pal·la·di·um | pə-ˈlā-dē-əm
noun
A charcoal-gray precious metal; cousin of platinum found in Russia, South Africa, and North America
Palladium is an element in the periodic table with an atomic weight of 46, located between rhodium and silver. It was first discovered in 1803 and was named after an asteroid. It was discovered to be similar to platinum and placed in the platinum group of metals (PGMs). It has many of the same properties of platinum, including a general resistance to oxidation and corrosion and the ability to be used in a variety of different jewelry applications and designs. It is found in Russia, North America, and South Africa and is considered incredibly rare, routinely costing more than either gold or platinum due to that rarity and the number of practical applications it has in addition to use in jewelry.
