Palladium

Palladium is a white precious metal from the platinum family. It is lighter than platinum and gold, does not tarnish and is very well tolerated by the skin, so it is used both for palladium jewelry and, above all, as a component of white gold.

Properties #

• Color: natural grayish white that needs no plating.
• Density: about 12 g/cm³: lighter than platinum (21.45) and gold (19.3)
• Melting point: around 1555 °C.
• Usual purity: 950 (95% palladium) in pure jewelry.
• Reaction to air: it does not tarnish; it only softens with wear.

Uses in jewelry #

• Alloying metal for white gold: in 18-karat white gold it is combined with gold and silver instead of nickel.
• Pure 950 palladium wedding bands and rings.
• Settings for stones, thanks to its hardness and neutral color.
• A more affordable alternative to platinum.

Pros and cons #

Advantages #

• Naturally white: no rhodium plating needed.
• Hypoallergenic and light.
• Corrosion-resistant.

Limitations #

• Its price swings a lot on the market.
• It is harder to work and solder than silver or gold.
• It is less well known and harder to find in jewelry stores.

Care and cleaning #

• Clean with lukewarm water, mild soap and a soft brush.
• If it scratches, a jeweler can polish it again.
• Store it apart from other jewelry to avoid scratches.

See also #

• Platinum
• Rhodium
• Gold