The differences between platinum, palladium, gold, and silver

What are precious metals?

Precious metals are metals that retain their quality, purity and value. One of the most important properties of precious metals is that they do not oxidise or hardly oxidise and are resistant to corrosion. Nevertheless, precious metals can oxidise, e.g. silver coins can discolour over time due to oxidation. This does not affect the value of your silver coin or our buy-back guarantee.
The best-known precious metals are gold, silver and platinum. Lesser-known precious metals are osmium, rhodium, iridium, palladium and ruthenium. All these precious metals are also used within engineering.

Gold

Gold is a precious metal that has been appreciated for its beauty and value for centuries. It is soft and malleable, and is often used in jewellery because of its luster and durability. Gold is also widely used in industry, especially in electronics and aerospace.
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Silver

Silver is another precious metal valued for its beauty and value. It is harder than gold and is often used in jewellery because of its shine and durability. Silver is also widely used in industry, especially in photography and electronics. The price of silver can be volatile, partly due to demand from industry and the investment market.
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Platinum

Platinum is a precious metal that is about 30 times rarer than gold.
It is often used in jewellery because of its durability and luster, and it is also widely used in industry, especially in the automotive industry for the production of catalysts.
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Palladium

Palladium is another precious metal that has grown in popularity in recent years. It is mainly used in the automotive industry, especially in the production of catalytic converters for petrol vehicles. Palladium has a similar luster to platinum and is also used in jewellery. The price of palladium can be volatile, partly due to demand from the automotive industry and the investment market.

The comparison between precious metals

Gold, silver, platinum and palladium are all valued for their unique properties and various uses. Some of the differences between these metals are:

• Rarity: platinum is about 30 times rarer than gold. Palladium, on the other hand, is less rare than platinum and gold;
• Applications: each of these metals has different applications in industry. For example, gold is widely used in electronics and aerospace, while platinum and palladium are widely used in the automotive industry;
• Price: the price of these metals can vary depending on different supply, including market supply and demand and geopolitical tensions. Gold is generally more expensive than silver, platinum and palladium. In the past, platinum was more expensive than gold.

The price of precious metals

The price of gold and silver can rise for several reasons. Some factors that can affect the rise in the price of gold and silver include:

• Economic uncertainty: in times of economic uncertainty or instability, such as recessions or geopolitical tensions, the demand for gold and silver may increase as investors look for safe havens to protect their assets;
• Inflation: gold and silver are seen as a hedge against inflation as their value can rise when the purchasing power of currency declines. Investors can resort to precious metals to reduce the impact of inflation on their portfolio;
• Supply and demand: fluctuations in the supply and demand of precious metals also affect prices. For example, a growing shortage of silver can drive up prices;
• Monetary policy measures: central banks' decisions regarding interest rates and monetary policy measures can affect the price of precious metals. Low interest rates can boost demand for gold and silver, while rising interest rates can put pressure on prices;
• Technical factors: technical factors, such as trading volumes and price charts, can also affect the price movements of gold and silver. Rapid price increases, such as the recent 6.5% rise in the silver price in less than two hours, can result from technical trading patterns

Investing in physical precious metals

At The Silver Mountain, you have the opportunity to purchase physical bullion in the form of coins and bars at the current price. Our prices are adjusted every three minutes to the current gold, silver, platinum or palladium price. That way, you are assured of a fair price.
Besides selling physical precious metals, we also offer insured and allocated storage for your precious metals. Finally, The Silver Mountain is the first bullion dealer to offer a unique buy-back guarantee within the Netherlands. This ensures that you have a trusted address to sell your precious metal - if desired - again in the future.

Disclaimer: The Silver Mountain does not provide investment advice and this article should not be considered as such. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.