What Is Rhodium?

• Rhodium is a hard, silvery and durable metal in the Platinum group.
• The Chemical symbol for Rhodium is Rh.
• Rhodium is highly reflective and is often used to give white gold an extra shine
• It has a higher melting point than Platinum and is resistant to corrosion.
• Like Platinum it is a hard, ductile, malleable and is a good electrical conductor.
• Rhodium resists attack by acids and can only be dissolved in aqua regia, a highly volatile mix of concentrated nitric and sulphuric acids that is also one of the few substances that can dissolve gold and platinum.
• It is the most expensive of all precious metals.

Over the last 30 years Rhodium has averaged circa $1000 a troy ounce and in 2006 has reached $6200.00 an ounce. Rhodium, named after rhodon, the Greek for rose, was discovered by William Hyde Wollaston in 1804 shortly after he had discovered Platinum and Palladium. Read more

What Is Palladium And Where Does It Come From?

Palladium is one of a group of six metals known as Platinum Group Metals or PGMs. It is a by-product of other mining operations.

The others are

• Platinum
• Iridium
• Rhodium
• Ruthenium
• Osmium. Read more