Precious metals come in different shapes and sizes, gold and silver are the most common, however, there are plenty of precious metals that are more valuable and are rated highly afterwards, so find out with us what is the most expensive metal in the world
What is the most expensive metal in the world?
rhodium
This precious metal is extremely rare and can be described as a hard, silver-white, hard and corrosion-resistant inert transition metal.
Rhodium is a member of the platinum group and a noble metal, first discovered by William Hyde Wollaston in 1803, and aptly named because of the pink color of one of the chlorine compounds.
It can be found in ores of platinum, or nickel along with other precious metals of the platinum group, and about 80% of the world's rhodium is used as one of the catalysts in the three-way catalytic converter in automobiles.
As of 2020, the current price per gram of rhodium is $260.42, making it the most expensive precious metal in the world.
Palladium
The second most expensive metal in the world is palladium, a chemical element designated with the symbol Pd and atomic number 46.
Discovered by English chemist William Hyde Wollaston in 1803, palladium is named after the asteroid Pallas.
The most common use of palladium is in catalytic converters, which are used to convert up to 90% of all harmful gases in automobile exhaust into less harmful substances.
It is also used to make some of the world's most expensive jewelry, as well as electronics, groundwater treatment, hydrogen purification, dentistry, and medicine.
plutonium
If you are considering building a nuclear reactor or weapons of mass destruction, plutonium is the main ingredient that you cannot do without.
With prices as high as $4,000 per gram of pure plutonium, it really is an expensive material.
Today this radioactive chemical is only found in trace amounts of uranium, making it a rare and sought-after substance.
gold
Gold is the third most expensive precious metal in the world, this precious metal needs no introduction as it is arguably the most common metal in the world.
In its purest form, gold can be a shiny, dense, soft yellow metal, one of the least reactive chemical elements on Earth.
Gold is often found in its original free form, small pieces or grains in rocks, veins, and placer deposits.
It is still considered relatively rare, hence the price, and has often been used throughout history for coins, jewelry, and the arts. A gram of gold as it currently stands is about $53.95.
iridium
A by-product of the production of nickel and copper, it is a dense, silvery-white metal. It is the most corrosion-resistant metal on the planet and is routinely used as a hardening agent for platinum alloys.
The reason it's so priced at $4,500 per ounce (28 grams), or $160 per gram, is that it's one of the rarer elements found in the Earth's crust.
What is the most expensive metal manufactured in the world?
californium
Californium is the most expensive chemical element of all, and has only been synthesized once since its discovery in 1950.
Californium-252 is a special isotope used to create water and oil layers in oil wells. This synthetic radioactive element has a half-life of 2,645 years, and is produced by nuclear reactors.
The chemical was first made in 1950 in Berkeley, California, and can cost a jaw $27 million (£19.5 million) per gram.
Read also: The most expensive gemstones in order
What is the most expensive gemstone in the world
red diamond
Red diamonds are the rarest stones on the planet, and can cost around $1 million per carat (0.2 gram.
There are less than 30 red diamonds known to humans, most of which weigh less than half a carat.
The largest red diamond ever found was 5.11 carats and sold for $8 million in 2011.
brown
It is one of the rarest borate minerals in the world and was first discovered and named after British mineralogist Arthur C. D. Paine, who was originally thought to be a blue sapphire.
The mineral comes from Myanmar and it is believed that there are approximately 1,000 painful crystals in circulation, and due to their extreme rarity, one carat (0.2 grams) can cost $60,000.
Diamond
Diamonds are said to be a girl's best friend, although the price of a diamond largely depends on its quality and cut, a pure diamond of one carat usually ranges from $1,910 to $15,650, this equates to roughly $9,500 - $78,250 per gram .
Although many people think that the huge price is due to the rarity of diamonds, the truth is that not all diamonds are rare, but the rare species are more expensive, costing up to $26,950 per carat.
granderite
Rare gemstones were discovered in 1902 in Madagascar, clear and faceted granadirite are among the hardest gemstones to find.
According to jewelry industry magazine National Jeweler, the granderite gem is on display at the Willensky Gallery in New York, weighing 4.96 carats, and priced at $129,500 in 2019.
serendipity
When it comes to rare and expensive gemstones, not many can match this unique, non-silicate shell mineral.
Initially discovered in Sri Lanka in 1902, and more recently in Myanmar, this rare mineral can cost $18,000 a carat.
red beryl
Red beryl is one of the rarest gemstones in the world. For every 150,000 gem-quality diamonds, one crystal of red beryl is found.
One carat (0.2 grams) of red beryl can cost up to $10,000 for the top specimens, the stone can only be found in small quantities at three locations in the world in Utah and New York
