The origin of the name palladium
The element palladium has been known since 1803, when it was discovered by the English scientist William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828). He was working with platinum ores and noticed a black sediment that was deposited when platinum ores from South America were dissolved in a mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid (aqua regia). WH Wollaston named his discovery after a large asteroid that was sighted in 1802. The asteroid was named Pallas in reference to the Greek goddess Pallas Athena, and the name palladium is derived from this.
Palladium and its characteristics
In its pure form, palladium (element symbol Pd) has a silvery-white metallic sheen. It belongs to the group of platinum metals because its chemical composition is similar to that of platinum. The unit for the weight of palladium is the troy ounce - this corresponds to 31.1035 grams. Similar to gold, platinum and silver, the fineness of palladium is also given in thousandths, but unlike gold, there is no purity measure in carats. Even though palladium is more common than gold and platinum , it is a relatively rare precious metal. Due to its material properties, it is easy to shape and design, which is why it can be used to make palladium jewelry.
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The different alloys
Among other things, it is used in alloys with gold , known as white gold - palladium gives it a shiny silvery color. There is also palladium jewelry in which the precious metal is used in other alloys - in its pure form (palladium 999) it is too soft for the production of palladium jewelry. Jeweler's palladium with a fineness of 95-96% is better suited for this, and silver, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium and copper can be used as alloy partners. The addition of foreign metals causes the silver-white color to be lost and the palladium takes on a blackened, dark gray appearance.
Palladium as an investment
Palladium is rarely used as an investment in the form of coins - due to its considerable price fluctuations, it is not as popular as gold or platinum.
deposits of palladium
The most important palladium deposits, which are now almost exhausted, are located in Russia, Ethiopia, Australia and across the American continent. Today, palladium is mainly extracted from nickel and copper ores.
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