A recent report from Johnson Matthey reveals demand and pricing for two popular jewelry metals: platinum and palladium.

Demand for the latter rose 22 percent in 2004, with more than half of this growth coming from the jewelry sector; the rapid development of palladium-jewelry manufacturing in China led the way. Palladium prices hit a high of $333 per ounce in April 2004 but fell to $178 in December. For the remainder of 2005, Johnson Matthey expects palladium prices to range from $160 to $230 per ounce.

The platinum market has been more or less in balance since 2004 and is expected to remain so for the remainder of 2005. Demand for the metal edged up by less than 1 percent for the second year in a row, and expectations exist for the metal to trade between $830 and $930 per ounce for the remainder of the year.