Palladium generating support in jewelry sector

Palladium is increasingly attracting more attention among U.S. jewelers, who packed a recent palladium presentation at the Couture 2007 show now on-going in Las Vegas.
Among the presenters were Stillwater President and CEO Frank McAllister, who explained that 20% of the world palladium production is now used in jewelry.
He said that Stillwater recently hosted a select group of metallurgists, research scientists, and manufacturing jewelers at mining operations in Montana. "Their excitement for palladium was really infectious," he declared.
Among those who advocate palladium is Scott Kay, a nationally renowned designer of bridal jewelry, who forecast last year that "palladium is going to explode into our industry, unlike anything we're ever seen before... not because of opinions but because of facts. Because of its purity, color and density factor and all other characteristics it shares with platinum."
"Last year at this point, hardly anybody was carrying palladium," Kay said at last week's panel. "Now there are thousands of retailers selling palladium every day."
McAllister said jewelry manufacturer Hoover & Strong is expected to announce soon that it has developed "a new palladium alloy with a remarkable higher Vickers hardness and having increased rigidity-ideal for use with spring mechanisms, ear wires and other findings requiring maximum shape retention."
He also noted that the International Platinum Group Metals Association is commissioning a study "to provide a palladium marketing blueprint," which is "due out this fall. While it would be premature to project the ultimate outcome of the study or the support level this will result in, this development is big news."
Meanwhile, Johnson Matthey last week unveiled an information and technical manual detailing "palladium's unique working and manufacturing characteristics," which is co-authored by the Palladium Alliance International (PAI) technical advisors Mark and Lainie Mann.
McAllister said PAI has commissioned Germany's Research Institute for Precious Metals and Metals Chemistry (fem) to design a technical document for best practices in palladium casting.