#IRIDIUM METAL HARDNESS PROFESSIONAL#

That’s because nearly all white gold jewelry is now plated with rhodium. This works by suspending a piece of jewelry in a liquid rhodium solution and passing an electric current through it, which electrically bonds a very thin layer of rhodium to the jewelry.Įlectroplating is probably familiar to anyone who has bought white gold jewelry in recent years.

Rhodium is a very rare, extremely white platinum group metal that, in the jewelry industry, is used only for electroplating. Rhodium Rhodium-plated ring with bezel setting Palladium Quick Facts Chart Chemical Symbol As such, palladium jewelry isn’t significantly more expensive than platinum jewelry. However, because it’s less dense, palladium jewelry uses less metal by weight than jewelry made from platinum.

#IRIDIUM METAL HARDNESS PROFESSIONAL#

A trained professional would have to closely examine these two platinum metals side by side to tell the difference.Īs well as palladium being harder and more scratch-resistant than platinum, it’s also about fifteen times as rare, which contributes to its slightly higher price point. For practical purposes, though, palladium is visually indiscernible from platinum. Palladium has a slightly darker hue than platinum, edging closer to silvery-gray than silvery-white. The standard formulation is 95% palladium, with 5% ruthenium to add hardness and durability. Platinum Quick Facts Chart Chemical SymbolĪpart from platinum, palladium is the only one of the platinum group metals used in large amounts within jewelry alloys. Popular alloys include:īy comparison, karat gold alloys are typically 75% pure (18k gold) or 58.3% pure (14k gold). In the United States, platinum jewelry is usually made from platinum-rich alloys of very high purity. Alloying platinum with small amounts of harder metals increases its hardness and durability. Instead, most platinum jewelry is made from an alloy (mix) of platinum and other metals. However, because it’s a relatively soft metal, pure platinum is rarely used in jewelry making. These are desirable qualities for a jewelry metal, and help to explain platinum’s popularity. Platinum is malleable and ductile, which means it can be crafted into different shapes without cracking or losing strength. This makes platinum jewelry unusually and luxuriantly heavy – you will definitely notice a difference in weight compared to gold or silver jewelry. Platinum is the third-densest natural element known to exist, placing just behind its fellow platinum group metals osmium and iridium. When it was first encountered by 18th century Spanish miners in South America, they regarded platinum as an unwanted impurity in silver ore, derisively calling it platino (meaning “little silver”). Interestingly, platinum wasn’t always recognized as valuable. However, the prices of precious metals are always fluctuating, and at the time of last updating this guide, gold is the more expensive of the two. It’s 30 times rarer than gold, and as such, has often been priced higher.

Much of the value of platinum derives from its extraordinary scarcity. Prized for its silvery-white sheen, rarity, and resistance to tarnish and corrosion, it has been used in the making of platinum jewelry for thousands of years. Platinum is the eponymous and most abundant member of the platinum group.

Useful in the manufacture of electrical components, catalytic converters, fuel cells, and nitric acid, and in various other industrial applications.

Typically found together in the same mineral deposits, or as a by-product of copper and nickel production (mainly from sources in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Russia).

High tarnish and corrosion resistance, and immunity to most forms of chemical attack.

They are all dense, noble metals with a lustrous silvery color.Īccording to the United States Geological Survey, other distinctive properties of platinum metals include: The six platinum group metals share similar physical appearances and chemical properties.

Iridium metal hardness