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Iridium isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic. This means iridium isn’t strongly attracted to magnets but is still slightly influenced by magnetic fields.
Iridium is paramagnetic due to the presence of unpaired electrons in its 5d orbitals. These unpaired electrons give rise to a magnetic moment that’s weakly attracted to an external magnetic field, a characteristic of paramagnetic materials.
Iridium alloyed with other metals can become magnetic under certain circumstances.
Learn more right below!
- Is it Possible to Test Iridium Purity With Magnets?
- Is Pure Iridium Bullion Magnetic?
- Is Pure Iridium Jewelry Magnetic?
- Is Raw Iridium Magnetic?
- Is Iridium More or Less Magnetic than Gold?
- Is Iridium More or Less Magnetic than Silver?
- Is Iridium More or Less Magnetic than Platinum?
- Is Iridium More or Less Magnetic than Palladium?
- Can Pure Iridium Stop Being Paramagnetic Under Certain Circumstances?
Here’s an awesome quiz about iridium’s magnetic properties. Take it after you’ve read my guide for your best results.
Table of Contents
Is it Possible to Test Iridium Purity With Magnets?
No, it’s not possible to test iridium purity with magnets.
Iridium isn’t magnetic, but paramagnetic which means it’s only very weakly attracted to a magnetic field. This means there won’t be any noticeable reaction if you point a magnet to an iridium-made object.
It’s also impossible to magnet-test any object that’s made from iridium alloyed with some other metal.
Because these other metals in the alloy are either magnetic or not, and in botch cases you won’t know which metal is responding or not responding to your magnet.
Bottom line is that testing iridium with magnets is unreliable and gives inconclusive results.
Is Pure Iridium Bullion Magnetic?
No, pure iridium bullion isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic.
Pure iridium bullion is rare. Only 248 000 ounces of iridium are produced during a calendar year, and only 2% of it goes to bullion creation.
I was able to find only one website that sells iridium bars made with nearly 100% pure iridium.
Is Pure Iridium Jewelry Magnetic?
No, pure iridium jewelry isn’t magnetic because pure iridium jewelry doesn’t exist. Pure iridium jewelry is impractical because iridium is too expensive, too hard and impossible to work with to create delicate jewelry pieces.
For example, it’s nearly impossible to resize a piece of pure iridium jewelry and you also can’t set precious stones in it.
Iridium is, however, often alloyed with other precious metals to create jewelry from it. And then iridium can either become magnetic when it’s alloyed with a ferromagnetic metal, or remain paramagnetic when alloyed with another paramagnetic metal.
A good example is platinum 900, a platinum alloy which consists of 90% pure platinum and 10% iridium.
In this case iridium increases platinum’s hardness, durability, and resistance to wear and deformation. And platinum/iridium alloy stays paramagnetic because platinum is paramagnetic as well.
Is Raw Iridium Magnetic?
No, raw iridium isn’t magnetic. It’s paramagnetic just like pure iridium products gotten from raw iridium.
Note: Iridium is rarely mined as a primary metal. Instead, it’s typically recovered as a byproduct during the refining of platinum, nickel and copper ores. The process involves complex hydrometallurgical techniques to separate it from other platinum group metals (PGMs).
Is Iridium More or Less Magnetic than Gold?
Iridium is more magnetic than gold.
This is because pure gold is diamagnetic, meaning it’s weakly repelled by a magnetic field, whereas iridium is paramagnetic, meaning it’s weakly attracted to a magnetic field.
Is Iridium More or Less Magnetic than Silver?
Iridium is more magnetic than silver.
This is because pure silver is diamagnetic, meaning it’s weakly repelled by a magnetic field, whereas iridium is paramagnetic, meaning it’s weakly attracted to a magnetic field.
Is Iridium More or Less Magnetic than Platinum?
Iridium is slightly more magnetic than platinum.
Both iridium and platinum are paramagnetic metals, but iridium shows a stronger magnetic response than platinum.
Iridium is slightly more magnetic than platinum due to the arrangement and behavior of their electrons.
Both metals have electrons that align with an external magnetic field, but the extent of this alignment is greater in iridium, making it slightly more magnetic than platinum.
Is Iridium More or Less Magnetic than Palladium?
Iridium is slightly less magnetic than palladium.
Both iridium and palladium are paramagnetic noble metals, but palladium exhibits a slightly stronger magnetic response than iridium.
Palladium is slightly more magnetic than iridium due to the arrangement and behavior of their electrons.
Both palladium and iridium have electrons that align with an external magnetic field, but the extent of this alignment is greater in palladium, making it more magnetic than iridium.
Is Iridium More or Less Magnetic than Ruthenium?
Ruthenium is slightly more magnetic than iridium.
However, ruthenium’s advantage in the magnetism department is only observable when measured in a lab and to the naked eye and for all practical purposes, both metals are non-magnetic.
Note: both iridium and ruthenium are paramagnetic metals, meaning they are very weakly attracted to magnetic fields.
Can Pure Iridium Stop Being Paramagnetic Under Certain Circumstances?
Yes, pure iridium can stop being paramagnetic under certain circumstances.
Iridium stops being paramagnetic and becomes completely non-magnetic at very low temperatures due to a phenomenon known as magnetic ordering.
Magnetic ordering is the spontaneous arrangement of atomic magnetic moments within a material at temperatures below a critical transition temperature. This leads to distinct magnetic phases like ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, or ferrimagnetism.
Is Iridium Magnetic? Can Iridium Be Magnetized Under Certain Circumstances or Not? Conclusion
Iridium isn’t magnetic, but paramagnetic, meaning it’s weakly attracted to magnetic fields due to unpaired electrons in its 5d orbitals.
Pure iridium cannot be tested for purity using magnets because its magnetic response is too weak to detect.
Pure iridium jewelry doesn’t exist due to the metal’s extreme hardness and high cost, though iridium is commonly alloyed with platinum to increase durability.
Iridium is more magnetic than gold and silver (which are diamagnetic) but less magnetic than palladium. At extremely low temperatures, iridium stops being paramagnetic and becomes completely non-magnetic through magnetic ordering.
References:
- Pure iridium bullion- https://www.luciteria.com/bullion
- Iridium stops being paramagnetic when exposed to extremely low temperatures- https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2006JB004340
Nikola Roza
Nikola Roza is a blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budget but still want to succeed. Nikola is passionate about precious metals IRAs and how to invest in gold and silver for a safer financial future. Learn about Nikola here.
