Palladium, along with Platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium form a group of elements sharing similar chemical properties which are referred to as the Platinum group metals.
Palladium has the lowest of the melting point and is the least dense of these precious metals, making it exceptional for more opulent shapes and volume. it is increasingly being chosen over white gold as the perfect lower priced alternative to Platinum, due in no small part to white gold’s need to be rhodium plated to stop it discolouring, and its vulnerability to wear. Palladium and other Platinum group metals are more hypoallergenic than many other white gold alloys.
in fact, purity isn’t the only fine quality Palladium has. Palladium’s remarkable properties played a key role during the 1970s in the development of catalytic converters as automobile emission standards were introduced to the developed world.
I've used this to add some contrast to a silver ring and it looks great with it. Bit of an experiment at first as I'm a newbie, but it solders well with .925 sterling silver. Janice Chapman
