Jewellery alloys
Current technology
Palladium as a precious metal is widely used in the jewellery industry for its ability to form alloys with gold and other metals.
The most common application of palladium in jewellery making is the alloying of gold with palladium, where it serves as a whitening agent to create ‘white gold.’ These alloys can range from white to grey, offering the possibility of crafting jewellery with a contemporary and sophisticated look.
Market
No sharp changes in demand for palladium in the jewellery industry are expected. In part, such demand is subject to the subjective taste preferences of consumers, but the need to include a hardening additive in the composition of gold jewellery alloys will incline consumers towards a noble but affordable option, such as palladium.
Challenges of current technology
Gold itself is an inert and resistant material, but it is still quite soft and sensitive to physical stress. Dents and micro-scratches form on it relatively easily.
Positive impact of palladium
Jewellery designers value palladium for its strength and resistance to tarnishing, as pieces made from it retain their brightness over time. Gold-palladium alloys are highly durable and hard-wearing, offering excellent resistance to mechanical damage. Furthermore, such alloys have high corrosion resistance, allowing the pieces to maintain their freshness and shine for a long time.
Additionally, palladium is much less dense than gold or platinum, enabling the creation of strong, large pieces of jewellery that are lighter in weight without compromising on quality.
The hypoallergenic properties of this metal are also highly valued. Palladium doesn’t react with other things in the environment as nickel does. This makes it safer for people with allergies to metals.
To find out more about the physical qualities of palladium, see – Chemistry.
To find out more about palladium in jewellery, see the following scientific publications:
- Artiukh, T., Hryhorenko, I., Ternova, A., Yaheliuk, S., Verenikin, O., & Cernavca, M. (2021). Identification Of White Jewellery Alloy Based On Silver And Platinum For Testing Purposes. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 47-59. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15587/1729-4061.2021.243179
- Gao, R., & Zhang, N. (2015). ICP-OES determination of palladium in palladium jewellery alloys using Yttrium internal standard. At. Spectrosc., 36, 216-220. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46770/AS.2015.05.005
- Carr, D. A., Corbitt, J., Hart, G. R., Gilmartin, E., & Hart, G. L. (2012). Finding new phases for precipitate-hardening in platinum and palladium alloys. Computational materials science, 51(1), 331-339. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.commatsci.2011.06.028