What you should actually expect to be offered
Palladium has the thinnest retail scrap market of the four precious metals — most non-specialist buyers quote it far below melt or decline it. A specialist buyer quote is essential.
Where palladium hides
PD950 jewelry is marked “PD950” or “Palladium”; some white gold uses palladium as the whitening alloy (it doesn't yellow like nickel white gold). Vintage pieces from the 1930s–40s wartime platinum bans are a known palladium pocket that general buyers routinely misidentify.
A thin market cuts both ways
Palladium spot spiked above gold in 2021–22 and has since retraced hard — buyers remember the volatility and price defensively. Your protection is the melt number and patience: a specialist refiner-connected buyer will quote against real spot; a generalist will quote against their uncertainty.
Frequently asked questions
How much is PD950 palladium worth per gram?
Melt value per gram is spot ÷ 31.1035 × 0.95. Expect realistic offers of 30–78% of melt depending on the buyer, with specialists at the top of the range.
Is palladium magnetic?
No — like the other precious metals, palladium is not magnetic. A magnet test screens steel fakes but can't distinguish palladium from platinum or white gold; marks and professional testing do that.
Other metals
Gold calculator · Silver calculator · Platinum calculator · Copper calculator · Nickel calculator · Brass calculator