Palladium is a rare, naturally occurring native metal belonging to the platinum group. It is typically found in small grains or nuggets within ultramafic rock complexes and secondary placer deposits, often associated with other noble metals.
Is this palladium?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch palladium with a known reference. Palladium sits at Mohs 4.75-5 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Palladium leaves a silver-white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Palladium typically shows a metallic luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: silver-white, pale gray.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: isometric. Typical habit: grains, nuggets, rarely as cubes or octahedra.
Often confused with
Palladium vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Streak differs — Palladium leaves silver-white, Platinum leaves steel-gray.
How to tell apart: Palladium is noticeably harder (Mohs 4.75-5 vs. 2.5-3).
How to tell apart: Palladium is noticeably harder (Mohs 4.75-5 vs. 2.5-3); streak differs — Palladium leaves silver-white, Gold leaves golden yellow.
Often found alongside palladium
Minerals reported to co-occur with palladium. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- Pd
- Mohs hardness
- 4.75-5
- Density
- 11.9-12.1 g/cm³
- Colors
- Streak
- Silver-white
- Luster
- Metallic
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Isometric
- Crystal habit
- Grains, Nuggets, Rarely as Cubes or Octahedra
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Rare
- Uses
- Industrial, Catalyst, Collector, Jewelry
- Host rock
- Ultramafic Igneous Rocks, Placer Deposits
- Typical price
- $50-500+ depending on weight and rarity of specimen
Where rockhounds find palladium
2 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Russia
- South Africa
- Canada
- Brazil
- USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in ultramafic igneous rocks, placer deposits country — that is the host setting where palladium typically forms. If you start seeing platinum, iridium, gold in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a grains, nuggets, rarely as cubes or octahedra habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Nevada — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find palladium on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
