Nicholas James Unveils the World’s Most Precious Bridal Gown and A Collection of Rare Palladium Designs

A bridal gown valued at nearly £100,000 will be on show at award-winning jeweler Nicholas James, during this year’s Hatton Garden Jewelry Week.

Japanese artisans have been busy weaving microscopic threads of platinum to create this precious fabric, which was then transformed into in to a stunning design by Italian couturier, Domo Adami.

Nicholas James will also be launching a range of men’s bands in the white metal, palladium. Virtually unheard of a few years ago, palladium is now officially recognized as a precious metal and since 1st January 2010 it legally requires a hallmark, the same as fine jewelry made from gold and platinum.

Discovered in 1803 and named after Pallas Athena—the goddess of wisdom and war—her image is used as the palladium hallmark at the UK Assay Offices.

This naturally white, 95 percent pure metal is from the same family as platinum. The metal itself is several times rarer than gold and yet priced similarly to 14 carat gold, it offers an alternative to platinum at today’s prices. As the credibility of an independent UK hallmark guarantees the metal’s quality to an international standard, Palladium is gaining significant attention from collectors and designers.

Nick Fitch, from Nicholas James explains: “Palladium’s unique properties are opening up some fantastic opportunities for innovative jewelry design. The metal itself never tarnishes and is whiter, lighter and about 12 percent harder than platinum. It’s ideal for creating men’s rings as it allows less metal to create a bigger, more robust and masculine look – perfect for the larger finger sizes and band widths associated with men’s rings. Palladium’s lighter weight also makes it extremely comfortable to wear.”

Make sure you head over to see the world’s most precious bridal gown and while you’re there, you could even chose your wedding band.