Palladium
ISO currency code: XPT
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| 1 ounce Palladium Bullion Coin |
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| 1 ounce Palladium Bullion Bar |
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Palladium is a Platinum Group Metal (PGM)
Palladium is the other major metal of the Platinum group. It was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston and named after the asteroid and the Greek goddess Pallas Athena, the beautiful owl-eyed goddess of war, wisdom and the arts.
Palladium is mined with Platinum and is also produced as a by-product of Nickel mining.
Russia supplies about 67% of production, South Africa, 23%; and North America, 8%.
Annual production is approximately 8.1 million ounces.
Investment Demand
In early 2007, several ETFs backed by physical Palladium were launched, including London ETF Security and ZKB Palladium ETF.
Industrial Usage
1. Automobile catalytic converters. The greatest percentage of industrial demand. The number of automobiles in the world today is projected to more than double in the next 30 years requiring a growing demand for Palladium.
2. Electronic equipment. Palladium containing components are used in virtually every type of electronic device, from basic consumer products to complex military hardware.
3. Dental alloys
Jewelry
Palladium was first used for jewelry when Platinum was declared a strategic metal and reserved for military use in 1939. Palladium alloys developed for jewelry typically contain 95% Palladium and about 5% Ruthenium (incised PD 950). These 950 Palladium alloys are white, noble, malleable, lightweight and hypoallergenic. Palladium is the standard for alloying with gold for producing white Gold in Europe; Palladium use avoids allergic reactions (skin rashes, dermatitis, and eczema) that may occur when wearing white Gold jewelry made with nickel. An 18-carat gold white Gold alloy content is typically 75% Gold, 15% Palladium and 10% Silver.
With the price of Platinum and the public's appetite for "white" jewelry at all time highs, Palladium jewelry is becoming increasing popular and available.
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| PD 950 Ring |
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| 1 ounce Palladium Bullion Bar |
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| 100 ounce Palladium Bullion Bar |
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