically over time. What’s worse, a nickel white gold alloy generally creates a yellowish metal, requiring rhodium plating, which will require re-plating every year or so, depending on wear.

I am not fond of the idea of putting a “façade” over anything, including the precious metal I work with. Why not work in a genuine precious metal that shines on its own?

Palladium White Gold

Palladium white gold is an alloy of pure gold with the very fine metal palladium, which is in the platinum family of metals. The resulting alloy is beautifully dense and strong, with an alluring hue similar to platinum, but more unusual and not as heavy. Replacing the nickel means no issues with allergies, and no need for repeated rhodium plating.

Palladium white gold with its elegant colour shines on its own. And as palladium is both more rare and more expensive than gold, when the two are combined, the heirloom quality and value of the piece will also increase.

Colour and Properties

Fun Facts

• Nickel is a cheap metal, and thus it cheapens your heirloom piece; a pound of nickel sells for CAD$10/lb, or $0.70/oz, whereas gold is $2,442/ oz and palladium is over $3,000/oz.

• 18kt is 75 per cent pure gold and 14kt is just 58.5 per cent pure gold

• Palladium is also alloyed with silver, creating a strong and tarnish-resistant palladium sterling silver, which I use in some OneFooter rings.

I work with 18kt palladium white gold, which has a more pleasing look than its 14kt sibling. This genuine precious metal has a beautiful bright sheen with a darker, greyish hue. This is why, in Italy, it is called “grey gold.” The colour is not as bright white as rhodium, yet more saturated than platinum. This rich colour offers a bolder contrast to crisp white diamonds, and luscious 18kt yellow gold in two-tone pieces. It is the kind of metal that will make others notice it for its contemporary and sophisticated look — a real conversation-starter.

Lastly, like platinum, palladium white gold is very strong, and beautifully dense — though not nearly as heavy as platinum — and resistant to scratches and tarnish. As a goldsmith, I am thrilled to be working with this rare and highquality precious metal.

18kt palladium white gold is a wonderful hypo-allergenic alternative to commercial white gold for those who have a nickel allergy, and an unusual alternative for those looking for a contemporary, sophisticated look. Dorothée Rosen, designer goldsmith, Halifax

private studio visits by appointment

902.422.9460 hello@dorotheerosen.ca www.dorotheerosen.ca

NSCAD University BFA 2005 Society of North American Goldsmiths Craft Nova Scotia Master Artisan

Find more information about precious metals and gems on my website Find more information about precious metals and gems on my website

Find more information about precious metals and gems on my website!

Best of the Best 2021

Sunnyside Mall: Your shop-local destination

“As locals already know, there is no need to drive downtown. Sunnyside Mall has something for everyone.”

By Dave Johnson Photos courtesy of Sunnyside Mall

Bedford has seen tremendous growth in local business development over the past decade, and nowhere is this more evident than at Sunnyside Mall. There you’ll find more than 80 per cent of the shops are locally owned and operated — and there is always an emphasis on quality.

When you step through the mall’s doors, guests are welcomed into a promenade filled with natural light and lined with delightful independent boutique stores. “It’s almost like you’re walking through a European market,” says Jill Mason, Sunnyside’s marketing manager.

A stroll through the food court plants you firmly in that European market atmosphere. Enjoy fresh local ingredients in offerings at On the Wedge Pizza and Panini Bar, delicious sushi made fresh daily at Sushi Moto, a fine authentic Thai offering at Thai Ivory Express, a made-toorder sandwich at Subway, or maybe a coffee or a frozen yogurt at Second Cup.

And don’t miss a visit to Pete’s Frootique and Fine Foods, a locally-loved awardwinning market with a taste of oldworld charm. There you will find a vast array of international specialty items imported from around the world (such

as over 500 types of cheese) and a plethora of locally-produced products (including fresh produce, baked goods, grocery items, deli selections, meats and seafood).

Locals already know that Sunnyside Mall is your one-stop shopping destination. Whether it’s to pick up a fresh bouquet at the award-winning Blossom Flower Shop, an educational game at Brain Candy Toys and Games, home décor at Hammock by Thornbloom, clothing at Poppy and Olive (or any of the other many shops for men, women and children), or a stop at any of the other 60-plus shops and services, you will find what you are looking for and you may even find a surprise or two. In addition to shopping, Sunnyside Mall also offers many services, including O2 Wellness, a full-service fitness centre that offers high-end fitness equipment, custom workouts, yoga and spin classes, as well as experienced trainers and coaches to guide you through your exercise, nutritional and resting practices. They also provide childminding services.

And you might want to finish your visit at the award-winning trattoria Il Mercato. “It feels like you’re in Italy,” says Mason. Also, there is Finbar’s Irish Pub, where guests can stop by for a pint of Guinness and Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale battered fish and chips. As locals already know, there is no need to drive downtown. Sunnyside Mall has something for everyone. For so many of your needs, it is your one-stop, shoplocal destination.

Sunnyside Mall 1595 Bedford Highway SunnysideMall.ca