Though palladium has been around for quite a while, it has been mostly used in the automotive industry, and not commonly otherwise seen. In recent years this shiny white metal has taken its place on the jewelry stage and is quickly becoming a go-to metal for jewelry designers. What is palladium? It is a metal that was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston and named after the asteroid Pallas. Palladium is more rare than gold or platinum, is the least dense, and has the lowest melting point of the group. The only palladium mine in the United States is the Stillwater Mine in Montana. Other mines are in Canada, South Africa, and Russia, the world's largest palladium producer. World demand for palladium increased from 100 tons in 1990 to nearly 300 tons in 2000. Today the price of palladium has reached record highs, surpassing gold and platinum’s price per ounce. Palladium was introduced as a precious metal in the use of jewelry in 1939 but until now it really never had the spotlight. Palladium’s unique properties make it a very malleable and useful metal in the art of jewelry-making, and the new opportunities it provides is exciting designers to create different kinds of pieces! If you want to explore the possibility of making your next piece with palladium give us a call! If you are interested in learning more about palladium check this out: