Palladium prices differences between suppliers

Jewelry Discussion
1

I recently contacted Stuller, Hauser and Miller, and Hoover and
Strong to price pure palladium sheet to use for fabrication. There
was about a $100 difference between one supplier and the others. For
those of you who have used palladium, does this make sense? It made
me nervous that sales people did not give me correct prices. Advice
on how to get the best product at the best price?

Richard Hart G.G.
Jewelers Gallery
Denver Co.

2 
I recently contacted Stuller, Hauser and Miller, and Hoover and
Strong to price pure palladium sheet to use for fabrication. There
was about a $100 difference between one supplier and the others.
For those of you who have used palladium, does this make sense? It
made me nervous that sales people did not give me correct prices.
Advice on how to get the best product at the best price?

Are you sure you want pure palladium? In my opinion it is way too
soft for most jewelry at HV 37 this is softer than annealed sterling
silver at HV 56! The new 950 palladium alloys are much harder and
more suitable to use in rings or other high wear situations. They are
in the HV 130 or better range.

I have used the Pd950 alloys from Hoover & Strong, Stuller (who I
believe buys it from Johnson Mathey) and DH Fell. I like the DH Fell
alloy the best but they are all good fabrication alloys.

As for the price difference I do not know what to tell you but each
of the 950 alloys is different in composition which might account for
some of the difference.

James Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts

3 
Are you sure you want pure palladium? In my opinion it is way too
soft for most jewelry at HV 37 this is softer than annealed
sterling silver at HV 56!

A customer wanted pure palladium to make a fuel cell, details of
which I know absolutely nothing, I figured I would order a little to
use with gold and/or sterling for earrings or a pendant as long as I
was making as large of an order as I was. I did order 26 gauge and I
plan to use it so it is supported by other metals that I combine it
with as I did not know how soft it was having never used it
previously.

Richard Hart