Palladium is a white precious metal from the platinum group. It looks much like platinum but weighs a little over half as much. Jewelers use it two ways: as a solid metal, usually 95 percent pure and marked 950, and as a whitening ingredient in white gold.
What palladium is
Palladium is one of the six platinum-group metals and one of the noble metals. It resists corrosion and does not tarnish in normal air. Its natural color is a slightly darker gray-white than platinum, close enough that most people cannot tell the two apart in a ring.
The English chemist William Hyde Wollaston discovered palladium in 1802 while studying platinum ore dissolved in acid. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, found that same year, which was itself named after the Greek goddess Pallas Athena. He first sold the new metal anonymously in a London shop before publishing his findings.
Palladium has a density of about 12.0 g/cm³, compared with about 21.45 for platinum and about 19.3 for pure gold. It melts at about 1,555 °C, lower than platinum but well above gold. It also has an unusual ability to absorb large volumes of hydrogen gas, which is one reason it matters to industry.
Palladium jewelry standards
| Mark | Palladium content | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 950, PD950, PALL | 95 percent | Most common jewelry standard |
| 500 | 50 percent | Lower UK hallmarking standard |
| 999 | 99.9 percent | Bullion; too soft for most jewelry |
The rest of a 950 alloy is usually ruthenium, which hardens the metal, or sometimes gallium, copper or silver. In the United Kingdom, palladium became a hallmarkable precious metal in 2010, so pieces sold there above a set weight must carry an assay office mark. The precious metal hallmarks page explains the marks.
How palladium wears
Palladium 950 behaves somewhat like platinum. It is white throughout, so it does not need rhodium plating to stay white, and scratches push metal aside more than they remove it. It is lighter, so a palladium ring feels closer to a gold ring in the hand. It is also hypoallergenic for most people, since it contains no nickel.
Palladium has drawbacks too. It is less dense, so a palladium prong has less metal mass than a platinum prong of the same size. Working it requires care: palladium absorbs hydrogen and oxygen at high temperatures, which can make castings porous and soldering difficult. Many repair benches that handle gold and platinum daily see less palladium, so some shops prefer not to resize or repair it.
Palladium compared with platinum and white gold
| Feature | Palladium 950 | Platinum 950 | 18K white gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density (g/cm³) | About 12 | About 21 | About 14.5 to 16 |
| Natural color | Gray-white | Gray-white | Pale gray to warm, usually plated |
| Needs plating | No | No | Usually rhodium plated |
| Nickel | None | None | Sometimes |
| Ease of repair | Harder for many shops | Needs platinum tools | Routine |
A palladium ring and a platinum ring of the same design look much alike. The palladium ring weighs a bit more than half as much. Over years of wear, both develop a soft scratched surface that a jeweler can polish back to a shine.
Palladium in white gold
The largest jewelry use of palladium may be inside white gold. Gold alloyed with palladium turns pale gray-white, and palladium white gold avoids the skin reactions some people have to nickel white gold. It is also softer and easier to set stones in. Palladium white gold is usually rhodium plated, like other white golds, for a brighter finish.
History in jewelry
Palladium had limited jewelry use until the twentieth century. During World War II, the United States declared platinum a strategic metal and restricted its use in jewelry. Jewelers turned to white gold and, to a smaller degree, palladium as substitutes. Palladium faded from jewelry after the war but returned in the 2000s, when platinum prices were high and palladium was relatively cheaper.
Most palladium is mined alongside nickel and platinum. The main historic sources are the Norilsk area of Siberia in Russia, the Bushveld Complex in South Africa, the Stillwater complex in Montana and the Sudbury Basin in Ontario.
Price volatility
Palladium's price has been more volatile than gold's or platinum's. Most palladium goes into catalytic converters for gasoline vehicles, where it helps turn harmful exhaust gases into less harmful ones. Changes in car production, emissions rules and supply from a few mining regions can move its price sharply in both directions.
That volatility shapes palladium's role in jewelry. When palladium was cheaper than platinum, jewelers marketed it as a lower-cost white metal. In the late 2010s, palladium became more expensive than platinum, and its appeal as a budget choice faded. A buyer should not assume palladium is always cheaper than platinum or gold. Prices for any of these metals change over time.
Choosing palladium
Palladium can be a good choice if you want:
- A white metal with no plating to maintain.
- A lighter ring than platinum.
- A nickel-free metal for sensitive skin.
Check whether your local jeweler is comfortable resizing and repairing palladium before you buy. Clean it with warm soapy water and a soft brush, as described in the jewelry cleaning guide. The jewelry metals overview compares palladium with gold, platinum and silver.
Frequently asked questions
Is palladium the same as platinum?
No. Both are platinum-group metals with a white color, but palladium is a separate element. It is lighter, slightly darker in tone and has different working properties.
Does palladium tarnish?
Palladium 950 does not tarnish in normal wear. It can develop a dull surface from scratches, which a jeweler can polish.
Is palladium hypoallergenic?
For most people, yes. Palladium 950 contains no nickel and is a common choice for people with metal sensitivities.
Why do some jewelers avoid working with palladium?
Palladium can absorb gases when heated, which complicates casting and soldering. Shops without palladium experience may prefer to send repairs out.