Palladium is a silvery-white noble metal with a melting point of 1555 degrees Celsius. It is a native metal because of its relative inertness. It has oxidation states of +1, +2, +3, +4, and +5. It was identified in 1803, although its alloy with gold was already known. That alloy was known as 'worthless gold' to the miners who came across it. 

Palladium is used as a catalyst. It can be used as a Hydrogen sponge, although it is very expensive to do so since Palladium is a rare metal. It is also used in jewelry and catalytic converters in cars.