15 Most Rare And Expensive Materials In The World
Sunday, Aug 16, 2020, 3:58 pm
By:James Fraser
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Most of us think gold, platinum or diamonds are precious and expensive. However, there are many materials on the earth and in the space that are unbelievably pricey. Precious metals and materials are expensive because they are not available in abundance. Here are fifteen most rare and expensive materials in the world that make metals like Gold look cheap!
1.Gold - $36 / gram
We all know about gold! Gold is a precious metal which is mostly used in jewelry making. Besides jewelry, gold is also used as a form of financial investment. Electronic industry uses gold to make some high end connectors. A gram of gold costs about $36 in US as of today. Gold price always fluctuate. The price was in excess of $50 a few months back.
2.Rhodium - $58 / gram
Rhodium is yet another rare and expensive chemical element. Rhodium's symbol is Rh, and its atomic number is 45 in periodic table. Rhodium is a member of platinum's family. Rhodium is mainly used as a catalyst in automobile, which converts harmful unburned hydrocarbons in automobiles to less dangerous gases. The price of Rhodium is $58 / gram.
3.Platinum - $60 / gram
Most of us know platinum as precious metal used in jewelry. Besides being used in jewelry, platinum has number of other uses including it being a component in numerous electrical and electronic devices. Platinum is a very rare metal found in earth's crust. Platinum's high price is because of its rarity.
4.Methamphetamine - $100 / gram
Methamphetamine, which is commonly known as crystal meth, is another widely used drug. This drug gained popularity after Breaking Bad TV series. This isn't cheap either. A gram of methamphetamine costs over $100 in US. Crystal meth is one of the most deadly drugs that can destroy a man or woman physically and mentally in less than two years.
5.Rhino Horn - $110 / gram
Rhinoceros horns are very expensive. They have a huge demand in Asian countries like Vietnam. People in Asian countries, especially in Vietnam, believe rhino horns are capable of curing cancer. This is the reason why there is huge demand for rhino horn powder there. Poachers kill thousands of rhinos every year for their horns. A gram of rhino horn costs about $110.
6.Heroin - $130 / gram
Heroin is one of the widely available drugs. It is highly potent. It is popular around the world by street names like smack, brown, black, tar, little boy etc. One gram of heroin costs anywhere between $100 to $300 in US. Heroin is very cheap in eastern states of US. Heroin is sold as 'packs' ranging from 0.1mg to 0.25mg in size.
7.Cocaine - $60 / gram
Cocaine is yet another recreational drug, which is popular among drug users around the world. Cocaine is cheap in some countries, while it is extremely expensive in other countries. In US, a gram of cocaine costs around $60. In countries like Australia and New Zealand, the same thing costs $215 a gram. Remember, one gram isn't small at all in drug terminology.
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8.LSD - $3000 / gram
LSD stands for lysergic acid diethylamide, which is also known as 'acid'. Many people around the world use LSD for its psychedelic properties. A gram of LSD costs around $3000. This may sound unreal, but this is true. A 'hit' of LSD costs around $5 to $20. Ten thousand hits can be made from one gram of LSD. Now you understand why drug dealers are super rich!
9.Plutonium - $4000 / gram
Plutonium is a radioactive material, which isn't available abundantly. It is naturally occurring. It is also made commercially to meet global demand. It is mostly used in nuclear missiles and bombs. Plutonium is also used as fuel in nuclear power plants. A gram of plutonium costs about $4000. Remember, it's a highly dangerous material; citizens in most countries can't legally buy it.
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10.Painite - $9000 / gram
Painite is a very, very, rare crystal, which belongs to boron family. It was first discovered by a British scientist named Arthur Pain in 1950s. This mineral is so rare that you can find less than twenty five Painite crystals in the world. Painite is so rare that you can't even find one now to buy, even after you are ready to shell out $9000 a gram!
11.Taaffeite - $20,000 / gram
Taaffeite is a highly rare and expensive precious gem. You can find this gem only in three countries around the world, China, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. It was first discovered by Richard Taaffe in 1945. There are no other uses of Taaffeite except being used as a highly precious gemstone in jewelry making. This stone looks stunningly beautiful. Because of its rarity, it is priced around $20,000 a gram.
12.Tritium - $30,000 / gram
Tritium is a radioactive Hydrogen isotope. Tritium is mostly used in destructive war weapons such as nuclear missiles. Tritium is industrially made. It is very rare to find natural tritium on earth. Tritium is one of the most expensive materials on earth. A gram of tritium costs about $30,000. Four hundred grams of tritium is produced commercially every year.
13.Diamonds - $55,000 / gram
Diamond is a crystalline form of pure carbon. It is the hardest known mineral. We all know how diamonds are used in precious jewelry. These pricey carbon compounds are also used as industrial blades and knives because of their hardness. It is a known fact that only a diamond can cut another diamond. Natural diamonds are very expensive. The pure diamonds, with respect to other relevant factors, have a price tag of $55,000 a gram.
14.Californium - $27 million / gram
Californium is yet another rare and very expensive chemical substance. It is a radioactive metallic chemical element which can be found in periodic table, with atomic number 98. it was first made in 1950 by combining curium and alpha particles. A gram of Californium costs about $27 million. Californium doesn't exist on earth naturally. It can only be made.
15.Antimatter - $62.5 trillion / gram
To understand Antimatter, you first need to know what matter is. In terms of physics, matter is nothing but a substance that is made up of atoms and particles, and occupies physical space. Antimatter is just like matter, but has reversed electrical charge. In simple words, antimatter is a rare and highly powerful material that is available in very less quantities in space. Experts estimated that a gram of antimatter costs about $62.5 trillion.
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