Dec

Palladium – the new gold?

Palladium is a metal discovered in 1803, and gets its name from the asteroid Pallas, that actually gets its name from the Greek goddess Pallas Athena.

Together with Platinum and Rhodium, also considered precious metals, Palladium is part of the Platinum Group Metals. Palladium has many appliances in various fields: jewelry, electronics, medicine, dentistry, hydrogen storage, catalysis, photography and art.

Palladium was first used in jewelry in 1939 as a possible alternative to white gold and platinum. It is slightly whiter, much lighter and about 12% harder than platinum. Like platinum, it will develop a hazy patina over time. Unlike platinum, however, palladium may discolor at high soldering temperatures, become brittle with repeated heating and cooling, and react with strong acids.A big advantage is that it is hypoallergenic, due to the fact that it’s purity is more than 90%. It is also 40% lighter than platinum making it extremely fit for jewelry.

The popularity of Palladium jewelry is expected to grow in 2008 as the world’s biggest producers embark on a joint marketing effort to promote Palladium jewelry worldwide.

Palladium has only recently become a popular alternative for luxurious jewelry. Platinum, palladium and gold are considered precious metals, while titanium and tungsten not.

When choosing an engagement rings for example you should take into account certain properties of the metal but nevertheless the price. Palladium has a hardness that doesn’t let the ring to tarnish easily, so it is more resistant than gold. Another great advantage of palladium is the price that is around three times less than platinum So if you want a platinum look at a reasonable price palladium should be your first choice.