More Precious Metals: Platinum & Palladium

PropertyRoom.com | February 18, 2017 | Blog Spotlight | No Comments

Precious metals and jewels make the auctions go ’round! We’ve covered gold and silver, and we’ve talked about birthstones before – but we have some precious metals left that deserve a spotlight all their own. Undoubtedly, you’ve seen plenty of platinum and palladium jewelry listings on the PropertyRoom.com site, but how much can you say you know about them?

We’ve got you covered with this list of fun facts about both precious metals, and some special links to auctions while we’re at it. What’s a fun fact post without some auctions? So read on, learn a little, and enjoy!

Platinum Fun Facts

Platinum is both the rarest and heaviest precious metal. All the Platinum ever mined would fit in a standard living room.
During WWII, platinum was declared a “strategic” metal, and it was not permitted to be used in non-military applications.
Cartier, Fabergé and Tiffany’s have created their timeless designs in platinum.
Roughly 90% of platinum comes from South Africa and Russia.
Platinum comes from the Spanish word ‘platina‘ meaning ‘little silver.’
Other uses of platinum include catalytic converters, spark plugs, dentistry equipment, an anti-tumor agent, to make standard weights and measures, and much more.

Palladium Fun Facts

Towards the end of the 1800s, palladium was more expensive than platinum.
Palladium is thirty times more rare than gold.
Palladium gets its name from Pallas, the second-largest asteroid in the asteroid belt.
In certain amounts, palladium can spontaneously ignite.
Under normal conditions, palladium does not tarnish because it does not react with oxygen.
More than half of all palladium goes into automobile catalytic converters – and then palladium can be recycled from these used parts!

Did you learn anything new? Do you prefer platinum, palladium, or a different precious metal? Feel free to let us know in the comments! Stay tuned for some related auctions – we know you love them.

If you have any suggestions for a blog spotlight, let us know, and we’d be happy to cover it. Check out past blog posts on watches, cameras and more. Until next time – good luck, and happy bidding!