Nitric acid can be used to perform a quick test to differentiate between palladium and silver. Palladium won't react to nitric acid, whereas silver will oxidize and turn a light brown color.
Palladium has the appearance of a soft silver-white metal that resembles platinum. It is the least dense and has the lowest melting point of the platinum group metals.
There are some tests which can be used, for example: -Relative to platinum, palladium will form a bluish oxide film when heated in a Bunsen flame and then, unlike base metals, will if heated in a reducing flame revert back to a silver colour.
The palladium hallmark
Standards of palladium hallmarking are either 500, 950 or 999 parts per thousand, as indicated below. The optional pictorial symbol is of Pallas Athene, the Greek Goddess of War, Wisdom and Crafts.
Nitric acid can be used to perform a quick test to differentiate between palladium and silver. Palladium won't react to nitric acid, whereas silver will oxidize and turn a light brown color.
Palladium Is More Valuable than Gold & Silver
It also tops platinum when it comes to current market value. On average, prices for palladium rings today are around $2,000, according to Brides.com.
Like most other precious metals Palladium does scratch. Despite being harder than Platinum, it will nevertheless pick up scratches.
Palladium is a chemical element that is similar to platinum. A rare, silver-white precious metal, palladium has been commonly used for fine jewelry since the 1930s.
The quick answer is no, Platinum on its pure form is not magnetic (a paramagnetic metal). It is also hypoallergenic, which means that it will not react to sweat, will not tarnish, nor corrode.
Palladium will not tarnish and is great for filigree work, allowing for a broad spectrum of designs. Palladium rings are also 12% harder than Platinum, which translates into less signs of wear than Platinum.
It is now cherished for its lustrous silvery-white finish and because of its similar properties to platinum. Palladium is resistant to corrosion and will not tarnish in air.
Bulk palladium is paramagnetic, but it is theoretically predicted that palladium could be turned into a magnetic state if some conditions were fulfilled concerning structure and/or particle size and shape.
Palladium does not tarnish and will keep it's white color indefinitely. It is much lighter than platinum, similar in weight to 14 karat gold. I find that at current precious metal markets the same design cost a bit less in palladium than it cost in 14k palladium white gold.
Palladium's lustrous silver-white color makes it an attractive choice for jewelry. Whiter than platinum, palladium does not need to be plated in rhodium or other alloys.
Palladium-catalysed reactions are so valuable that, in 2010, their discoverers shared a Nobel prize. But despite its versatility, chemists are trying to move away from palladium. The metal is more expensive than gold, and molecules that contain palladium can also be extremely toxic to humans and wildlife.
Palladium has been growing in popularity since it was officially recognised as a precious metal with a voluntary hallmark in July 2009, compulsory from January 2010.
Of all the naturally white metals, platinum is the densest (heaviest) of all the metals while palladium is the least dense (lightest) of them.
Some people don't like the 'light' feel of palladium compared with platinum. Because it's a newcomer to the jewellery market, it's too soon to say whether palladium will keep its value so it's probably not the best metal to choose if you're looking to make a long-term investment.
All palladium compounds should be regarded as highly toxic and as carcinogenic. Palladium chloride is toxic, harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. It causes bone marrow, liver and kidney damage in laboratory animals.
Also, you won't have the disappointing experience of having your jewelry turn yellow and dull as you would with traditional white gold as palladium white gold does not change color over time and doesn't require any form of plating.
More about Palladium
used in jewellery is 95%, so the fineness stamp in their hallmarks are the same number, 950 (which refers to 950 parts out of 1000 being pure).