What is iridium in jewellery?
By Jared James · Last updated 21 May 2026
Definition
Iridium is a dense, silvery-white metal belonging to the platinum group, and in jewellery it is used primarily as an alloying element added to platinum to improve workability. Pure platinum is soft enough to bend and dent under the pressure of setting stones, so jewellers alloy it with small amounts of iridium, typically 5 to 10 percent, which increases its hardness without altering its colour or its characteristic weight. Iridium itself is one of the rarest and most corrosion-resistant metals on earth, harder even than platinum in its pure form.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is iridium added to platinum jewellery?
- Pure platinum is beautiful but too soft for fine jewellery work. Adding iridium increases the hardness to a level that holds stone settings securely and resists everyday wear. The standard platinum jewellery alloy is 950 platinum with 50 parts of iridium or other platinum group metals, and this is what most platinum rings are made from.
- Is iridium more valuable than platinum?
- Iridium is typically more expensive per troy ounce than platinum, and its extreme rarity and corrosion resistance make it highly valued in industrial applications. As a small component in a platinum alloy it does not dramatically change the cost of a ring, but it is one reason platinum jewellery commands a premium over gold.
- Can you buy pure iridium jewellery?
- Rarely. Pure iridium is extremely hard and brittle, which makes it very difficult to work into jewellery. Its role is almost always as an alloying addition rather than a primary material, though some specialist pieces have been made from iridium-rich alloys for novelty or investment purposes.
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