Platinum and palladium are 30 times rarer than gold. Palladium is a very rare metal and has a slightly whiter appearance than platinum and white gold. This, along with its durability, makes it an excellent choice for wedding and engagement rings and is now offered as a metal selection for many of the rings available from jewelers such as Ben Garelick in Buffalo, New York. Even though it's rarer than platinum, it's often less expensive, usually due to demand.
Many believe that the price of palladium will continue to rise to platinum as it continues to gain popularity. If you're still not sure which metal to choose for your engagement ring, wedding band, or the next eye-catching piece of jewelry, get in touch with the jewelry experts at Ben Garelick for help. Because it's so soft, pure gold is rarely used in jewelry; other metals are added to increase hardness or create exotic colors. Despite its strength, platinum is extraordinarily flexible; one gram of metal can be stretched to produce a thin wire more than a mile long.
Asset Strategies International is an industry-leading full-service tangible asset distributor specializing in precious metals, foreign currencies and rare tangible assets. Think about that when comparing platinum to other precious metals, especially if you're looking for an engagement ring or wedding band. Gold is dense, smooth, shiny, and the most malleable and ductile of known metals; a single gram can be beaten into a sheet of one square meter, or an ounce in 300 square feet. Many choose platinum because they believe the metal helps accentuate the brilliance of their engagement or wedding ring with large center diamonds.
Considering the supply and demand factors for platinum and palladium at this time, both metals are worth considering for inclusion in your portfolio. This rare silver-white metal that resembles platinum was discovered in 1803 and has been used in jewelry since 1939. A new light now shines on these two metals that makes them more attractive to investors, as they have recently seen lower prices and show a steady increase. Because platinum is extremely durable and strong, it will hold gemstones securely in place for extended periods of time. In portfolio management, osmium is becoming increasingly popular as gold and silver owners get rid of metals that move laterally and use it to pay for osmium.
According to macro-strategist Eric Fry of the Oxford Club, “Of the total supply of palladium, which includes both freshly extracted metal and recycled metal, the automotive industry consumes about 85%. Platinum is the second most expensive precious metal used in jewelry, along with rhodium, which is only used to plate white gold. Calling it “platinum”, or “little silver,” the seekers didn't realize that the very rocks they threw contained an element that was more precious and rare than the metal that drove their ambitions.